Always good to dream along with a amish book. And this is one of thoose books who take you away into the Amish world. I love the books from Suzanne Woods Fisher.
It's nice to see many of her books are now translate to Dutch many women here love theese books. Keep up the work you all.

Suzanne Woods Fisher has done it again, another great Amish Fiction book. I highly recommend all her books

The Devoted by Suzanne Woods Fisher is a story of dreams deferred and hopes fulfilled - replete with Fisher's mysterious signature twists. At home in Stoney Ridge, Ruthie Stoltzfus is lost in a bewildering sea of indecision about her future. Although she dearly loves her family, two questions gnaw at her heart constantly. Should she stay among her people, the Amish or should she leave to explore the stars on the horizon? Although ready and fully prepared to go, she just cannot put her foot forward to seize the moment and set the wheels of motion rolling to start her journey.

Meanwhile, Patrick Kelly, a young man on a peculiar mission of his own in Stoney Ridge, has come to convert to the Amish, adopt their language, customs and ways, while adapting to "everything Plain." That transient thing called Time, to Patrick, is of the utmost essence. Every moment is to be cherished, as it will not come again but will be gone for ever. Ruthie is his Penn Dutch tutor. Ruthie's defiant, next-door neighbor and former flame, Luke Schrock, cannot keep away from trouble, attracted to it like bees to honey or like a moth to a flame. Rebellious and headstrong, Luke wants to win Ruthie back - if Patrick Kelly would not stand in his way. This is a book that will catch your attention, as Suzanne Woods Fisher unravels all the complicated tangles to set the record straight.

The Devoted is book three in the series. It is a well written book and kept you wanting to read more. I liked it gave a lot of information as she always does great research for this. I believe there may be more to this story and I will be waiting to see if there is.

The Devoted by Suzanne Woods Fisher is an Amish romantic novel. It is the third book in the Bishop's Family series but can be read as a stand-alone.
Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow! Once in a while a book comes along that really impacts me -and The Devoted is that book. It's a great read on the surface but underneath beats the heart of God for His people. It is a modern telling of Moses leading the Israelites with all their fears and insecurities. The community is led by the Bishop with his huge heart for his people and for God. The Devoted is all about God's plan for His children. "God has a plan for your future... watch and wait for His timing." God's desire is for us to live in relationship with Him and with each other. He wants us to trust Him and He gives us a hope for the future, no matter how old we are, God's not finished with us yet. "I want to make their lives meaningful in old age."
The Devoted deals with the difficult topics of grief and depression leading to alcoholism. Suzanne Woods Fisher shows that even if we are on a path to self destruct, God never gives up on us. He waits patiently for us to see Him. "When you get to the end of yourself, that's where you find God." When life gets tough, God is the answer. "God's the lifeboat in any crisis."
The Amish are known for their simple way of life but when they community does not keep its eyes and values centred on God who is true north, their values become skewed. Wealth can creep in and aspirations slip. Suzanne Woods Fisher shows that it is not wealth that is wrong, it is the love of wealth. "Money was only a tool. It was the attitude that came along with the incomes."
The Devoted has some wonderful characters that just took up residence in my heart. There is a wonderful sense of community within the novel as homes and hearts are opened up to strangers. "Nobody's a stranger once you know their name."
The Devoted was a fabulous book. It spoke to my heart. It got under my skin. I am missing the characters already.
Give yourself a treat and immerse yourself in The Devoted today.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

I have enjoyed all three books in The Bishop’s Family series by Suzanne Woods Fisher but I particularly appreciated seeing a lot more about the Amish life and community from the perspective of the bishop in this one. David Stoltzfus has played a prominent role in each of the books but he really comes into his own as the bishop now. I have read many Amish books in which the community seemed to live almost in fear of the bishop; however, that is not the case with David. When he sees people starting to drift or, as in the case of Luke Schrock, willfully transgressing both the Amish ways and the law, he does not come down with a heavy hand and demand them to toe the line. He spends much time reading the Scriptures and agonizing in prayer to seek what God has to say on the matter and how He is directing David to deal with the issues at hand. His primary desire is to see the Stoney Ridge Amish community living according to the Bible. Does he get it right all the time? No, not hardly. Does he make mistakes? Yes, he is as human as everyone else in the story. Is his family perfect? Does anyone have a perfect family? His family is imperfect just like every family that has ever lived but I loved reading about their choices, good or bad, and seeing them grow from their choices. Besides some in the community who were feeling pulled away, such as the bishop’s daughter Ruthie, this story featured a young English man who was drawn to join the community, to become Amish. I recommend this book to all lovers of good Amish stories and especially to anyone who thinks pastors only work one day a week. Granted, this is an Amish story and the life of an Amish bishop may not be exactly like that of a local church pastor in other Protestant churches; however, I would suggest that there are many similarities. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.