Her New Story

Touching Story of Healing and Forgiveness This story starts out as a somewhat boring trope of a city girl being immersed in the Amish lifestyle. But as it fills in, it becomes a much deeper story of true friendship and leaving yourself open to it, even if you have been hurt before. It ends up on quite a high note. I was pleased with the story on many levels and recommend it. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Her New Story by Laura Bradford is a poignant story about healing, forgiveness, friendship, and hope. I thought Her New Story was well-written with realistic characters. Tess Baker, an investigative reporter with In Depth magazine, suffered a terrible betrayal when her husband cheated on her with her best friend. I could feel Tess’s pain and understand her betrayal. She has decided to trust no one but herself and to focus on work. Tess’s new resolve is a little late after she misses a major story. She is getting a last opportunity to prove her worth thanks to her mentor, Murph. Blue Ball, Pennsylvania is not the destination Tess had in mind. Tess had little knowledge of Amish before arriving in town. Her assumptions about Amish show how little people really know about this group of people. We get to see Tess immerse herself in the culture and learn about the truth about the Amish. Her betrayal, though, colors her outlook. I appreciated the epilogue at the end, but I wish it had been a tad longer. I liked meeting Mildred, the woman Tess met on the bus on her way to Pennsylvania. It is a shame that Tess was not open to what Mildred was imparting. I hope that Tess can be that woman someday. I enjoyed the descriptions of the King farm and Blue Ball. It sounds like a peaceful place that I would love to visit. Naomi King was a wise, caring woman with a large brood (Little Rueben was adorable). Naomi had a wonderful group of friends who each taught a lesson to Tess. I liked that we get to catch up with Danielle, Katie, Hannah, Emma and especially Miss Lottie. I appreciated that we get Miss Lottie’s complete story. It was interesting reading about the portable propane lamp. I had never heard of such an item before this book. Her New Story is a special tale with quilting quandaries, an abysmal betrayal, fine friends, a grumpy mentor, abominable muck, unanticipated assignment, and surprising results.