Another wonderful book by this author. She's just amazing!
I loved all the characters in this book. This sure is a can't put down book for me. I stayed up all night to finish this book. And let me tell you, it's worth the read!! Very much so!!
It's really not your typical Amish book. This tends to be a little bit different.
I really enjoyed Catherine's story I think much more than Mercy"s. I think it's because she's so much different than your normal Amish girl and for that I loved her story that much more. There were times that I rooted for her and there were times I wanted to cry for her. I didn't want her spirit to be broken but yet at the same time I wanted her to be happy if that makes sense. I understood what being caught with your foot in two worlds. Sometimes curiosity can kill a cat so to speak meaning it can get you in serious trouble if you're not careful.
Andy is struggling with life issues as well. There were times when I wanted to shake him and make him open his eyes to what was in front of him but I enjoyed reading that he had to learn these life lessons as well as Catherine.
Really in any sense fire is the true enemy. It can destroy, devour, and ruin people's lives.
I loved how the author writes her scenes so vividly that I felt I could hear the roaring of the fire and even smell the acrid smoke. I can't begin to imagine how scary that can be. It's truly tragic for anyone in the path of one.
Raymond Old Fox is an interesting character as well. He too has been stuck between two worlds. I enjoyed reading about him and his heritage. To the Indians heritage means everything.
I enjoyed learning right along with Christine. Knowledge is power. It's knowing how to use that power.
I've often felt that we can learn from our elders for they've been around a very long time. They have some amazing stories to tell that's for sure! I know I loved my grandparents on my moms side stories. I never got to associate much with my dads parents. He whisked us away to Kentucky.
I just can't tell you how much I enjoy reading this author's books. She really is a good storyteller and I really look forward to more of her books.
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. NO compensations were received and all opinions are my own

Kelly Irvin writes exceptional Amish Fiction, and her series set in Montana keeps her reputation alive. A Long Bridge Home details Christine's struggle with her family's desire to move back to Kansas, partially because Montana is the only home she's known, and partially because her love, Andy, is not leaving Montana.

Christine's family is leaving because of the wild fires decimating the countryside in their area of Montana. Christine bargains with her parents to allow her to stay with her aenti and onkel in St Ignatius and help out in their store. That brings its own set of struggles when she meets Raymond Old Fox and he introduces her to the native culture of the area. Her desire to know more about the aboriginal peoples of the area lead her to make some unwise decisions that puts her in danger of being shunned in her church and losing her one true love.

I understand the devastation the wildfires can wreak on communities as I have lived through several summers of wildfires in northern Washington State. I live more in the center of the state, but I have seen entire communities wiped out by the fires, and they don't discriminate whom they wipe out.

Kelly's descriptions of the fires, the evacuations, and the destruction left in the wake of the fires is spot on. Her characters were made to fit the setting she's put them in. I read the first one in the series and now the second one. I can't wait for the third one to come out.

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a clean house to allow you to read for extended periods of time.

My thanks go to Zondervan Fiction and NetGalley.com for the copy I read for this review.

I really liked the story line and the inner struggle of Christine as well as Andy's own struggles. My issue with this book was the "teaching" part of it. It felt as if we were reading a text book about the history of Raymond's tribe. While I appreciate Christine's desire to learn more, I felt like the author took too much time to educate the reader. Rather than being vague, it was very specific and read more like a history lesson. This brought my rating from 4 stars to 3.

** ARC received from Netgalley **

Kelly Irvin has done it again! This book is absolutely amazing!

This book is filled with new love, old love, new adventures, and new lives. It is the perfect sequel and it gives the reader insights into more of her characters. The plot is written around new love having to embrace things in the past and move forward while remembering the lessons learned and the new adventures that await. The plot also has some grief, loss, and regret in it that the characters will have to bind together to get through.

Kelly is an amazing writer and this book is just a testament to her wonderful works of art that she pens down!

Book 2 in Kelly Irvin's Amish of Big Sky Country, A Long Bridge Home tells Christine's story. As her family is relocated due to the wildfires, Christine's world is turned upside down. She and her boyfriend struggle with new demands by each of their families and have to decide what is most important in their lives. Although this book can easily be read as a standalone, you don't want to miss book 1 in the series. I can't wait for book 3! Great read!

A Long Bridge Home made me think. I was expecting a light, quick romance of a read, but instead I found myself stopping often to think about the book and the characters. I thought about how the randomness of birth forms a child's whole life. I thought about how Christine's intellectual yearning to know about another culture is totally squashed and forbidden by her own community. I thought about how I would react if she were my daughter or granddaughter. I wondered why some communities are so closed to outside influences. Is it following their beliefs, or is it fear of different ideas?