About the Book

Title: Piecing It All Together 52536471

Series: #1 Plain Patterns

Author: Leslie Gould

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Released: August 2020

Genre: Amish Dual-Timeline

When Savannah Mast’s fiance dumps her a week before their wedding, she flees California for the safety of her Amish grandmother’s farm near Nappanee, Indiana. She’s not planning on staying long but becomes unexpectedly entangled in the search for a missing Amish girl. She can’t leave–especially not when her childhood friend Tommy Yoder is implicated as a suspect.

When Savannah accompanies her grandmother to Plain Patterns, a nearby quilt shop, the owner and local historian, Jane Berger, relates a tale about another woman’s disappearance back in the 1800s that has curious echoes to today.

Inspired by the story, Savannah does all she can to find the Amish girl and clear Tommy’s name. But when her former fiance shows up, begging her to return to California and marry him after all, she must choose between accepting the security of what he has to offer or continuing the complicated legacy of her family’s faith.

My Review

Piecing It All Together, #1 Plain Patterns, by Leslie Gould, is one novel I want to label purely “Wunderbar.” I was fortunate to catch a sample chapter somewhere on my phone and I was hooked. I immediately requested a copy from NetGalley. I must admit, I was a little uncertain. Some of Gould’s collaborations I have loved, while one particular series was not my style. But I am so glad I didn’t miss this one, and I will be first in line for book two, it is that enticing.

Gould’s riveting novel is a dual-timeline, with two young women, either Amish or with

Amish ties, who are desperately seeking their place in life. Gould weaves so much

tension into each story, switching between the two effortlessly. I couldn’t stand to put the

book down and finished it in one day. So many emotions are pulled out of the reader’s

heart, as you journey life with both present-day Savannah and 1842’s Emma and begin to

see the greater picture come together.

So many takeaways for any reader. As we see overt and covert prejudice, we see what

the cost is to fight for true equality. Some people don’t give troublesome teenagers a

chance to grow and mature into upstanding adults. We see characters who, one step at a

time, rise far above anything they’d ever imagined. And we see incredible courage in the

face of insurmountable odds, only to be recognized after the fact. Faith and forgiveness

lived out to the fullest. I can’t rave enough about this book and its unforgettable

characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher through

NetGalley. No positive review was required and the opinions are solely my own.

My Rating

5 Stars- Hits My Reading Sweet Spot

About the Author

151399 Leslie Gould is the #1 bestselling and Christy Award-winning author of thirty novels. She received her MFA from Portland State University and teaches writing at Warner Pacific University. Leslie enjoys traveling, hiking, and history. She and her husband, Peter, are the revolving-door parents of four children and two cats. Visit her at http://www.lesliegould.com/.

You can also connect with Leslie on Twitter.

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