A Place at Our Table (An Amish Homestead Novel)

This was a fabulous book to read! This is one of those books where you start it and you lose yourself in the story. I kept telling myself that this story line is just what I want my life to be like! I love the honesty they shared. I love how the younger characters looked up to the parents and older characters. I loved how they listened to the advice, thought about it, and then acted intelligently. The characters were believable and lovable. I was rooting for them from the beginning and mourning as they mourned. I loved how the characters outside of the main characters had such life in them...they weren't just extras in the story, they were an important part that created depth and caring. I have read many of Amy Clipston's books and have not been disappointed in any of them! She writes stories that speak to my heart and hold my interest from the first page to the last....

“A Place at Our Table” by Amy Clipston is the first book in the “Amish Homestead” series. It deals with very realistic issues and can be a heavier read at times, but the romance is so sweet. I don’t usually expect Amish books to deal with such complex topics, but I really enjoyed it!

The characters in this book deal with loss, fear, guilt and grief. I felt the first half of the book is rather heavy; but as it shifted to focus more on the romance, the tone turns lighter and sweeter. I really appreciate the lessons the story includes, such as trusting the Lord with our futures and that tomorrow is never promised so you should live your life to the fullest.

There are some great relationships and friendships in this book. I appreciate seeing the family and sibling relationships, which play a big role in the story. The romance is sweet and slow building. I found myself really rooting for Kayla and Jamie (our main characters) and their relationship.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. In the beginning it was slower for me and dealt with some heavy topics, but as the story progressed, I found myself invested in the characters. I would especially recommend this book to fans of Amish fiction.

Content: This is a clean read with no mature content.

Rating: I give this book 3.5 stars.

Genre: Amish; Christian fiction; Romance

I want to thank the Fiction Guild, Amy Clipston and Zondervan for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.

exciting difficult to put down.

Book was in good shape ty

I liked the family togetherness and the interesting happenings that always seemed to be going on. I liked reading and wondering if there would be a place at the table for Jamie with Kayla. Watch how love burns brightly no matter the cost! I was gifted a copy through NetGalley, my review was not required and is voluntary.

I really enjoyed this book.

iread 1/2of the book ty

A 5-star, must read story in Amy's newest series. I highly recommend A Place At Our Table. How will it end? You'll be captivated to continue reading until you finish. Well done Amy!

Love Amy Clipston's style of writing.

A Place at Our Table is the first book of Amy Clipston’s “Amish Homestead” series. Jamie Riehl is a volunteer firefighter and is Amish. He meets Kayla Dienner, who also is Amish, when he rescues her little teenage brother Nathan from a fire. There is an attraction between Jamie and Kayla, but Kayla fears that Jamie is having a bad influence on Nathan. Nathan dreams of becoming a firefighter, and Kayla does not want him to do that because their older brother, Simeon, died as a firefighter in the line of duty.

Tragedy hits Jamie and his family, and Jamie suffers an incredible amount of grief and guilt. His sister, Cindy, cannot bring herself to forgive him. In an attempt to heal his own wounds, he dives into work, both at the fire department and at home. This leads him to neglect his blossoming romance with Kayla. Kayla herself is recovering from a relationship in which her previous boyfriend, Abram, neglected her, although she had been wholly devoted to him.

I have said in other reviews that some of Amy Clipston’s novels tend pick a theme and to dwell on that theme throughout the course of the novel. This book did that a little, yet the book was still good, for a variety of events were occurring in the book. The characters were also likable: Nathan, for example, brought a youthful enthusiasm to his dreams, as well as a desire to learn. Kayla maybe went overboard in thinking she should be number 1 to her boyfriend, and yet her desire to be loved was understandable.

The religious themes were fairly good. Kayla suggests, appealing to the Gospel of Luke, that Jamie’s faith can make him well. Both help each other to heal, and that is beautiful. Some of the views about God may be troubling to some, and encouraging to others. Some characters find strength in the belief that God causes tragedy, and others trust in God to protect, even though God has permitted tragedy in their lives up to that point. Then there are characters who are practical: who say that the risk of tragedy can be minimized, even if not avoided, through proper attainment of knowledge and training (in this case, in the firefighting field). Clipston herself never implies that any of these views is right or wrong.

The book is enjoyable—-it would be enjoyable, say, as a TV episode, in the Little House or When Calls the Heart genre.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through BookLook Bloggers. My review is honest.