Skip to main content

The Keeper by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Brief synopsis (no spoilers)
Story follows the Lapp family, an Amish family in new England, their challenges, growth, and relationships developed with the new housekeeper and beekeeper who have become part of their household, especially the relationship of Julia with Rome (the beekeeper), a traveling unattached "drifter" that resides in stony ridge part of each spring/summer.

Category
Christian fiction

Why I chose this book
It showed up on the suggestions page of my library digital borrow/lend site, and it looked like a love story. Other cultures (like Amish) interest me. I knew it would be a safe read love story.

My personal opinion (the review)
I really enjoyed the love story. It was also interesting to read about an Amish family. It had a lot of spiritual references in the thoughts of the characters and I liked that. 

Warnings (language, violence, "adult" situations, death, etc.)
No "bad" stuff, but yes death.
(I was grateful for the blaring sun outside where I was reading during the last 15% of the book so that the tears that welled up in my eyes weren't distinguishable from the watery eyes I already had.) But oh it was so complete and moving because of it. It had to happen. But it was still sad. I would recommend it anyways!

Movie rating equivalent
G

Protagonist description
Julia - strong, confident, mindful, protective of family members' feelings, unsure of her own feelings

Point of view of story
3rd person

Book length
2 weeks

Story flow
Good, kept moving

Grammar and spelling issues
None

Character connection (no spoilers)
I loved Julia! She had just enough sass (more like confidence not being disrespectful). I loved that she could manage her family and that she could see the good in Fern.
I also hope Sadie gets more attention in the next book.

For series:
Part of the Stoney Ridge Seasons series

Independent or integral (stand-alone or back story dependent)
Stand alone (1st in the series)

Series review as a whole
I've only read 1

If you only have time for one, read: (which one)
So far, this one

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

Summary: Every book needs you to turn the pages. But not every book needs you to tap it, shake it, jiggle it, or even blow it a kiss. Innovative and timeless, Tap the Magic Tree asks you to help one lonely tree change with the seasons. It begins with a bare brown tree. But tap that tree, turn the page, and one bright green leaf has sprouted! Tap again—one, two, three, four—and four more leaves have grown on the next page. Pat, clap, wiggle, jiggle, and see blossoms bloom, apples grow, and the leaves swirl away with the autumn breeze. (Amazon) Attention Span/reading level: Perfect for my three year old. I would say that ages 2-10 would really enjoy something like this. It really keeps kids engaged and makes them feel like part of the story. There is one word to one sentence per page. Good uses for book in teaching: Interaction, that the reader takes part in making the story, what a tree can do (leaves, blossoms, fruit) Favorite part:      Child: The fact that ...

Improbable Libraries Alex Johnson

Concept: " A visual journey to the world's most unusual libraries." Author : Alex Johnson, a journalist and consultant . Both parents were librarians.  Monologue score  (1-10) (how entertaining): 8 - Overall I found this book quite interesting. I loved seeing all the ways that people were working to bring books into the community and how many were trying to create a sense of community through books. The pictures did a great job of helping to visualize how these libraries are being used.  Difficulty level: 3- Not very hard. Each of the seven sections (Libraries on the Move, Animal Libraries,Tiny Libraries, Big Libraries, Home Libraries, Mobile Libraries, and Not Libraries) starts with a short introduction and then gives a picture (or three) of the library described.  What I Learned/Review:  I really found this to be an enlightening and uplifting book. Having been a librarian and having a love for books in general it warms my heart to see all the ways that ...

Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie Holmberg

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Maire has a talent for baking. She can imbue her creations with emotion or even simple abilities. Peace, love, memory, strength, alertness, etc. She is forcibly taken away from her home, and spends the rest of her time trying to get back to the only family she knew. She also has help from a mysterious, ghostly person, who appears to know her well. Category YA Fiction Why I chose this book I've loved every other book the author has written My personal opinion (the review) I love the stories by Mrs H, and have come to expect some pretty fantastical things- she has an incredible, unstoppable imagination. But this one really stretched me; it was almost too weird, too "out there". I don't care, though, I'll keep buying everything she publishes. Happy ending, good love story, gripping plot line. Weird or not, it was a great read. Warnings Language: None Violence: Some. Not frequent, not very graphic, but heart-wrenching "Ad...