Woman of Courage by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Published by Shiloh Run Press on December 1, 2018
Pages: 316
Format: ARC
Goodreads
Jilted by her fiancé, Amanda Pearson gives up on romance and turns to her Quaker faith for reassurance. She becomes determined to follow the Rev. and Mrs. Spalding into the western wilderness to minister to the Nez Percé Indians.
But a three-thousand-mile journey in 1837 is fraught with danger for anyone, and soon Amanda finds herself recovering from near death in a trapper’s cabin. His Indian wife becomes Amanda’s first convert–and friend. But the trapper and his intriguing half-Indian friend want nothing to do with Christians.
Buck McFadden has received nothing but pain from white men who claim Christ as their lord. He wants only to be left to his solitary life, but he can’t seem to walk away from Amanda.
Amanda fears she’ll never reach the mission in the Lapwai Valley. This journey has become life-changing for her–and those she meets–and the choices she must make are almost unbearable.
The author of today’s book, Woman of Courage, is Wanda E. Brunstetter. I know I’ve shared this story before, but back in 2015 I met Ms. Brunstetter while she was doing a book signing event at the local Wal-Mart here in Sarasota, Florida. At that time, I was able to get my mother, Gloria an autographed copy of one of her favorite Amish books. Of course, ever since that meeting in 2015 when the opportunity arises to read and review one of Ms. Brunstetter’s books, I jump on it because my mother LOVES Amish stories.
Gloria recently told me about this book and said she really wanted to read it. When I saw the book available on NetGalley through my blogging relationship with them, I requested it and was approved. Unfortunately, Gloria recently had eye surgery and was unable to read this book after all so here are my thoughts:
The first thing I’ll say is that this book is a little different than Ms. Brunstetter’s Amish books (and her cookbooks). The main character of this book is Amanda Pearson, a Quaker woman with a deep faith learned from her father who was a preacher.
The next thing I’ll say is this: I’ve learned that Woman of Courage had already been written and published in 2014, but what I recently had the opportunity to read is a Collector’s Edition so there is an added story at the end entitled The Story of Little Fawn. Both stories are delightful historical reads.
In Woman of Courage, the year is 1837 and Amanda Pearson is jilted by her fiance, for her best friend. She decides to join family friends, Reverand and Mrs. Spalding as a missionary to the Nez Perce’ Indians at a Indian reservation in Oregon. Amanda promises her father that she would bring the Bible and Jesus to these Indian people. The trip is three thousand miles on horseback and Amanda’s preacher father plans to escort his daughter from New York to the Indian reservation.
Before arriving, Amanda, her traveling mates, her father and a trail guide go through many dangerous risks including death leaving Amanda on her own to navigate the journey. She is determined to continue but becomes very ill until she is rescued by an Indian woman married to a white man. Despite coming from different religions, Amanda and the Indian woman are able to communicate, the Indian woman using just enough English to get by.
I can’t say too much without giving away this unique story by Wanda E. Brunstetter. I’ll be honest too, I’m so used to Ms. Brunstetter’s Amish fiction that I kept looking for Amish to show-up throughout this book. Spoiler: That doesn’t happen. Despite the lack of any Amish folk, this story is well developed, the characters are well-written and overall it was very believable.
New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, Wanda E. Brunstetter is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. She has written close to 90 books translated in four languages. With over 10 million copies sold, Wanda’s stories consistently earn spots on the nations most prestigious bestseller lists and have received numerous awards. She’s also written Amish cookbooks, Amish-themed devotionals, and several children’s books with Amish characters.
Wanda’s ancestors were part of the Anabaptist faith, and her novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Her books are well-read and trusted by many Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs. When Wanda visits her Amish friends, she finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family ties. Wanda writes about the Amish because they live a simple life, which she feels we all need in this day and age.
Wanda and her husband, Richard have been blessed with two grown children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Besides writing books, Wanda’s a professional ventriloquist. In her spare time she photography, gardening, knitting, looking for shells and agates on the beach, and spending time with her family.
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I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review but chose to since it was a great book! Thank you!
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