The Amish Quiltmaker's Unruly In-Law

The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unruly In-Law by Jennifer Beckstrand is an entertaining Amish novel. It is the second book in The Amish Quiltmaker’s series. While The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unruly In-Law can be read as a standalone, I suggest reading The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unexpected Baby first. It will introduce you to Edith and Levi (explain their story) and provide you with hours of entertainment. I am glad Edith and Levi plus Winnie are included in The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unruly In-Law. I just love them, and Esther is a delight (she is still putting items behind her ear). Ben Kiem, Levi’s younger brother, is known for his misbehavior and pranks. He has two friends who drag him into trouble. Ben suffers an injury and needs his new sister-in-law’s help. Esther agrees to assist him and to not mention it to his parents, in exchange for Ben asking Linda Eicher home from the next youth gathering. It is the last thing Ben wants to do, and he goes out of his way to ensure Linda says no. Ben soon finds himself spending time with Linda who tries to change Ben’s errant ways. I loved the humor in this story. I laughed often while reading. Linda is such an upbeat, friendly character. Her laughter and joy are contagious. Ben is a charmer who is also a bad boy. You can soon see why Linda is attracted to him. I thought The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unruly In-Law was well-written with delightful characters. Cathy Larsen is a hoot. I also loved Ben’s grandmother and sweet Winnie. There are good life lessons in the story including the importance of being yourself. I like how the point-of-view alternated between Ben and Linda. We get to see things from each person’s perspective. I liked seeing the Amish youth do so many outdoor activities like canoeing, snowshoeing, skiing, and hiking. I love it that the older set gets together to play pickleball. There are two lines from the book that I wanted to share with you. The first is, “A merry heart does gute like a medicine.” The second one comes from Cathy who said, “Golfing is the most boring sport in the entire world, except for maybe football. I mean, what’s the point?”. The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unruly In-Law was over far too soon. I knew I could count on Jennifer Beckstrand to provide a diverting Amish tale. It was just what I needed. Laughter is indeed the best medicine. The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unruly In-Law is an amusing Amish tale with snowshoe sprints, melting marshmallows, the winsome Winnie, a brazen bad boy, restorative essential oils, an ornery octogenarian, and a scheming sister-in-law.

This was another good book by Jennifer Beckstrand. I have enjoyed all her books. This one taught a lesson of forgiveness. And of self-forgiveness, the hardest kind. And about growing up and continuing to learn and progress, repent and start over, sometimes more than once. A good book about imperfect people who are still loved even when they themselves do not love themselves. It was about mistakes and fixing them. Finding your true path in life, sometimes with the help of others. if you will let them. I recommend it. Very good book. I received an ebook copy from NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.