The Farm Stand by Amy Clipston – Book Review
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Publishers Description
Experience some sweet, garden-fresh romance in the next installment of Amy Clipston’s Amish Marketplace series.
Salina Petersheim runs her own booth at the Amish market, where she’s known for having the freshest and most delicious produce in the area. Her father is the bishop of her church district, and her brother is a deacon. They are a very close family, yet sometimes she tires of being compared to her older brother, Neil, who is married and has two children. She also feels the pressure of having to be the perfect daughter for her parents.
Salina has been dating Josiah for almost a year now, but he feels more like a friend than a boyfriend. Her parents approve of Josiah, who is a hardworking roofer. He’s handsome and easy to talk to, but he just doesn’t warm her heart the way she feels a boyfriend and future husband should. She secretly longs for more.
Along comes William “Will” Zimmerman, a Mennonite chef who runs a restaurant located next door to the Amish market. He wants Salina to supply the produce for his restaurant, and as they forge a business relationship, they both feel themselves falling in love. Salina especially tries to deny her feelings for Will since her father wants her to marry within the community.
Both Salina and Will feel stuck in their current relationships, but they cannot deny what they feel for each other. Will they follow their hearts or bow to the pressure of family? Or will God provide a surprising new road for them?
My Review
This time of year I am prepping my garden for a year of fresh veggies and berries. When I heard Amy was releasing a new book I couldn’t wait to find out more about The Farm Stand. The cover of this book captured my attention because it looked like a book I could relate to. Amy was so kind as to send us the first three chapters in her newsletter and I was more than excited to finally get my hands on a copy! Once I started to read this book I honestly, couldn’t put it down I was so anxious to read what would happen next. The way Amy introduces the characters(especially Daisy) and describes each scene makes you feel like you’re standing right there with each character.
I found myself relating to Salina’s character in many ways. With her love of gardening and going there to pray and think I shook my head and said “Uh-huh, yeah I understand that” because I too do that often when I work in my garden in the Summer and Fall. This book pretty much captured the importance of knowing and being who you are and spending time meditating alone and talking with your creator. Salina’s father is the deacon in her community and it put her in a unique position where she felt she had to give up who she was just to please everyone and not be a disappointment in the community. I found myself once again relating to Salina in this case. Like Salina, my father became a pastor in my adolescent years when I started to notice guys and wanted to explore life on my own. I felt if I were to make a mistake it would look bad on the family or the church.
This book reminded me that when faced with very personal and deep decisions, the first thing we should do is go somewhere and recognize what’s going on in our own lives. Turn off all the voices of others and their opinions towards your situation and be upfront and honest with yourself. I always say when there are too many opinions from others you eventually crowd out the one voice that truly matters. One thing Salina did throughout this entire book was she kept herself open and honest with her creator. Even though she prayed for feelings to leave a situation, God had other plans for her and this other special person she wanted in her life.
This book is certainly a fantastic read if you enjoy Amish fiction mixed with a great love story. I recommend slicing yourself a nice piece of blackberry pie and a cup of coffee while you read this book. Trust me, it plays a great part in the end. It is truly the little things that matter most for sure!
Order Your Copy of The Farm Stand
Also, be sure to check Amy’s first book of the Market Place series ‘The Bake Shop’ if you haven’t already.
The Third Book of this series will be relating (12/1/2020) Read more Here!
About the Author
Early Years
A native of New Jersey, I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I often joke that my fiction writing “career” began in elementary school as I wrote and shared silly stories with a close friend. However throughout school, I only considered writing a hobby, and I never dreamt of being an author.
In 1991, I graduated from high school, and my parents and I moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia. My father retired, and my mother went to work full-time. I attended Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, and I graduated with a degree in communications. I met my husband, Joe, during my senior year in college, a few days after my father had a massive stroke. Joe and I clicked instantly, and after a couple of months we started dating. We married four years later.
After graduating from VWC, I took a summer job with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, which turned into an eleven-year career. I worked in the Public Affairs Office for four years and then moved into Planning as a writer/editor.
During that time, I continued writing for fun. It was something I did to escape the stress and unwind. I didn’t share the stories with anyone except for a couple of close friends. In fact, I was even afraid to admit to my husband that I wrote. Read More about Amy HERE.
Thanks for stopping by and checking out my review for The Farm Stand. Have you read The Farm Stand? If so, share with us your thoughts, we would love to hear from you!
