Inspirational and poignant, Leah’s Faith is the hopeful story of a young woman living with scoliosis.
Leah’s Faith by Joanne Lehman
Genre/Categories/Setting: Contemporary Fiction, Amish Fiction, Inspirational, Family Life, Scoliosis, Rural Amish Country.
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My Summary:
Thanks Liz Petersheim @ Masthof Press and Bookstore for a complimentary eARC of #LeahsFaith upon my request. All opinions are my own.
Leah has all the hopes and dreams of many young women, but severe scoliosis causes her much discouragement. She feels she must accept this condition as God’s will and resigns herself to live the best life she can with this disability. One day, she meets a surgeon who offers to help her and lays out a treatment plan. Will her parents approve? Will she have the courage to face surgery? Will the surgery be successful?
My Thoughts:
Community and Compassion
I love that this story features a supportive community and a compassionate surgeon. Along with the family’s faith, the community and the medical professionals play important roles as Leah courageously faces life-changing surgery.
A Serving of Hope and a Side of Sweet Romance
If an uplit story that doesn’t sacrifice substantial content and a sweet side of young romance is appealing, you might enjoy this inspiring story. Leah represents many fortunate individuals who owe their quality of life to compassionate doctors.
Aaron is a fine young man who starts out as Leah’s loyal and devoted friend. We watch this friendship transform into sweet romance. The outcome of Leah’s operation and a new romantic interest leave us with a great deal of hope for her future.
Amish Fiction
The author gives us an authentic glimpse into the Amish lifestyle, values, and faith traditions. Amish Fiction is a subgenre I enjoy dipping into occasionally. I appreciate the themes of hope, family, and faith. Do you read Amish fiction?
Content Consideration: physical disability
Recommending Leah’s Faith:
If you are a fan of Amish fiction, I warmly recommend this author! The events leading up to Leah’s surgery, her rehab, and the final outcome are page-turning. I was completely invested in her surgery and recovery. It seems like Leah’s Faith is the first in a series, so there will be more to enjoy.
My Rating: 4 Stars
Meet the Author of Leah’s Faith, Joanne Lehman
Joanne Lehman’s Amish-themed fiction is grounded in her rural Mennonite roots. Rich in descriptive detail, her lyrical fiction explores hope, healing, and forgiveness—always with a dash of romance. She grew up on a chicken farm in Columbiana, Ohio, next door to Appalachia, where she wandered the fields and woods barefoot and swam in the farm pond. Life revolved around church, cousins, and grandparents.
Joanne earned an MFA in creative writing and has worked as an adjunct English instructor, journalist, and community relations specialist. She is an award-winning author of three poetry chapbooks, a novel, Kairos, and a collection of creative nonfiction. Joanne has published poetry, essays, and articles in literary journals, religious periodicals, and local newspapers.
An incurable procrastinator, Joanne relies on a wide assortment of passions and hobbies to avoid writing. These include cycling on rail trails, doing Pilates and water aerobics, thrift shopping, traveling abroad, and baking desserts with zucchini or rhubarb as an ingredient. She is equally skilled at charcuterie and cheesy potatoes and can cut a pie into seven pieces. Joanne and her husband, Ralph Lehman, live comfortably in their dawdi haus in Wooster, Ohio. They have two children, four grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
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I do enjoy Amish Fiction, but have not read anything by Joanne Lehman. This sounds like a well written and enjoyable story with subject matter that you don’t often see in Amish Fiction. Thanks for the heads up on this book.
Quite compelling! I think you’d like it!