Lenore, patient, caring, dedicated, is happy caring for her grandparents and family and finds satisfaction in teaching at her local Amish school. However, the emptiness of not having a husband and family of her own weighs heavily in her heart. She places her trust in God’s plan for her, but can’t help but wonder what her future holds.

Newcomer single father Jesse, is recently widowed and nursing a still hurting heart. He is intent on a fresh start but needs someone to watch his infant daughter while he’s working. Lenore agrees to baby sit for him, and immediately falls head-over-heels for the precious child. It’s not long before Lenore starts to have feelings for Jesse. But are her feelings reciprocated?

Soon, Jesse begins to think of Lenore as good wife and mother material. His head tells him she’s the ideal spouse but his heart has yet to open up. He thinks he has the perfect solution, but when he reveals his true intention, will Lenore consent?

While the focus of the story is Lenore, we get to spend time with Michelle, Sara, and the other characters we have grown to love. We find forgiveness, answers and gain closure – it is the perfect wrap to the trilogy.

Wanda Brunstetter gracefully threads the importance of trust and faith in God’s perfect plan, and weaves them into the stories of these genuine and beloved characters.

The Healing Jar is a beautiful heart-catching story of devotion, hope, discovery, trust, forgiveness and leaps of faith. Anyone who reads it will be touched by genuine joy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing Inc. for the read of Wanda E. Brunstetter’s, The Healing Jar.

The opinions expressed in my reviews are my very own.

The Healing Jar is the last book in the Prayer Jar series. Wanda Brunstetter takes us back to Lancaster County. There we meet Lenore Lapp and her desire to marry and have a family. When it seems she may have found the right man, a widower to marry, her dream slips away as he confesses his real intentions.
We also catch up with Michelle and Sara as each adjust to new roles in their lives. A new jar is found which sheds light on a mystery and a profound discovery brings healing to many.
This is a great summer read so make sure to pick up a copy.

The Healing Jar is the third installment in The Prayer Jar series. You do need to read the books in order for the complete story. In this final book in the series, we get to know Lenore. Lenore is the local schoolteacher who dreams of having a happy marriage and a houseful of children. Unfortunately, the right man has not come along for Lenore. After Willis Lapp suffers a debilitating stroke, Lenore’s faith has weakened. She does not understand why bad things happen to good people like her grandparent’s. Jesse Smucker’s wife died giving birth to their daughter, Cindy. He left Kentucky to start anew away from the memories, but it is hard being a single parent. Jesse wants a marriage of convenience since he still loves his deceased wife, and he begins to court Lenore without telling her this little tidbit. I thought The Healing Jar was well-written with a gentle pace. It was lovely to revisit the Lapp family and catch up with them. Mary Ruth is a positive woman with strong faith which aids in her times of adversity. Michelle is shocked when Ezekiel wishes to move to New York. She wants her husband to find a job he loves, but Michelle does not want to be away from her family and friends. It is been a year and half since they married, and Michelle has yet to get pregnant which worries her. Sara and Brad are happily married, but Sara still wonders about the identity of her biological father. The Healing Jar is an emotional novel and you need to have a box of tissues nearby for some poignant scenes. I like the prayer jars and how each of our main characters find slips of paper that speak to them. There are scripture passages, prayers, and inspirational quotes inside the jar. Our characters pray for guidance and assistance. I admire their deep faith and how they can pray in front of others. They are good Christians and they live by example which is hard to do in this day and age. I did find some items repeated too often. An example is Jesse’s love for his wife, Esther and Michelle’s desire for children. There are discussion questions at the end of the book along with a recipe for Lenore’s Pineapple Philly Pie. The Healing Jar is a satisfying conclusion to this uplifting series.

