The Bridge of Peace

An Ada's House Novel
Cindy Woodsmall
2010
Waterbrook Press
Fiction/Contemporary/Amish

Reviewed by Cindy Loven

Sorrow is often a part of every one's life, but it seems that the Old Order Amish Community of Dry Lake is experiencing more than their fair share of sorrow.  We often think that the Amish deal with their sorrows more stoically than we Englishers do, but this book is a story of how they address the losses in their lives.
There is sweet Ada, whose husband died years earlier in a vehicle crash, with several other members of the community.  Ada's son has skipped out on his mom and his bride to be, needing time to discover himself.  Leaving the two women to cope on their own.  Then there is Lena Kaufman whose mother was killed in the same crash as Ada's husband, she has dealt daily with the loss of her mother, and also with a disfiguring birthmark that makes her a target for teasing.  Now she does not realize it, but she is the target of a madman, bent on killing her.  Grey Graber and his wife Elsie have dealt with their own sorrows, the birth of a son who is still born.  The distance that grows between them.  None of it will compare to the sorrow that Grey will experience when Elsie is attacked by a bull that has been goaded with an electric prod by the madman trying to kill Lena.  Viewed as an accident the community comes together to help each other and to help Grey and his young son.
I loved this story, even more than I did the first book in this series.  I truly felt as if I had a new fresh view of the Amish and their lives.  This story is captivating, with enough mystery, suspense and romance to keep you reading to the end.  Cindy Woodsmall once again presents us with her superior writing skills and storytelling.  Great book!! Cannot wait for the next in the series! 339 pages US $13.99 5 stars.
This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review.

See my review of the first book in this series.. The Hope of Refuge