Rosemary Opens Her Heart - Home At Cedar Creek Series, #2 by Naomi King

About Book

Another spring reminds the Amish of Cedar Creek, Missouri, that for everything there is a season.

Zanna Lambright is finally marrying Jonny Ropp, and friends and family have come from far and wide to celebrate. Among them is young widow Rosemary Yutzy, mother of toddler Katie, whose husband was tragically killed last fall. With a willing heart Rosemary has taken over care of her in-law’s family and continued to run a baked goods business from home, but privately she still mourns her lost Joe…and is unprepared for the changes that are coming…

Rosemary’s father-in-law wants to merge his lamb-raising business with Matt Lambright’s—a move that will require the Yutzys to relocate from their nearby town to Cedar Creek. Moreoever, it will bring Rosemary into constant contact with Matt, who is making no secret of his romantic interest in her. The challenges of contemplating a future unlike any she expected are overwhelming for Rosemary. And although Matt is strong and kind, his courtship is so persistent, she often wants to run the other way. As Rosemary struggles to see beyond her immediate joys and sorrows, will she embrace the outpouring of welcome and support from the people of Cedar Creek…and accept this new chance to open her heart to a more abundant life?

Read Excerpt here

• ISBN-13: 9780451237972
• Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
• Publication date: 11/6/2012
• Pages: 304
• Series: Home at Cedar Creek Series

Where to buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com


About Author

I’ve called Missouri home for most of my life, and most folks don’t realize that several Old Older Amish and Mennonite communities make their home here, as well. The rolling pastureland, woods, and small towns along county highways make a wonderful setting for Plain populations—and for stories about them, too! While Jamesport, Missouri is the largest Old Order Amish settlement west of the Mississippi River, other communities have also found the affordable farm land ideal for raising crops, livestock, and running the small family-owned businesses that support their families.

Like my heroine, Miriam Lantz, of my new Seasons of the Heart series, I love to feed people—to share my hearth and home. I bake bread and goodies and I love to try new recipes. I put up jars and jars of green beans, tomatoes, beets and other veggies every summer. All my adult life, I’ve been a deacon, a dedicated church musician and choir member, and we hosted a potluck group in our home for more than twenty years.

Like Abby Lambright, heroine of my new Home at Cedar Creek series, I consider it a personal mission to be a listener and a peacemaker—to heal broken hearts and wounded souls. Faith and family, farming and frugality matter to me: like Abby, I sew and enjoy fabric arts—I made my wedding dress and the one Mom wore, too, when I married into an Iowa farm family more than thirty-five years ago! When I’m not writing, I crochet and sew, and I love to travel.

I recently moved to Minnesota when my husband got a wonderful new job, so now he and I and our border collie, Ramona, are exploring our new state and making new friends.

Naomi's website:  http://www.naomikingauthor.com/
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/NaomiC.King

WHAT’S COOKIN’ AT THE SWEET SEASONS BAKERY CAFÉ?  Click here for some yummy recipes.

My Thoughts

This book starts out where book one left off, which is at Zanna Lambright and Jonny Ropp's  marriage ceremony and celebration with family and friends.  This newlyweds act as matchmakers pairing up young Amish men and women in hopes of the possibility of the couples will be a good match that would end up in courting leading to marriage.  

Two such couples stand out from the rest.  Abby Lambright and James Graber were both surprised to be paired up for dinner by the bride and groom.  Then Matt Lambright and Emma Graber were paired up which surprised Matt and was wishful thinking for Emma.  Especially since Matt had not taken his eyes off  Rosemary Yutzy the beautiful young widow that was leading around her three year old daughter.  Matt was sure this was love at first sight.  The only problem was that Rosemary was still in love with her deceased husband.  No matter how hard she tried to discourage Matt refused to back away.  He had even found he had a tenderness in his heart for her child. 

The Good Shepherd was mentioned many time in this book.  One man in particular appeared to walk the walk of a good shepherd. 

The story is mainly focused on these two couples and their pursuit to happiness and their faith in God to lead them at this important time in their lives.  There are many obstacle to overcome, family members to think of and their goals as far as their business and livelihoods.   For instance, Abbey has her sewing business and working in the mercantile with her brother Sam. James has his Carriage/Buggy building business that keeps him very busy. Not to mention his parents that need a lot of care.  Then Matt has sheep that need constant care.  Then Rosemary bakes and sells pies to local stores and bakeries.  She also has a house to run for her father-in-law and to care for her young sister-in-law.

The author put this story and these couples together like a quilt with so many intricate pieces  to even count.  When she got the pieces all laid out and put together, it was a beautiful story to behold.  She created her characters to have faith in God along with the wisdom to trust God with their prayers. Part of that wisdom was to  follow the advice of their church leaders when challenges arose.  The author had to have had a lot of wisdom and faith in God herself to have written such an endearing story.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this 5 out of 5.

