Loved reading this book. Amazing story and the characters lend to the charm of this book. I would highly recommend this book. You would not be disappointed.

I have enjoyed Amish books in the past but Yesterday's Gone just took it to a whole new level! It definitely helps that I love time travel books too! I couldn't help but feel for Eliza and the grief she was feeling after losing another baby, and I could understand how she made a choice in a moment of that grief that changed her past with Jesse. Little did she know that it would affect more than just her and Jesse though.

If you enjoy Amish romance, I heartily suggest giving this one a try. Cindy and her daughter in law Erin Woodsmall do a wonderful job at weaving faith into a time travel story. I can't wait to read Until Then!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 30 April 2022

Yesterday's Gone – Cindy Woodsmall

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. I absolutely loved it. I am a sucker for a time-traveling story and for meant-to-be romances. This book did not disappoint. I am excited to see if this becomes a series. Will Cindy Woodsmall expand on Verna and Omar's journey? (I hope so).

If you are into Amish Fiction, give this book a read. I enjoyed it, and I believe you will too.

This was a great mixture of romance and the amish way of living with a speculative aspect. I really loved it! I thought the story started out strong, and kept me interested the entire time! I was very happy to read this, and I look forward to future books!

Amish time travel. That was all I had to hear to be intrigued.

After the loss of their third child, Eliza begins to wonder if the whispers about a family curse that she and Jesse ignored when they wed have some truth to them. In a moment of weakness, she takes the opportunity to change the past and must live with the consequences.

An engrossing genre bending read that follows two sisters as they fight for their futures after a changed choice in the past has more impact than they anticipated. My favorite character was Ruth, she is a fighter determined and a good friend to her sister, and Andrew. I liked that she takes the initiative to make things right and is a problem solver.

Overall, an engaging read with a riveting plot, about enduring love through the ups and downs of marriage. Strong themes of faith and family run throughout, definitely a very unique read and not my typical read, but still enjoyable!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Eliza and Jesse marry despite a warning that a curse will follow. When their third child dies to a genetic disorder, Eliza remembers the words of her great-grandmother on her wedding day. Eliza struggles to come to terms with the death of her daughter and decided that undoing the past will make things rights. When events spiral out of control what will it take for Eliza and Jesse to make things right again?

An intriguing fantasy Amish story.

I hadn't read Amish books in a while, but the description of this book drew me in. I like time travel and some light fantasy novels, so I decided to give this a try. But it's still too Amish for my liking. I think readers who enjoy Amish and would like to read out of the box will enjoy this. But not me.

Well this definitely was an interesting read and premise. I mean a time travel Amish fiction book who knew it could happen?! Obviously the Woodsmall's did and they did an amazing job with the story. While it kept with the traditional Amish quirks you would see and expect from an Amish novel it definitely morphed into something completely unexpected. I must admit the beginning of the story moved very slow for me and I almost gave up on it but then it all changed and became a book you had to find out what happened next!

The main characters Eliza and Jesse were well written and they definitely do things that are out of the norm for their community. They ignore the supposed curse they have within their families and marry pretty much against all odds. Of course this brings forth a series of events that leave them in devastating emotional struggles. This is when the "What if's" come into play in the story and the authors take you into twists and turns I definitely was not expecting. It truly was fascinating!

Overall if you enjoy the unexpected and can endure a slow beginning I definitely suggest this read! You may just enjoy Amish Fiction all over again!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

My thoughts: YESTERDAY'S GONE is a unique sort of Amish book More women's fiction than romance, it also dabbles in time-travel and fantasy. Fans of Amish fiction who like to think outside the box will love this book. There are some good points such as decisions you make often tie into other people's lives in ways you don't always realize, I enjoyed reading this book though parts of it was skim-worthy and parts were too weird for me. I couldn't help but hurt for the main characters. Available now. I was given a copy free and all opinions are my own.

