The Patient One (1) (Walnut Creek Series, The)

I've been blogging for a few years now and I have gotten into a pretty good pattern of book blogging. If the genre is one that my mother, Gloria loves, I will usually let her read the book and prepare the review for me to post here. When Gloria learned that Shelley Shepard Gray had this new book coming out in April of 2019 -- The Patient One -- she asked me to request it for her to read, which I immediately did. Unfortunately, my mother is experiencing some medical difficulties with her eyes right now and her Kindle is off limits. Therefore, I had to step up and read and review this book myself. Back in the day, I used to read a lot of Amish and Mennonite books, so it wasn't a big reach for me, so here's my review:

The Patient One shares the story of the sudden death by suicide of Andy Weir and how the community comes together while trying to deal with the situation. Andy was in a group of eight friends who were very tight-knit and consisted of a blend of Amish, Mennonite and English. They had promised to stay together in their group and stay connected, but the truth was that had each grown up and moved on in life, as we often do. They have so many unanswered questions as they struggle with Andy's reason for suicide, why he didn't reach out to his life-long friends, and why they did not see that he was struggling.
Then after being away for seven years, Andy's friends come together for the sad reason of celebrating Andy's legacy and attending his funeral. The story is told from each person's point of view and as they deal with the death of their friend. I love the blend of characters from different walks of life too, as it does show that people are more alike than the differences that they may have. Some friendships get stronger while some develop into even more.

There's so much to this book, there are real topics and feelings that are very well addressed, and I found the characters to be very well developed. I have learned that this will be the first book in a series too, so I'm sure the next one will be super interesting too!

The Patient One is definitely a book you should add to your 2019 TBR stack when it releases in April, 2019.

I received an advanced reader digital copy of this book without cost from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

THE PATIENT ONE is the first book in the Walnut Creek Series by Shelley Shepard Gray. It is the story of The Eight. They are eight friends who are Amish, Mennonite, and Englisch. Everyone including the eight are shocked to learn that Andy, one of The Eight, has committed suicide. The Eight have been friends since they were kids and have always looked to Andy as their leader of their group. This story is about the seven remaining members coming to terms with Andy’s death, grieving for their friend, and struggling to heal. I have been reading Shelley’s books for years and THE PATIENT ONE is now one of my very favorites by her.

Shelley Shepard Gray sure knows how to make the reader feel as if they are right there at the kitchen table with this gang of friends, with all their troubles and THE PATIENT ONE is exactly that! She made me sad, then the next moment I was smiling and giggling out loud! You can never go wrong with a Shelley Shepard Gray book if you are a fan of the Christian fiction genre. All of her characters feel genuine and relatable and put your emotions on one heck of a roller coaster ride. As you are reading, you will find yourself cheering for all of them, praying they can work out their problems and be happy once again. You will also wonder how much heartache a group of friends can stand before it completely breaks down and splits.

THE PATIENT ONE is a heart tugging story filled with patience, loneliness, heartbreak, and love that will hold you hostage until the very last page. Once I started this heartwarming story, it was very hard to put down! I really prayed that Marie would be able to convince John that she was ready to move forward with her feelings for him and that he deserved to be loved and cherished. Shelley Shepard Gray isn’t afraid to write about subjects out of the norm as far as the Christian Fiction genre goes. Oh, as a warning to the reader, keep the tissues handy and do not read the ending in a public place unless you don’t mind crying in front of strangers! I’m so excited to continue catching up on all of Shelley Shepard Gray’s previous books. Now I have to patiently wait for the next book in this wonderful new series!

I truly loved this book! I’m still trying to process my feelings for it. Shelley Shepard Gray did such a great job taking a very difficult topic and writing about it. There’s a beautiful lesson in this book. I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of this series. I have a feeling that this might be my new favorite by her. It was so good!

I was given a complimentary copy of this ebook from the author, but was not required to write a review. The thoughts and comments are my own

What made life memorable wasn’t when everything went so right that it was easy . . . it was when everything felt so wrong that the only thing to do was accept it for what it was—a memory in the making.” - The Patient One by Shelley Shepard Gray

I’m still reeling from the Andy we meet in Friends to the End is no longer with us. I never got the feeling in the prequel that he was struggling. Which I understand is how a lot of people suffering from depression are. A lot of times you don’t know until it is too late. I appreciated Gray taking the time to reflect how suicide and senseless death affects not only those close to the deceased but others around the deceased.

