A Clear Conscience

Change Of Heart by Rachel J Good is a contemporary Amish romance and the first in the Sisters And Friends series. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait for the subsequent books.

Rachel Good explores what happens when the Amish and Englisch worlds collide. The reader finds it easy to empathise with both sides of the same coin from the Amish viewpoint.

The life of the Amish is laid out in the novel and there is much to recommend it. God is very much at the heart. Lydia has to decide whether to put God first in her life. To put Him above her family, friends and her own desires. “Sometimes the pull of the world is strong. But the pull of God is stronger.”

The novel deals with the topic of forgiveness. The Amish forgive because God tells them to. However they must forgive from their heart. Forgiveness needs to be received too or life an become very bitter.

Linked to the theme of forgiveness is the theme of guilt. Guilt if left unchecked can affect a person’s mood and drag them down.

There is also the theme of healing within the story. There is both physical and mental healing needed. Both can happen instantly or may need to take time to be fully effective.

Family is of utmost importance. It may be blood ties or the wider Amish community. The Amish place high value on the family unit. They will also pull out all the stops to look after their own.

Where we come from is important in knowing who we are. To not know your roots can be isolating. To gain knowledge of who you are can be very uplifting and give a sense of value and purpose to life.

Education is shown to be valuable. Not just the education found in books but also the knowledge to be found in the field or the workshop or the house.

I do enjoy Amish fiction and Change Of Heart is a cracking novel. It was my first by Rachel J Good but I shall definitely be hunting out more by her. It’s a wonderful read.
I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.  No monetary compensation was received and all views expressed are my own.

JULIA WILSON

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