This is the third and final installment in the Prayer Jar series and a wonderful ending. Although, I love the characters so much I hope the author will consider another sequence later on. I really enjoyed getting to know each one, more in-depth with each story. Although wanting to get married and have children, Lenore Lapp has resigned herself to staying single and taking care of her aging grandparents. She even prays for God to remove the desire from her heart if it’s not to be. Besides teaching in an Amish school, she does chores to help her grandparents. Gardening, cooking, cleaning, and even doing some of the barn chores since her grandfather is not able due to his bad health.
Jesse Smucker has moved to the area with his six month old daughter, Cindy. He needs new surroundings after losing his wife in childbirth. The pain is still raw but he must push on for his daughter’s sake. He’s working in his uncle’s furniture shop and needs someone to watch his daughter. His wife’s elderly great aunt is watching Cindy at present but lives so far away and also has a full time job keeping her. He wants to ease her burden. When he meets Lenore he asks her if she would be willing to keep her, at least until school starts. So she agrees.
Little Cindy becomes very attached to Lenore and Lenore’s grandparents enjoy having her around. So what will happen when Lenore begins her teaching job once again?
Both the cousins, Lenore and Sara and Michelle the “adopted” granddaughter all have found and read notes and scriptures in the two “prayer” jars. They believe their grandmother must have written them. But when Lenore is weeding the garden she unearths another jar. All three girls go to the grandmother with the jars and she reveals a surprise none of them knew.
Such a great series that I throughly enjoyed and hated to see it end.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Let me begin by saying that I recommend this book to those who may not have read the first two. It's great as a stand alone, although you'll want to read all three!
Wanda E. Brunstetter has done it again! I love reading Amish fiction and she is one of my favorite Amish fiction authors! I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It was great to read more about some of the characters in the previous two books.
In this story, Lenore is the main character. She's an adult now, an Amish school teacher, and living with her grandparents to help out as her grandfather has had a stroke. Lenore is single, and desires to be a wife and mudder (mother), although wondering it it is meant to be for her.
Then, Jesse, a recent widower moves into town with his baby daughter, Cindy. Mary Ruth, Lenore's grandmother ends up babysitting precious Cindy while Jesse is at work. Mary Ruth, being a kind woman, and perhaps a bit of a matchmaker, invites him to stay for dinner many evenings when he comes to pick up Cindy. Lenore finds herself liking Jesse. A lot. And, Jesse seems to like her, also. Or, is he only wanting a mother for his motherless daughter?
The mason jars with thoughts and scriptures written on them are a part of this story, also. Sara still hopes to discover who her birth father is, which is a great part of this story.
Just when Lenore thinks happiness is within reach, it's out of her grasp and leaves her broken hearted. She has became disenchanted with teaching school. I appreciated how she didn't sink into despair, but turned to prayer.
Lenore, Sara, Mary Ruth, Michelle all seems to have a deep rooted faith.
This is a must read. You will be so glad!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review, which I was happy to give.

I am the first to admit that Amish fiction is not my favorite as so many of the books all sound the same. But Brunstetter has done a wonderful job of creating a series that has different twists from the normal Amish fiction. This last book was my favorite as she wound up several threads that had started in Book 1.

The growing relationship between Lenore and Jessie was nicely developed. Throw in Jesse's adorable baby daughter, Cindy, and you definitely have a story that captures your interest. I enjoyed seeing the mystery of Sara's biological father finally solved with the discovery of a third prayer jar.

Brunstetter does a wonderful job of bringing the Amish culture to life as well as their relationships with the Englishers. It was sad to see the end of this series and to say goodbye to the Lapp family and all their friends. But it was inspiring to watch the strong Amish faith and their powerful trust in God.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Shiloh Run Press through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

The Healing Jar by Wanda Brunstetter is the third book in the series it could be read as a stand alone but I recommend you read the entire series in order. This is a great series.
As with all of Brunstetter's books, you feel as if you are in Amish country. The story flows with great characters and story lines.
You have family values, humor, romance, misunderstandings, everything you live day to day.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

Wanda Brunstetter’s third book in her Prayer Jar trilogy, THE HEALING JAR, finds Lenore Lapp wondering if she’ll even find a love like her cousin Sara has and Michelle, the impostor who became like a granddaughter to Lenore’s grandparents. Lenore moves in with Willis and Mary Ruth Lapp to help Mary Ruth care for Willis after he suffers a stroke. When summer ends, Lenore will go back to her teaching job but would prefer to be home as someone’s wife and a mother.

