A Home for Lydia by Vannetta ChapmanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Synopsis:
"Aaron Troyer simply wants to farm like his father and grandfather before him. But instead he finds himself overseeing the family’s small group of guest cabins nestled along the banks of Pebble Creek. That also means he must work with the cabins’ housekeeper, Lydia Fisher.
Lydia is the most outspoken Amish woman Aaron has ever met, and she has strong opinions about how the guest cabins are to be run. She also desperately needs this job. Though sparks fly between boss and employee at first, when the cabins are robbed, nothing is more important to Aaron than making sure Lydia is safe.
Together they work to make the vacation property profitable, but can they find out the identity of the culprit before more damage is done? And is Lydia’s dream of a home of her own more than just a wish and a prayer?" -goodreads.com
My Review:
What a wunderbaar story and a peaceful read! Through the point of view of several people, A Home for Lydia shows the trials and tribulations an Amish community can go through, and yet still find a way to help each other. Lydia has to battle with keeping her job as she's the sole provider for her family. Her father has Farmer's Lung and with his illness, the family lost the farm. Aaron has to leave his home in Indiana to handle the cabins in Wisconsin, where Lydia works and is not too thrilled about it. The run-down condition of the cabins has led to a low turn out of customers, and he aims to change that. Lydia hates change, but if she wants to keep her job, it's best she deals with it. After a string of unfortunate events, Aaron and Lydia emerge with a new outlook upon each other. Aaron begins to understand Lydia and her ambitions, Lydia learns to care for Aaron.
"Folks tended to think Amish were always peaceful and quiet-- peaceful, yes, but there were times and discord within their families as in any life." (loc. 1681)
The plot of this book was quite different from other Amish books I've read, and I liked it! There was more compassion between husbands and wives, and it showed the amish life in a less-strict way. I love how the author implements many amish terms in ways that make the words easy to comprehend (she also includes a glossary of the words in the back!) and I found myself reading the book in a Pennsylvania Dutch accent (in my head of course.) The inner conflicting thoughts of each character and how they fight pass them is inspiring, and I would very much like to read more from Vannetta Chapman.
Quick character summaries:
Lydia: 22 yrs. old. Employee at the cabins. Previous Employer passed away. Has a past of family trouble, with her dad's illness and her family losing the farm. Has a siblings she wants to keep in school and has to keep working for her family's sake.
Aaron: 23 yrs. old. Orginally from Indiana & has to relocate to Pebble Creek, Wisconsin to mange his recently deceased uncle's affairs & cabins. Has idea to improve the cabins to help his aunt & cousins. Keeps bumping heads with Lydia.
Grace: 9 yrs. old. Love to draw and is good at it. Mother passed away from cancer and now lives with her father (Gabe), stepmother (Miriam), and new stepsister (Rachel.)
Gabe: Grace's father, Miriam's loving Husband. Volunteers to help Aaron repair and spruce up the cabins.
Miriam: Grace's stepmother and ex-teacher, Gabe's wife. Has a mother (Abigail) with a growing illness and has to try to keep it together for her family.
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First Line: "Lydia Fisher pulled her sweater around her shoulders and sank down on the top step of the last cabin as the sun set along Pebble Creek." (loc. 19)
Last Line: "The people in her life had given her a home." (loc. 3796)
Quotes:
"Seeing Drake's store had confirmed that his ideas, and what had been done previously in his hometown in Indiana, could be transferred here to Winsconsin. But he couldn't do it alone. He'd need help." (loc.1051)
"Lydia didn't need to turn around to know Aaron was standing behind her. Whenever he was within shouting distance, her skin felt as though a hundred ants were crawling over it. No, that was wrong. It felt as if a hundred butterflies were rubbing against her skin at the same moment." (loc.1093)
"'If you tickle the earth with your hoe, she will laugh with a harvest.'" (loc. 2418)
"There had been no bridge between childhood and adulthood for Lydia. No, she'd gone to sleep one night a child and woken the next day an adult." (loc. 2489)
"'Few burdens are heavy if everyone lifts.'" (loc. 2695)
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Galley provided by Harvest House Publishers via NetGalley
Expected publication: February 1st 2013 by Harvest House Publishers
ISBN: 0736946144
ISBN13: 9780736946148
ISBN: 0736946144
ISBN13: 9780736946148
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