A good selection for libraries who always value a window and mirrors approach to collection development. I enjoyed it and would recommend it through readers' advisory to patrons and colleagues. Thank you for the Advance Review Copy.

Very insightful book showing how the women get together every Tuesday with their children and enjoy visiting and enjoying each others company. You will not be disappoints

This book was so insightful. It's not everyday that you get an inside look at a Mennonite home, unless you are reading Amish fiction. I appreciate the fact that Weaver isn't shy about telling the truth, good and bad. In reading you get a feel about the Mennonite life, but more importantly you see the relationships Weaver had with her family. There were a few surprises - the way some of the children acted especially. It's funny how people on the outside just assume Mennonite children are perfect angels all the time. Not so!

This delightful read is light, quick and enjoyable. Amish fiction fans will devour it in no time! But perhaps my favorite part of the whole book was the FAQ section in the back. The author took the time to write answers to our common questions about Mennonite life. I love that she took the time to write this, and really enjoyed seeing the answers. Let's face it, many of us outsiders have the same questions. Thank you Weaver for answering them!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I know this book is already out but here's my review anyway.
I did like this book. I enjoyed being a part of a big family. Something I very much missed out on since I was an only child. I loved how Darla's big family made time for the family each week. Amish and Mennonites are know for this. I wished everyone including Englishers would make time for their families. Otherwise, why have them!!

My family doesn't like that I took Tv away from them. I don't even have internet anymore either. Mainly because we can't afford either. On weekends is when I like to spend whatever time I have with my family. We work such odd hours.

I especially loved that the author mentions that her horse has it's good days and bad days. They have feelings just like we do. It shows that she treats the horse as a member of the family much like we do our dogs and cats or whatever pet we have.

My dad is one of the lucky ones who came from a big family.
There were 8 in his family. I didn't get to know them very well because dad moved us to Kentucky. Which being an only child I thought that was the worst mistake he ever made. I didn't like it.
I wanted to be a part of that big family. I"m almost a 100 percent Mom didn't like it either.
My son is 5th generation of only children on my side of the family. My husband's family isn't very big either.

I laughed at some of the antics of the children. Especially the boys! Shame on them for doing mean stuff to the girls.
This reminds of when we were kids and would go outside and play all day and sometimes not bothering to check in with our parents except to tell them where we are going. I sure do miss those days.

I also liked how the story was told in 1st person. My very favorite genre. I like 1st person because I feel like I am that person telling the story. I relate much better to the characters that way.
I will go back and buy this book when I"m financially stable and reread it again.
Thank you for a wonderful reminder of my childhood days and a great story!!

I wish the Englishers would take some lessons about living in the world and not of it. I think we'd all be better off.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and no compensations were received. All opinions are my own.

This is a lovely book. While it offers a peek inside a Mennonite family, it also just shares the love of family, period. It brought back memories of my own childhood in southeastern Ohio, spending time at my grandparents home with aunts, uncles, and cousins--sharing meals, playing, talking, and knowing everyone there truly cared about you.

Thanks to the publisher for sharing a copy of this book with me, and thanks to Darla Weaver for sharing her family with all of us.

I panicked slightly as I started writing this book review -- the blog tour materials noted this is book 5 of 6 in a series. Oh, no -- I did it again! I picked up a book midway through a series! Thankfully, though, that made no difference for a change; each book stands alone here. Glory be.

I've read my share of Amish fiction (written by non-Amish folk) over the years, most notably that of Beverly Lewis. So when I received the invite to join this blog tour, my interest piqued. Non-fiction? Written by Amish? Hmm ... let's take another look at that. Gathering of Sisters presents a refreshing change in the world of Amish books. I frankly had no exposure to Amish or Mennonite life outside of the fiction realm, and this book does not disappoint!

Weaver writes thoughtfully and meaningfully; each word carries a certain weight to it. Very few "fluffy" words come into play in Gathering of Sisters; my gratefulness knows few bounds. (Too many books on my am-reading pile of late include unnecessary extra words! I have a newfound appreciation for conciseness.)

As I read Gathering of Sisters, I saw little difference between my own growing-up years and that of Weaver's children and extended family. The lack of electricity or other items I take for granted made absolutely no difference in their quality of life, and I didn't find myself missing mention of our "conveniences." (I'd just as soon do without social media sometimes ... as I sit here on my blog, double-checking that this will cross-post to Twitter. Sigh.) I often wonder, in Amish-fiction land, "how they manage" -- well, this book tells you!

A refreshing non-fiction/memoir read, with recipes scattered throughout to whet your appetite.

I received a copy of the book from Audra Jennings PR. All opinions are my own.

