Did ever wonder where you really came from, and how you got to where you are today? This story broadens the horizons as a young woman's life falls apart, all her dreams and plans end in a phone call, and she goes to comfort, her Grandmother in Amish Country Indiana.
This young woman is what they call English, but her roots are Amish and she is thrown into the past with wonderful stories told by the local quilt shop Amish Woman, also a distant relative, but we are heading back to the original settlers of this are of the country.
This story is rich in history, but with flashes to today and some very tough subjects, with family dynamics, and history repeating itself in a good way.
This is the beginning of a new series, and the author did a wonderful job of pulling me in, both current and past times in the same area. You won't be lost as we go from present to past as they transition is Jane telling you a story as you visit, and picking up on the next meeting.
I can't wait for the next book!

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

The first in the new series, Plain Patterns, is a little different than most Amish stories. I loved the two storylines of past and present tied together by both Emma's and Savannah's love for helping people. Through the generations, midwifery was passed down from mother to daughter. I loved the way Jane told her stories and will be looking forward to the next book. Highly recommended!

Piecing It All Together is book 1 is the Plain Patterns series. The story centers around two different women in a family generations apart. Savannah Mask is living out west and all plans are set in place to be married. Her fiance suddenly calls off the wedding. Savannah decides to visit her Amish grandmother in Nappanee, Indiana. Savannah takes her grandmother to a quilting circle held at Jane Berger's shop. Jan Berger is a distant cousin of Savannah's and tells the story of their ancestor Emma Gingrich. Emma had a sad story in the beginning. I won't reveal what she went through. Don't want to spoil it for you but Emma had to be strong to endure what she went through. I admired Emma's character on how she dealt with people who were different from her. I like both Savannah and Emma. I am not sure whose story I liked better. Savannah reconnected with Tommy Miller who was a childhood friend. He was unjustly being accused in the disappearance of an Amish woman and she helped in the investigation to prove his innocence.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and Bethany House. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was such a cozy, heartwarming book. I enjoyed the characters and I loved watching the story unfold. Amish fiction can be sort of hit-or-miss for me, but this one was definitely a hit.

This story was a combination of three different perspectives. It was a well written story of sisterhood and healing. It was a story of forgiveness and love. The story focused on Savannah and her parallel experience with Emma. Savannah needed to heal in ways she didn’t understand and Emma had different experiences but needed to heal as well. Both stories were beautifully tied together through Jane. I loved the contrasts between the Amish, Mennonite and English communities, about the importance of making choices and the healing that is possible.

This is my first experience reading this particular author and was not disappointed.

I received an eARC through NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Savannah Mast finds herself adrift when her fiancé cancels the wedding at the last minute. She closes up everything in California and goes to stay with her Amish grandmother in Indiana. She discovers that her childhood friend Tommy Yoder is back in town but the sheriff suspects him of drug trafficking and other crimes. The story is more complicated than that however and Savannah is determined to get to the bottom of it.

Meanwhile, a friend of her grandmother’s, the local quilt shop owner, starts telling Savannah a tale about one of their ancestors and keeps her (and kept me) fascinated throughout.

This is a wonderful story. It is more of a regular novel than an Amish story as the cover portrays it to be. Yes, it has some characters that are Amish but others as well. I recommend this one to all my reading friends.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Net Galley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

This is the first book I have read by this author, Leslie Gould. I enjoyed the premise of the book but I felt like it was somewhat hard to follow & confusing because there were almost two stories being written in one book.

Savannah Mast's finance calls off their wedding a week before the date leaving her hurt and confused. She decides to go to her grandma's house in Indiana to take a break and try to work through her feelings. While she is there, she unexpectedly runs into a childhood friend who is going through some trying times. Also while she is visiting, she is thrown into the role as a midwife since she had previously watched & helped her mother in that same role. She delivers a baby but on the same night, an Amish girl goes missing & her childhood friend, Tommy, is implicated in the girl's disappearance. Savannah feels like she has to help find the missing girl and also help clear Tommy's name. Meanwhile, her fiance has a change of heart & tries to get her to come back with him. She has to decide what is important in her life and where she wants to be..and also who she wants to be with! During all of this, Savannah goes with her grandma to the quilt shop where she learns about another woman who had disappeared back in the 1800s. The story jumps back & forth between the present day story & the woman's disappearance in the 1800s.

I would like to thank the publisher, Bethany House Publishers & Net Galley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Not your normal Amish book but a very interesting one indeed.
My favorite part of the book is where Jane is telling Emma’s story. Jane is a wonderful story teller.
Emma is a delightful character and I love her because of her strong faith despite her tough life. Life can sometimes be cruel. Especially in the olden days.
A very caring woman Emma is.
I love Gould’s stories because of the stories that are passed down from generation to generation. She manages to write both past and present without missing a beat.
Midwifery is certainly an interesting subject in itself. Medicine has certainly improved with time and knowledge.
I will admit some of the paragraphs were a bit too descriptive but I learned quit a bit from them.
My favorite thing about reading books like these is that I learn about things that I never knew about or the school doesn’t teach you about.
The friendship, caring, love and hard work is impressive as well. We don’t see too much of that today.
I loved everything about this book and I especially love this author too. She’s on my list of favorites so when I seen this book I grabbed it.
I highly recommend this book and all opinions are my own! Thank you Netgalley

PIECING IT ALL TOGETHER is the first novel in the Plain Patterns series by LESLIE GOULD.
The story takes place mostly in Nappanee Indiana where we come across Jane Berger, a fifth generation descendant of the original Amish settlers, writing an article about her rich heritage. Jane runs a quilting meeting at her shop, Plain Patterns, where she, over several weeks, tells Savannah Mast and her Mammi the story about their joint ancestor, Emma,who lived near Nappanee in the 1800"s. As Savannah's life unfolds, it lines up more and more with Emma's.
Savannah quits her job and goes to stay with her Amish grandmother after being dumped by her fiance, Ryan Woodward, a week before their wedding. Since her mother's death and her father 's remarriage she feels very alone and realizes that she relied heavily on her relationship with Ryan rather than on the Lord.
Savannah's mother was a qualified midwife and Savannah has to remember all she learned from helping her as she is pulled into delivering Arletta's baby on a freezingly cold winter's night. She is also pulled into the mystery of Arletta's daughter, Miriam's, disappearance and the supposed guilt of her childhood friend, Tommy Miller.
I like the midwifery theme which runs through both stories and especially like Arletta's stand against cruelty towards, and discrimination against, the Potawatomi Indians. I also like the quilting theme which really does tie the whole book together.
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling the read for you. I highly recommend Piecing It All Together to anyone who enjoys Christian romance novels.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.