Friday, January 6, 2012

Book Review and Giveaway Info: The Keeper

I will be back tomorrow with some new information regarding the direction of this blog, but tonight I want to share a book review with you.



About the book
Julia Lapp has planned on marrying Paul Fisher since she was a girl. Now twenty-one, she looks forward to their wedding with giddy anticipation. When Paul tells her he wants to postpone the wedding--again--she knows who is to blame.

Perpetual bachelor and spreader of cold feet, Roman Troyer, the Bee Man. Roamin' Roman travels through the Amish communities of Ohio and Pennsylvania with his hives full of bees, renting them out to farmers in need of pollinators. He relishes his nomadic life, which keeps him from thinking about all he has lost. He especially enjoys bringing his bees to Stoney Ridge each year. But with Julia on a mission to punish him for inspiring Paul's cold feet, the Lapp farm is looking decidedly less pleasant.
Can Julia secure the future she's always dreamed of? Or does God have something else in mind?

My thoughts
This is one of my favorite books in the Amish fiction genre.  The reader is quickly and easily transported to a beautifully simple life in Pennsylvania.  The plot draws you in quickly and keeps you engaged until the end.  I had a very difficult time putting the book down and read it in 2 days.  There are things that you will be able to figure out on your own, but there are also surprises along the way.  The book deals with topics I have not encountered in other Amish literature and I was very intrigued.  The topics of true, mental incompetence (as opposed to someone who is just foolish),  and organ donations are strong elements throughout the book.  I have never stopped to think about the Amish and their beliefs regarding organ donations, so it was neat to see that they are very similar to my own beliefs.  Another theme throughout the book is forgiveness, but not in the way that one normally sees forgiveness in a book.  The Amish are well known for being quick to forgive, but it was interesting to see how the characters dealt with the forgetting part.  They do not hold grudges toward the person, yet they still need to deal with the consequences of whatever happened. 

I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys Amish fiction, romance stories, and stories with characters who are trying to figure out who they are after experiencing a tragedy in their life.  Honestly, this is a great book for anyone who enjoys a good story.

About the author
Her interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, W.D. Benedict, who was raised Plain. Suzanne has a great admiration for the Plain people and believes they provide wonderful examples to the world. In both her fiction and non-fiction books, she has an underlying theme: You don't have to "go Amish" to incorporate many of their principles--simplicity, living with less, appreciating nature, forgiving others more readily-- into your life.
When Suzanne isn't writing or bragging to her friends about her first new grandbaby (!), she is raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. To Suzanne's way of thinking, you just can't take life too seriously when a puppy is tearing through your house with someone's underwear in its mouth. Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.

About the giveaway
  It’s a “Honey of a Giveaway” from Suzanne Woods Fisher! Suzanne is hosting a "honey of a giveaway"during the blog tour for The Keeper! During 1/3-1/17 you can enter to win an iPad2 from Suzanne and connect with her on January 17th at The Keeper Facebook Party!


During the giveaway one Grand Prize winner will receive a Prize Pack valued at $600:
  • A brand new 16 KB iPad 2 with Wi-Fi
  • A $25 gift certificate to iTunes
  • A copy of The Keeper
But wait there's more! Just click one of the icons below to enter, then on 1/17 join Suzanne for The Keeper Facebook Party! During the party Suzanne will announce the winner of the "Honey" of an iPad Giveaway and host a fun book chat and give away some fun "honey" inspired prizes - It'll be 'sweet"!

RSVP early and tell your friends!
Enter via E-mail Enter via FacebookEnter via Twitter

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 17th!

 

*Disclaimer*

Thank you to Litfuse Publicity Group and the author for providing me with a copy of this book for review purposes. My opinion is my own and was not influenced by anyone else.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Danielle,
    Thank you for your review of The Keeper. I liked that each person is open, as far as they can be, and are growing and finding themselves as they learn together.
    lanehillhouse[at]centurylink[dot]net

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  2. Hi Danielle! Loved your review of "The Keeper!" I so appreciated your comment that this book would appeal to people who like all kinds of genres (not just Amish fiction). I hope so! Glad you said it. :) And thrilled you read it in two days...what a compliment to this author! Blessings to you, Danielle, in 2012. Warmly, Suzanne

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  3. Thank you so much for being part of this blog tour and for your wonderful review! I cannot wait to read this book - it sounds so fabulous! I am just learning about Suzanne and her wonderful back list of books =)

    Gena Robertson
    robertsongena@hotmail.com

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