Disclosure
I received a free copy of this book from Penguin Group/Pump Up Your Book Publicity Tours for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.

If you found this review helpful vote yes or no here.

The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin illustrated by David Shannon

Author & Storyteller 

Rafe Martin is the author of over 20 books that have been translated into many languages including Swedish, French, Xhosa, Zulu, Afrikaans, Korean, Japanese and Portuguese. Speaking as both an author and a storyteller, Rafe has appeared in thousands of schools, libraries, festivals, and conferences in nearly every state—including Alaska and Hawaii—and as far away as Japan.

In schools he works with all grade and ages, kindergarten through college and adult, telling stories and sharing an empowering vision of language, writing, creativity, and imagination. He leaves listeners with an awareness of their own power to create. He offers writing, storytelling and professional development workshops, as well as adult and family performances.

Among the many prestigious festivals, conferences, and institutions at which he has been featured are: The National Storytelling Festival; The Joseph Campbell Foundation Festival of Myth, Folklore, and Story; The P.E.N. American Literary Center, The American Museum of Natural History, The Detroit Institute of Arts, The Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Ganondagan-NYS Historic and Sacred Seneca Site, The Chautauqua Institute, The Three Apples Storytelling Festival, Sharing the Fire Storytelling Conference, The International Storytelling Institute, The Sierra Storytelling Festival, The Vassar College Summer Institute on Children’s Book Publishing, The Talking Island Storytelling Festival of Honolulu, Hawaii-to name just a few!

His keynotes and workshops at library and reading conferences include: The American Library Association, the New York Library Association, library/media conferences in Michigan, Utah, Alabama, Tennessee and New York; The National Council of Teachers of English; and The International Reading Association International Convention.

Rafe Martin’s writing has appeared in Parabola: The Magazine of Myth and Tradition; Blind Donkey; The Sun; Enquiring Mind; Storytelling Magazine; Mountain Record; Zen Bow; Buddhadharma; Tricycle: The Buddhist Review and The Animals’ Voice as well as in the books Who Says? Essays in Contemporary Storytelling; Between the Lines: A Modern Midrash; Peace Tales; Stories for the Spirit; Stories of the Heart; The Ghost and I; Read-to-Tell Tales, More Best-Loved Tales from the National Storytelling Festival and in A Treasury of Stories Recorded Live at the 20th Anniversary National Storytelling Festival.

Rafe has a Master’s degree in English literature from the University of Toronto where he studied with such notable figures as Northrop Frye and Marshall McLuhan. He was the first person to ever be granted Highest Honors in English from Harpur College (now Binghamton University) where he graduated magna cum laude.

Website: http://www.rafemartin.com/
Published by G P Putnam & Sons 1992
Where to buy:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Illustrated by David Shannon

David Shannon grew up in Spokane, Washington and graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena in 1983. He has written and/or illustrated over 25 books for children, including the bestselling "Too Many Toys," "A Bad Case of Stripes," and the semi-autobiographical "No, David!," which received a Caldecott Honor. His newest book is "It’s Christmas, David!." David lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Heidi, their daughter, Emma, and their dog, Fergus.

THE ROUGH-FACE GIRL

An award-winning recreation of a classic Native American (Algonquin) Indian Cinderella, this is a mysterious, magical, powerful book. Many of Rafe’s readers call it their favorite of his books, and it has won much recognition in the world of children’s literature. It is the Cinderella we all know, but bears no resemblance to the Disney version.

“There are many versions of the Cinderella story,

but none is more eloquent or

affecting—or more strikingly illustrated.”

—Parent’s Magazine

My Thoughts 

In a small Indian village by Lake Ontario there was a humongous wigwam and in this wigwam lived a wealthy, handsome Invisible Being and his sister. Every single woman in the village wanted to marry the Invisible Being because of his great wealth.

Also in this village lived a poor man and his three daughters. Two of the daughters were very self-centered and made the third daughter do the chore of tending the fire. From tending the fire the young woman had burns and scars all over her hands, arms and face because of sparks flying up and on her. Her sisters teased her and called her Rough-Face Girl.

One day the two sisters dressed up in the finest their father could provide and they went to seek out the invisible being to become his bride. But they first had to answer his sisters questions correctly.

The third sister has faith that she will marry the Invisible One. So she dresses in what little her father has to offer, which was far less than her sister had. Which of the young women do you think the handsome Invisible One should choose? Why?

This is a different twist on the Cinderella tale that we all know well. The story in this book is an Algonquin Indian Cinderella tale.

I enjoyed this story with the Rough-Face Girl. Most people only saw her scars and had no idea what beauty she held within.

How many times have you looked at someone and not wanted to be their friend just because of their outer appearance?

I purchased this book for my own pleasure to read.

I highly recommend this book for ages 8 and up.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.