Weaver shares her Tuesday conversations and activities with her sisters. They reflect a slower life and strong family ties. In Weaver's own words, the conversations were not of any momentous importance. (1553/2671) They were sharing daily thoughts, what they were reading, and comments about the children. Most of the conversations are of the ordinary things sisters talk about when together. Most of the activities are the ordinary things sisters do when they spend a day together, such as crafting, cooking, and washing dishes. (I hope I never have to wash silicone cupcake papers.) Many delicious (and not so delicious) foods are mentioned and a few recipes are included.

I was a little surprised at the children's behavior Weaver recorded. They consistently had trouble playing together and frequently damaged flowering plants, such as those in the greenhouses. They even made soup out of mud and grass and succulent leaves, stripping the plants in their grandmother's front garden. Discipline was never mentioned. And there was a noted lack of “please” and “thank you” kind of words from the children.

I was disappointed that there was not more information about how the Old Order Mennonites actually live. There was mention of refrigerators and freezers but not whether they were electric or gas or powered some other way. The oven, I found out, did have a pilot light so was propane. There was also mention of a lawn mower that needed to be primed. (838/2671) Does that mean it was gas powered? I was curious, since they use horses or bicycles for transportation. I would have also liked to know more about her parents' greenhouses, growing plants, and the selling of them.

Readers who would enjoy the everyday conversations and events the sisters experience will enjoy this book. Readers looking for more insights into the Old Order Mennonite lifestyle may have to look elsewhere.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through I Read With Audra. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Have you ever observed a family and wished you were part of it? The type of family where they are close, seem to do everything together and are happy - truly happy? This is how I felt as I read Gathering of Sisters. I so wanted to be a part of the gathering at Darla's mom's home. To feel a part of a family that is not only family, but are also friends. They share books, chores, creative ideas, gardening, flowers, etc. They are the epitome of love and reading this book made me greatly desire what they had. My family is gone - most have either died or moved away, so there is no one to share my later years with, the way I had always envisioned it. I believe this is the part of Amish/Mennonite life that is so attractive to us - where their society hasn't broken down the way ours has.

In Gathering of Sisters, Darla Weaver takes the reader into her childhood home and family and shares her life, feelings, relationships with her siblings, children, nieces, nephews and her mother. Her accounts are honest and she tells how she's not perfect, how she doesn't really love doing everything that we assume the Amish love to do or are superior at. She gives us the gift of making the members of the Old Order alive and real and not some fantasy from the Amish romances that have become so popular.

To say I loved this book is an understatement. It not only tells about Darla's time on Tuesdays with her siblings at her mother's house, but it also combines life with Godly messages and verses. She shares how things that happen in her life remind her about Bible verses as well as how things are incorporated in God plan. This is beautifully done and doesn't sound preachy or false - but most definitely from the heart.

Along with faith, the reader will find recipes for some of the dishes that are cooked, menus that they have and a nice question and answer at the end. This book follows a year of visits with the family and as it winds down to the month of December, there is a sadness that one knows this is the end of the visit with the family.

Make sure to add this to your reading list. It will not only warm you heart, but your soul. Highly recommended!!!

Nice insight into the lives of Mennonite sisters. It was nice to see such a bond between them and that they would meet every Tuesday to be a part of each other's lives.

What a heartwarming read, I wanted to join them, I could just picture the joy of going to Grandma’s on Tuesday, and sad if they had to miss.
The author has a way with words and they are so welcoming and loving, you wanted to join this family, and how they are all there for one another.
There are chuckles and tears here, and we get a real look into Old Order Mennonite life. There isn’t any fiction here, and when I finished I found myself wanting more!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Herald Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

What a lovely story. a group of old if
Der Mennonite sisters who get together every Tuesday. This book is charming. It will make you want to have the same gatherings with your sisters or your friends. I loved this story. Thank you netgalley for the complimentary arc of this book. The opinions are my own.

This book was quite lovely and I enjoyed reading about Darla's life and her family. I realize we aren't so different in our ways, although I am not religious. It was a breath of fresh air to get away from my typical sort of book, and I would very much recommend this to anyone.

Pleasant insight into the lives of a Mennonite lady and her sisters, who gather together every Tuesday. A peaceful, albeit busy, way of life. I enjoyed the appendix, where the author explains her beliefs more substantially.

A sweet charming book about a family of Old Order Mennonites. Weaver, the author, has four sisters. Every Tuesday they gather at their mother's home and enjoy each other' company. Each chapter depicts a different month and Weavwr relates all the activities. The house teemed with children and their antics. The book offers a peek into the lives of these women and their conversations. It's very wholesome and comforting.

While I enjoyed aspects of this book, over all I did not find it a favorite. I appreciated the the Q&A at the end of the book and I also really liked the peace and contentment that flowed off the pages. I did feel that the snippets we see of the Tuesday gatherings were somewhat random and disjointed. One minute we read about succulents, then suddenly the next paragraph is about something else entirely.

This book makes me wish I had sisters. Warm and homey, this book is all that and more. Lovely read.
Thanks to author,publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this book.