At church, Lenore meets Jesse Smucker, new to their Amish community. Jesse has moved here from Kentucky with his six-month-old daughter after his wife died, so he could live close to his wife’s family and have help caring for baby Cindy. His aunt is getting up in years, and the baby is more than she can handle. Jesse needs to find someone to keep Cindy while he works. When he learns Lenore is available until school starts back, he asks her to fill that position. Lenore hopes for more than just babysitting. She hopes for a relationship with Jesse, but Jesse doesn’t think he could ever love another woman like his Esther.

After a few weeks, Jesse begins to invite Lenore out socially, but never mentions courting, as is the Amish custom. Lenore’s hopes rise as they become good friends. Then one day Jesse pops the question … “Will you marry me?” Lenore is elated and readily answers with a resounding “Yes!” But are Jesse’s intentions honorable? Does he love Lenore, or would this only be a marriage of convenience?

Wanda Brunstetter has brought us a delightful trilogy set in Pennsylvania Amish country. As she opens THE HEALING JAR, she does a great job of setting the backstory and relationship of the characters, in case readers did not have an opportunity to enjoy the first two books. Lenore is a strong character with a very caring heart. The story line pulls the supporting characters in, updating their status and adding to their stories. They all experience tragedy and loss but put their strong faith in God to see them through. In the end, God is faithful to bring answers to their questions and resolve hurts and hang-ups that have plagued them. THE HEALING JAR is a wonderful story about change, hidden secrets, and healing. Don’t miss any of this series!

This book is the third and final book of The Prayer Jars series. It's helpful to read the first two books before indulging in this book.

I was able to get a lot of questions answered that I had from the prior two books while reading this, which was helpful.

I enjoyed reading about Lenore and Jesse but at times, had a rough go of getting through some of the chapters. Some of it just seemed to drag.

Overall, I would suggest this book to any person who enjoys reading Amish fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

“The Healing Jar” by Wanda Brunstetter is the third and final book in The Prayer Jars series. I have read all three. Ms. Brnstetter is a prolific writer of Amish novels and is quite adept at showing the beliefs and ways of living of this sect.

In this series, we are presented with three different young ladies with three different growing up days. Each one is helped by the mysterious jars that they find at the home of Mary Ruth and Willis Lapp. In each situation, the girls were reticent to ask Mary Ruth if she was the writer of the notes of positiveness and scripture. We find out who placed these jars and the contents at the farm.

In the healing jar, Lenore Lapp, granddaughter of Mary Ruth and Willis only wants to be a wife and mother. She is teaching in the Amish community school but does not feel as if this is her calling. All of her friends and family are getting married and having children and she feels left out. As the Amish believe that God always provides, perhaps not as we would like, but in the end, it usually is as it should be.

I always enjoy Ms. Brunstetter’s novels. They are simply written and contain a certain amount of food for thought and the promise of a more quiet, serene life. If only we were able to have this life in our hectic world.

The Healing Jar by Wanda E. Brunstetter is book three in her The Prayer Jars series. The novel is part of a series but the author has done a good job of making it a standalone, giving ample background on the characters and the story so far.

Lenore Lapp is an Amish schoolteacher. She’s single and lives with her grandparents. Jesse Smucker is an Amish widower with a six-month-old daughter, Cindy. He’s just moved to the area to get a fresh start, following the death of his wife, Esther, who died in childbirth. Jesse asks Lenore to care for his daughter while he works and she agrees. Lenore falls in love with both father and daughter, and Jesse knows it but doesn’t reciprocate her feelings.

Needing help with his home and daughter, Jesse proposes to Lenore and she happily accepts. Jesse breaks off the engagement when he realizes it’s unfair to trap Lenore in a marriage of convenience without her prior knowledge. Though Lenore loves Jesse and is devastated by the breakup, she’s grateful that he came clean before the wedding, because she knows she’d never be happy or fulfilled in a marriage in name only.

