Summer's Promise -- a Mommy Time Christian Book Review

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I am participating in the blog tour for Summer's Promise by Barbara Cameron. As Hazel has gotten older I decided to spend some time with adult books and have enjoyed the Christian themed novels. This is one of those kind of novels. It is the third book in the Harvest of Hope Series, but is the only one I have read in the series. 

This book takes us to Amish Country--Lancaster County to be specific. Now my first introduction to the Amish people was in eighth grade. We took a trip to various places down south of us and one of the stops was Lancaster County to learn about the Amish and their way of life. I have been a bit fascinated with them ever since. It is hard to imagine people choosing not to live with electricity but their way of life as difficult as it is seems so full and content. I also love their quilts.

This story however is about a young woman who the Amish call an Englisch woman named Summer and an Amish man named Abram. Summer has had a hard few years. She left college when her father became sick so she could help take care of him. Now it is just her mother and her and Summer is working as well as taking classes. She is trying to follow in her father's footsteps, but finds the job a bit rough as a female (she is not doing as interesting things as the male intern). Her mother does not seem to be healthy and no one is quite sure what is wrong. And then there is Abram. Abram and Summer become friends and everyone around them sees it before each of them truly realize it but they are falling in love. 

Abram has taken over his family's farm. His parents are in Florida and enjoying retirement. Abram is beginning to feel the loneliness of living alone. And he is really enjoying talking and spending time with Summer. He is also realizing he is thinking about Summer all the time.

The two help one another but also have big decisions to make. It is obvious how much they care about one another and that it is the first time either has felt this way about another. I love how this book shows the struggle some mixed couples will have. Can Summer give up her life as she knows it for love? It is an interesting love story and feels like it could be an every day sort of story for anyone in Lancaster County. The characters are well developed and feel like friends I would like to have in my own life. They are caring and full of life and generosity. I definitely recommend this book. It pulls you in and introduces the Amish culture as well as how the Amish in Lancaster County mix a bit with the Englisch and the differences in the cultures.