Tissues are a must when reading. This would be a great book to use as a way to talk to your teenager about depression and suicide and that there is help available. It is also a good lesson on drunk driving and how a night of fun can destroy lives in seconds.

The Patient One is a clean romance with no foul language.

I received a complimentary copy from Gallery books through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

The story is a sad one, full of reflection and searching. I wish the author had written more about Andy in the beginning so that readers could better understand him. The small blurbs at the beginning of each chapter didn't work for me. I appreciate the friendship of the group of eight. But after reading so many Amish books and living near the Amish, I find the closer relationships between the Amish and English not to ring true. This as a sweet story about dealing with death that some may be able to relate with.

Friends To The End

This is a story about friendship. Tricia comes to realize that those she considered her brothers friend are actually people she can count on too. When Tricia becomes stranded at the family cabin she naturally calls on her brother for help. She would prefer that her parents don't know she has again made a mess of things, which is beginning to be a theme in her life. When her brother calls on his best friend Logan to be her rescuer is seems her secret crush may also have feelings for her.

This introduction to the unique Magnificent Eight shows us how the Amish and english can become close friends. I look forward to seeing these characters again in the Walnut Creek series. Shelley Shepard Gray never disappoints!

THE PATIENT ONE

At last they would be together again. But it won't be the same. The reason the 'eight' are gathering in their hometown is not a happy one. In fact the leader of the eight is only present as the focus of his funeral. Now they are seven. These friends have come from different cultural backgrounds, Amish, English, Mennonite. They grew up together and formed a bond that they vowed would last forever. So how was their leader in trouble without them being aware?
Will the guilt over his suicide is be more than they can deal with?

I enjoy the development of Molly, a character I'm sure we will being seeing more of. As she explores her life and the opportunity for romance.
Throughout the story each character is dealing with the own emotions and the direction God will lead them. They all have struggles and I'm sure in the next books we will get to take a deeper look at how God guides them! Once again I am pleased that Shelley Shepard Gray has taken on a real life situation and dealt with the telling of this story in a realistic way.

'The Patient One' by Shelley Shepard Gray opens up with 7 best friends from childhood attending the funeral of one of their own. Despite their differences, 3 are Amish, 3 are English, and 2 are Mennonite, they remained close throughout their childhood until adulthood sent them in different directions. Their recently lost friend, Andy, committed suicide and the book follows the story of them coping with death and reconnecting with each other. Gray has a talent for pulling the reader into the characters lives and it really shines in this one. Be prepared to both laugh and cry. I can't wait for the next book!

The Patient One is the first book in Shelley Shepard Gray’s new Walnut Creek Series. It opens at the funeral of one of a group of friends. The shocking part was that Andy had committed suicide. The seven remaining friends (Amish, Mennonite, and English) are all left trying to come to terms with his death and the fact that they hadn’t realized that anything was that wrong in Andy’s life. Andy had been one of the English friends. Even though they had drifted apart, Andy’s death did serve to bring them back together and they vowed to look after each other again. This time they wouldn’t let anything break that bond. This story mainly focuses on two of the friends, Marie and John. Marie is English and John is Amish.
I enjoyed this story, but I confess that I was unprepared for the way that the story opened since I hadn’t read the back of the book (which is very unusual for me, but I enjoy this author and always read her work). Shelley does a great job handling the issue of suicide. She doesn’t dwell on the event, but opens with the friends at the funeral, remembering their good friend Andy. Since it is something that has become all too common in some communities these days, it was good to see it addressed in a sensitive way, with the different characters trying to process their feelings in the aftermath. I also liked that the characters didn’t spend the whole story dwelling on Andy’s death.
Shelley has woven together a somewhat unlikely group of friends in Walnut Creek. Despite their many outward differences, they have formed a strong bond that bridges them. They’ve been friends since childhood, when their differences didn’t seem so great, and now they’re young adults. They aren’t free of misunderstandings, but that’s also what helps to make Shelley’s characters so real and easy to relate to. I feel that this could be a group of friends that I would actually run into as I went about town. Some of them have some very difficult decisions to make as they contemplate their futures. This was definitely the case for Marie and John.
I found myself having a hard time putting this book down because I had been drawn into the story and wanted to find out how it would end. I am definitely looking forward to reading more about this group of friends in the future, and finding out how their decisions impact their lives and the lives of their friends. I would definitely recommend The Patient One to anyone who enjoys inspirational fiction.
I was given a copy of this book from the author, but was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.