Yesterday’s Gone by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall is an Amish version of “It’s A Wonderful Life”. Eliza Bontrager and Jesse Ebersol are childhood sweethearts who are encouraged not to marry because of a family curse. Love prevails, and they marry anyway. They are living a happy life but have lost three babies. She uses a quilt given to her by her aunt to go back in time to “fix” the problem. Just like in the movie, we don’t always realize our own value in life until it is too late.
I loved this story- it was so different from other novels. It was heartbreaking, yet uplifting. I can’t wait to read more by these authors. Many thanks to Tyndale House Publishing, the authors and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#YesterdaysGone #NetGalley

I really enjoyed this book. Have you wanted to take back something that you said or change something you did for a different outcome? Cindy and Erin write a beautifully heart-wrenching story of changing the outcome. You will be surprised at the outcome.

Even though they trusted God. How could they not feel angst. Trust and faith do not erase human emotion. Jesus wept even when He knew He'd raise Lazarus from the grave. Overwhelming emotions were not a reflection of whether someone had faith or not.

As I was into the reading of Yesterday's Gone, I became a little wary of the direction this Amish romance was going. It was a sweet romance of two neighbors Eliza Bontrager and Jesse Ebersol. Growing up together, they knew each other well and their friendship turned into something special. However, the Bontragers and Ebersols were not allowed to marry each other. Eliza and Jesse did not know why but when Jesse asked for Eliza's hand, they decided to to prove to the community that their marriage would be blessing to all. The wedding came and the community realized that it was a bad superstition and the wedding would be a blessing. So here is where it get's a little on the paranormal side. An elder aunt of Eliza gave her a quilt for a wedding present. The aunt was worried that if this wedding failed or the community suffered, Eliza could go back in time by undoing the stitching on the quilt, and change course. Several years into the marriage, Eliza and Jesse did suffer unthinkable sorrow that Eliza did not want her husband to suffer so she took her sister to the old cabin where she undid the stitching and along with her sister went back in time to where Jesse asked her to marry. However, instead of saying yes, she said no and her sister and her went away to another community. They both came back to years later (the same year that they left) to a different community, a different family, a different Jesse.

So why did I take to this when everything in me told me not to. We are blinded by our emotions and we cannot always walk in faith. It took Eliza to go back in time to see that and that she was not God to change anything. A time traveler, she was able to see how God worked into the lives of those that she loved the most when she decided to marry Jesse. We can go thru life without regrets but sometimes we do not know the implications that God is there. We do not have to be believers or want to follow God for this to be true. However, when the time comes and God is not in our midst, we will know.

A special thank you to Tyndale House Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Thinking this was a typical Amish story, I began to read Yesterday's Gone with low expectations. I was prepared for a sweet, he loves me but it won't work, romance. Boy, was I surprised! Yesterday's Gone by Cindy Woodsmall is an Amish romance but it certainly isn't typical. The story includes crippling poverty, alcohol dependency and a little of the supernatural. I can usually picture the Amish lifestyle in my imagination when reading but I constantly had to "reset" my imagination. Given the opportunity to change something in her life, Eliza makes a fateful decision that puts her and her husband, Jesse into a different reality. Was it the right choice? Yesterday's Gone is a wonderful new book . I highly recommend it especially if you are looking for a different storyline than the typical blueprint Amish romance.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from Netgalley.

Yesterday’s Gone is a very well written book. It has a well developed plot with good character dynamics. If you enjoy Amish fiction I recommend this book. My thanks to the publisher for my advance ebook.

A Hatfield & McCoy’s kind of Amish story except the tale concerns a curse. The Amish community believes marriage between a Bontrager and an Ebersol is cursed. Yet no one seems to know what the curse is.

Just before the ceremony, Eliza’s great-aunt gifts her with a family heirloom quilt. AND … and … tells her that the quilt can be used to change one event in the past. Eliza thanks her but doesn’t buy the strange story.

Eliza Bontrager and Jesse Ebersol do not believe in the curse and marry anyway. And a few years later, mourning again the loss of their third baby, Eliza learns there is a genetic issue with her delivering a living child. Distraught she uses the quilt to go back in time and “fix” the problem. But does her action resolve the problem? Or just create more?

My review …
Drat! It’s ALL my fault. I requested to review Yesterday’s Gone from NetGalley based on the author alone and didn’t read the description. My bad. And something I will never ever do again. Why? I guess I’m a “Let’s keep it normal” type of Amish reader. Paranormal mixed with Amish? Not for me.

I wish I had read “A Note from the Authors” *before* I read the book although it would have divulged one of the key elements of the plot. In the “note” the authors tell more about how the book came to be. And I am so sorry for their loss.

