The Roll of the Drums (The Amish of Weaver's Creek Book #2)

The Roll of the Drums by Jan Drexler is the second novel in The Amish of Weaver’s Creek series. I recommend reading The Sound of Distant Thunder before beginning The Roll of the Drums. I thought the story was well-written and it moved along at a thoughtful pace. The characters are realistic and developed. Ruby Weaver has lovely red hair which along with her age and unmarried state make her different from other females in her community. Ruby does not feel that marriage is necessary to be a happy and content individual. I like that Ruby is a resilient woman of strong faith. Gideon Fischer is relocating his family after the soldiers devastated his small Amish community. He wants to find a safe place for them to reside and Gideon is worried about his wife’s health. Lovinia, Gideon’s wife, knows her time is short. Lovinia believes Ruby is just what Gideon and her children will need once she is gone. She makes Ruby and Gideon promise to marry each other if she passes away. While each make the promise, they are both hoping they will not have to honor it but for differing reasons. There are good life lessons incorporated into the story. We get to see the characters go through some rough times. I like that the author does not give us a lighthearted feel good story (there are ups and downs just like real life). Gideon is at the lowest point of his life and we get to see how he will handle it. It can be hard to let go of our worries and rely on God, but it is necessary. The phrase from The Roll of the Drums that lingered with me is “Only the Good Lord knew the future. He will give you the strength you need”. Everything happens for a reason as we see in The Roll of the Drums. While the story focuses on Gideon and Ruby, we also catch up with Ruby’s sister, Elizabeth who married Reuben at such a young age. In addition, Levi Beiler is a bookworm who loves to devour theological books. His father constantly berates him and Levi wonders why. He overhears a conversation that soon puts things in perspective and leaves Levi with more questions. We see how a person’s experiences can influence how they look at others and situations. The Roll of the Drums is a sweeping historical Amish novel that has love, forgiveness, fear, redemption, joy, judgement and so much more. You will not be disappointed with this compelling story.

I love reading Jan Drexler, She is one of the best writers of the Amish Romance stories. Due to her Amish ancestry, she has knowledge of their traditions and beliefs. Ms. Drexler does such a wonderful job of bringing her characters to life, you will find yourself genuinely caring about them. I read the first book, The Sound Of Distant Thunder to this series, The Amish of Weavers Creek and really enjoyed it. I could not wait for the next one to come out. The timeline of this novel continues on during the Civil War. Although the Amish are conscientious objectors, Jonas has gone off to war to save his older brother who's number was drawn. Samuel has a wife and children. We are introduced to a new family the Fischers who are fleeing the war in Maryland and traveling through Ohio. Ruby Weaver becomes best friends with Lovinia Fischer as she tries to nurse her back to health. During this time Abraham, Ruby's dad has invited the family to stay with them. Ms. Drexler writes about some very hard topics in her story. She has a special way of bringing light into the darkness. I received a copy of this book from Revell Publishing through NetGalleys. The opinions expressed in this book are my own

The Roll of the Drum The Amish of Weaver's Creek #2 By Jan Drexler Gideon Fischer is hoping for a fresh start and healing for his wife Lovinia. Having lost almost everything to Southern raiders his family has suffered greatly and his wife's health has drastically failed. The promise of help from the Amish community of Weaver's Creek has kept him pushing on. If not for his family he could never ask for help he can't repay. Ruby Weaver is most unconventional but she is more than willing to help those in need and the Fischer family needs the help her family is more than willing to share. She soon becomes friends with the failing Lovinia. And the four young children who are hurting need her help as they must prepare for the worst. But when Lovinia extracts a promise from her to be there for her children and to agree to marry Gideon, Ruby agrees but with reservations. Gideon can't image a life without his wife but his children need someone to mother them but marriage to Ruby Weaver, he just can't do that even if Lovinia felt Ruby was just what they will need. When they come with a workable plan to provide a home for the children/ Unfortunately wagging tongues find fault with the solution that they come up with. The Roll of the Drum is the second book in the Amish of Weaver's Creek series and it is set during the years of the Civil War. The war has not left the area untouched and they are having to live with the cloud it has cast over them. This book is an enjoyable read and the characters are for the most part likable. I like the chance to again revisit the Weaver family and their community. This is an easy to read book and I have to be honest I like American Historical fiction so this was an interesting look at the Civil War era. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.