Lenore turns to the jars of scriptures and prayers initially found by Sara Murray and Michelle Taylor, from the previous novels in the series, along with the one she dug up in her grandmother’s garden. Lenore, Sara and Michelle are all intrigued and continue to seek solace and inspiration from the anonymously penned notes. Will Lenore find healing for herself and her family inscribed on these tiny scraps of paper?

The plot is complex and compelling. Brunstetter presents a great cast of relatable, fully-developed characters. The author is writing from personal knowledge of Amish practices, so the novel is purely authentic.

I give The Healing Jar 5 out of 5 stars. It’s a great read for fans of chaste romance and/or religious fiction, especially Amish fiction/romance. If you aren’t a fan of books with religious themes, this is not the book for you.

My thanks to Barbour Publishing, Inc. and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

...my thoughts...
The long awaited conclusion to Wanda E. Brunstetter's series, The Prayer Jars, is here! The Healing Jar is Lenore's story. One day in the barn, she found the long hidden prayer jar, and found solace in the words tucked inside. The mystery of this jar and another, found on a shelf in the dark basement, piqued the interests first of Michelle, then Sara. Now Lenore sits in wonder at these words that seem to coincide with her own thoughts and feelings. At the discovery of a third jar, the mystery begins to unfold as the discovery of who started these jars hidden for so long.

Carefully written, complex lives of a seemingly simple world are upturned and will never be the same. It is just like me to start a new book late at night, and I found myself unable to put it down. I enjoy Wanda E. Brunstetter's books for the way she makes her characters come to life. The Healing Jar is a fitting title for a book that touches the heart of this extended family. I laughed, cried and found wisdom in this book. I have a feeling that many a prayer jar will be started as more people read this wonderful series. I am sad to see this series end, but look forward to more books written by this beloved author.

What a sweet series, focusing on spiritual aspects in life, such as hope, forgiveness, and healing. The themes are gentle, and the stories are sweet and entertaining. I don’t read a lot of Amish fiction, but I enjoy the simplicity and heavy foundation of faith.

The Healing Jar is the final book in The Prayer Jars series by Wanda Brunstetter. I enjoyed this entire series and love how some of the same characters appear in different books of the series.

It was easy to sink into Lenore’s role. I sympathized with her and rooted for her to find a love so deserving. Jesse and Cindy are interesting characters and their roles in Lenore’s life fall seamlessly into place. With themes of healing and listening for God’s guidance, this final book in the series wraps things up nicely and left me feeling sated.

The story is somewhat slower paced, due to the simplistic lifestyle of the Amish, but it kept my interest. One thing I found a bit distracting though, were the internal thoughts throughout. There were just so many, and they disrupted the flow at times.

First line (prologue): Tears sprang to Lenore Lapp’s eyes as she stood with the others who had come to witness this special English wedding.
Source: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

#TheHealingJar
#ThePrayerJarSeries

Book # 3 in The Prayer Jars series by Wanda E. Brunstetter.

Book # 1 introduces us to Willis and Mary Ruth Lapp who reside in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and Michelle their
" granddaughter". The Prayer jar is found.
Book # 2 we meet Sara, Ruth and Willis Lapp's, granddaughter. The Forgiving Jar is found.
Book #3 the Healing Jar is uncovered. Relationships have been formed. People have come and gone. Secrets have been revealed in more ways than one. With love and understanding true to the Amish way, families have been brought together and understanding has come to those who seek it. We have the opportunity to see how the Amish deal with death. No matter what our path in life we all face death and mourning. We all need people that love us to be there for us in our time of need.