The story is well-written and while I didn’t like it — remember I like “normal” and no mix of paranormal and Amish — it did keep me engaged. Just know Yesterday’s Gone is unlike any Amish book I’ve ever read and I have 585 Amish books on Goodreads just since 2013.

My rating is three (3) stars. Apology to the publisher and the authors. From now on, I will be reading that description. All of it!

I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of Yesterday’s Gone via NetGalley from the publisher, Tyndale House Publisher. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

#YesterdaysGone #NetGalley

Every decision has consequences. Eliza Bontrager finds out the hard way in Yesterday's Gone. Cindy and Erin Woodsmall bring us a whole new perspective in an Amish Novel. Time Travel? Ask yourself: if you could change one thing in your past would you do it? Eliza does this and finds that even though she feels it will make things better, did it really?? Our decisions affect more than just ourselves. Did Eliza make anything better for her orJ Jesse Ebersol by changing the fateful day they married? This story really brings home the thoughts about altering time lines and changing directions. One little difference and a whole new future is written. Are our decisions catalysts for others decisions or lives? I have enjoyed many of their stories but this one in particular makes one reflect. I look forward to more from them. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

I love Amish books and I read a lot of Cindy Woodsmall books and this was so different than her other books. The story is about Eliza Bontrager and Jesse Ebersol. There is a hidden curse if a Bontrager and a Ebersol marry. They fall in love and Jesse asks her to marry him. When they go to marry her Aunt gives her a quilt and tells her she can change things in time if she goes to the cabin and removes a stitch. When she losses so many children she wants to help her husband through heartache and a childless marriage. She does not think of what this will do to others by her changing time. When she goes back in time and see's all what she did she realizes she changed more than her and Jesse's heartache. This is a book of faith and a love that never goes away. Bravo to Cindy and Erin a different kind of Amish book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this and give my opinion.

Yesterday’s Gone by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall is a unique Amish novel. I thought the story was well-written with gentle pacing. The characters are interesting and developed. We get a chance to know the Amish in the Appalachian Mountains. What makes this story unique is a family quilt that can change one event in a person's past. Eliza is grief stricken at the loss of her third child. Eliza only wanted to change one event in her past, but her decision causes a ripple effect on other events. There are good life lessons in the story. Yesterday’s Gone is a story that took me a little while to get into (about a quarter of the way in). I am glad that I did not stop reading after the first couple of chapters. Yesterday’s Gone is a thought-provoking, emotional novel that will have you staying up late to see how everything turns out.

I have waited for a long time for a new Cindy Woodsmall book and I was not disappointed! She and Erin bring us a tale of hope and love and faith and trust. I admit, I was a little bit leery at first, since this was about time-traveling Amish. I had to wrap my head around the concept for a minute so that I could enjoy the lessons in it. In the story, Eliza and Jesse are married and have just lost their third child due to a genetic disorder. She wants to spare him the pain being married to her has caused, so she travels back in time via an old family quilt and changes history from the moment he proposed. However, her actions have consequences on everyone around them. Her sister loses her boyfriend; Jesse loses his business. Her brother is wallowing in alcohol and unable to fight the addiction. So many other changes are present and in this new reality, Eliza still remembers the pain of loss. Only now, it is two-fold. She has loss and she also doesn't have Jesse to help her with it.
Can the two find a way back to each other? Can they rewrite time again to make things right? If they do try to change time, what else may go wrong?
Find the answers in the story, Yesterday's Gone. You will be touched by the wisdom and love that pours from the pages. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of the story. All opinions are my own.

This novel reminds me of the movie It’s a Wonderful Life. Where George Bailey gets his wish of seeing life as if he had never been born. In this story, the main character, Eliza, wishes to erase one event. She recalls her aunt giving her a magical quilt on her wedding day. She then remembers it had powers to change one event in her life. It could only be used once. Eliza is in the throes of grief and makes the decision that changes everything. But changing one event has a ripple effect on other events she hadn’t realized would change.

This is a fabulous, thought-provoking, page turner from beginning to end. It’s also a fun escape and one that would work well for your next book club pick. If you haven’t read these author’s books yet, treat yourself to this one. It’s a must-read!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher/NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/