Review | Angel by Her Side

A Heaven on Earth Novel
Ruth Reid
2012
Thomas Nelson
Fiction/Contemporary

Katie Bender is a character we have met before, earlier in this series.  But we are now several years down the road and Katie has made her way as a teacher after the death of her fiance.  Now however her whole world has been shaken, literally as a tornado destroys the school house.  Her quick thinking had saved all the children and the community was binding together to help one another in this time of trouble, but Katie is not sure what is going to happen, because rebuilding the school is not at the top of the list of priorities.  The community has to rebuild the homes and farms of those damaged by the tornado, it is their very livelihood at stake.  Seth Stutzman was in Hope Falls helping his brother-in-law Amos Mast.  It it a very dark period in the lives of the Mast family, the loss of Amos' wife Erma to cancer had hardened his heart and he was reacting poorly, walking away from God and his community.  He and Katie have clashed repeatedly over her teaching of his children and her objections to the beehives, he plans on putting near the school house. 
A community finding their way after tragedy, a family nearing irreparable fracture after a death in the family, and a young woman trying to find her way in the midst of the storms of life.  I enjoyed this book, more than I did the others in this series.  It was like a culmination of the stories all melded together.  We have key characters from the other stories here, in a different period of life for them.  All in all it was an enjoyable story. Reading Group Guide included.  344 pages US $15.99 4 stars.  This book was provided for review purposes only no payment was received for this review.