The Healing Jar by much-loved author Wanda Brunstetter is the third and last book in her new series, The Prayer Jars. Readers will follow the characters from the first two books in the series, The Hope Jar and The Forgiving Jar. The author has given enough of the back story of the characters that one could read The Healing Jar as a stand-alone without getting lost and having a lot of questions. I loved the characters --strong, resilient, and realistic with depth to their emotions, strengths, and foibles that readers will connect well with. Mary Ruth, the grandmother of the story is such a vibrant character with lots of wisdom for the younger women in the book, even as she goes through difficult circumstances. The focus in this book is on Lenore, one of the granddaughters and her search for what God has for her life. When she finds the canning jars with notes of scripture and prayers When she finds the canning jars with notes of scripture and prayers (And just who did write those notes?) will that be the key to a change of heart for her? Is she meant to live her life as a teacher or will she ever find love and a family of her own? This final journey of the Lapp family is a captivating story that deals with finding love, navigating death, and the unfolding of the mysteries of the past. Readers who love Amish romance will not want to miss this sweet story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Sweet but thoughtful

I have enjoyed all of this series. .The Healing Jar is #3; I would suggest that readers start with #1 in the series, the Prayer Jar so you understand the back story and characters. What I especially like about Wanda Brunstetter's books is that they are not just sweet and light romantic fluff. They each present very human problems which must be overcome; there is a depth of faith and feeling in her novels. Highly recommended.

Review posted on Amazon.com, pending their vetting process.

The best book in the series!! Oh my there is a lot of action in this story!!
And a lot of topy turvies too!!
I loved loved this book!!
Wanda is truly an amazing storyteller. When I read one of her books I am hooked! I love reading about the Amish! They are fascinating people and I never get tired of saying that we can always learn a thing or two from them.
Thank you Wanda for another fabulous story!!

I enjoyed this quick read and loved that we are reunited and continue with the lives of the characters in the previous books, and conclude their stories.
This one is cousin Lenore, a young woman who cares deeply for others, and especially her grandparents that she lives with and helps.
Throughout this story, you wonder if Jesse will do right by Lenore, or will the new man in the community win her heart.
I loved how conclusions and updates were made in this story, surprises abound here, and most I didn’t see coming!

The Healing Jar is the last book in the series of Prayer Jars by Wanda E Brunstetter.
After twenty years hidden mason jars -filled Bible verses, quotes, and occasional memory notes- have been showing up in obvious but not-so-obvious places on the Lapps property.
Will the third and final jar be found with the missing piece for Sara?

Lenore Lapp, second granddaughter of the Lapps, goes to stay with Grandma Lapp to one keep her company and second Lenore needs time for personal reflection.

While on summer break from teaching Lenore meets and helps widower Jesse Smucker in caring for his daughter during the day while he works. Will a bond be forming between Lenore and Jesse?

I couldn't put The Healing Jar down and nor did I want to see the series end all together; like all good book series, they have to come to an end sometime. I loved the characters but grandma Lapp had to be my favorite. She reminded me of my Mennonite great-grandmother -I miss her.

I look forward to reading more books by Wanda E Brunstetter in the future.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review in my own words and this is my honest review in my own words.

This was a wonderful conclusion for The Prayer Jar series. All things were tied together and questions were answered. The writing is simple, but the content is full of wisdom and depth. With the story we get the added bonus of applicable truth from God's Word. Each character had a unique personality and their challenging situations paved the way for interactions with Mary Ruth. We would be fortunate to have someone like her in our lives as her conduct and conversations were inspiring.

I must comment comment that the summation here on Goodreads to entice you to read the book is not quite accurate. It's okay but Lenore does not quickly fall in love nor finds the jar right away either.
In all honesty this was my least favorite book of the three. There is a lot going on as all the series characters have portions of this story. Each couple has significant life changes going on. Mary Ruth and Willis are experiencing the natural decline and health issues of older people. Sara and Brad along with Michelle and Ezekiel are all adjusting to newlywed life and their careers. It's an overall good and interesting story that deals with faith, the messages from the past that are guides in the present and the mysteries surrounding Sara's mother. As for the romance in this book, I'm sorry to say I didn't feel it. I could take or leave Jesse, sadly. Perhaps you will feel differently when you read the story. I liked him as a character and as a father. Lenore is a strong character in the book and she deals with issues of career, loss and heartache. She is a help to her grandmother and a good example to others so a nice part of the overall story of faith.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC of the book. It is a good conclusion for the series.