Harvest of Blessings

The sweet, tiny town of Willow Ridge, Mo., is revisited in the clumsy fifth chapter of the Seasons of the Heart contemporary Amish romance series (after Breath of Spring). Nora Glick Landwehr was driven from her Amish home after she revealed her unexpected and unwelcome pregnancy. After giving her daughter to a family member to raise, she made her own way in the “English” world. Sixteen years later, after a heartbreaking divorce, Nora goes home to attempt a reconciliation with her family and to get to know her daughter. Luke Hooley, her new neighbor and what passes for a bad boy in the Amish community, is intrigued by this passionate, worldly artist. Together, they face gossip, contrived dastardly deeds, and the exaggerated quirks of family in their quest to find love. Jarring notes arising from the novel’s unconventional portrayal of the Amish (Luke asks Nora, “What does it take to get to first base with you?”) are exacerbated by the awkward attempts at lighthearted goodwill. [em]Agent: Evan Marshall, Evan Marshall Agency. (Mar.) [/em]