The Healing Jar

This is a very well written book that will keep you turning the pages. It is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing. The author did an excellent job of making the book come to life. You can feel all of the emotions of the people in the book, happiness, sadness and every emotion in between. I enjoyed every minute of this book and loved the recipe at the end. Thank you Barbour Publishing Shiloh Run Press via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

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 was hooked!
I think the character I can most identify with is poor Michelle!!
I've been in her place but eveveryrhing does work out.
I also think that Trust is the main theme here. We need to trust God that He will work things out if it is His will.
I love the fact that families still pray before every meal or whatever the situation calls for. I wish that more families would take time out to pray. I think we'd be a whole lot better if we left God in charge!
I love Lenore to pieces!! I honestly wish that she were a real person. I would love to have her as a best friend!! She's an awesome character!!
Patience is virtue but who has that? I sure don't
Mary Ruth is also one of my favorite people. I hope that there are more stories with her in them.
I love her outlook on life!! I think it's something we all need to learn.
I love reading about the Amish! They are a 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 received a complimentary copy from Netgalley. No compensations were received and all opinions are my own!!

Hope, Forgive, and Heal.....the 3 parts of one process. This series by Wanda Brunstetter is just what we need to concentrate on, in our Christian life. This book, the 3rd in the series, takes on the process of healing. How healing can be the balm for the soul and that it comes in different ways, different times using different approaches. The person/couple/community must come to healing through their own walk and this novel gives us all hope for healing our wounds. I thoroughly enjoyed the two previous novels and this one was not a disappointment. I read it, trying to bring it's purpose into my life and see the different ways to heal the burdens of life, in our world, today. Please take the time to read this series and to use what your receive as direction through the journey of this books couples, communities and people....you will truly enjoy it!!

THE HEALING JAR. Wanda Brunsetter
Lenore is wondering when love will come for her, with two of her friends now married. At her grandparents home, still loved being there, now seeing that they were in need of love and assurance, unable to tend to the farm. She took a new teaching position this year, close by. In the barn, on a shelf, she noticed a canning jar that had papers inside. Michelle came in, and notice that Lenore had found her jar, It was when she was living there and pretending to be Sara, she wrote them. Sara knew about them also, and there were more jars with notes in them. They never asked about them to the grandmother for some were personal. Mishap outside the school yard and Lenore falls into an old well. Jesse happen to come by and noticed the children. He probably saved her life, and realized the love for her. A second chance at love if she would forgive him for what he had said before. Beautiful story and series of a love for the older, and the new love that comes in God’s time. Given an ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion by Net Galley and Barbour .

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Barbour Publishing, Inc through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

As part of a reading challenge for a book outside of my comfort zone, I decided to read an Amish novel. I selected The Forgiving Jar (book 2 in the series). When I saw book 3 available - The Healing Jar - I immediately requested it. Unlike book 2, I wanted to read this one. It was interesting to read the lives of characters introduced to me in the first book I read.

The Healing Jar deals with the importance of family when dealing with loss, heartache through love and help when in need. As the title suggests, an important factor is the prayer jars. The prayer jars, hidden through the years, contains prayers, words of encouragement and bible verses. These help the characters to trust more in God and encourages them in their time of sorrow. It helps them find the answers they are sorely searching for.

Well written.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Out of all the books in this series, this was definitely my favorite. I so much enjoy reading an Amish book that has love and trials. The main characters, Lenore and Jesse were so much fun and so easy to follow in love with. You can just smell grandma's cooking and wishing that you could be a part of the meal and the conversation. I so very much enjoyed it.

Wow! What a fantastic conclusion to the Prayer Jar trilogy!!! The Healing Jar tells Lenore's story, but also continues the story of Michelle and Sara with their marriages and lives. Lenore and Jesse meet and develop a friendship out of necessity. As Lenore cares for her grandparents and works as a teacher in her local Amish school, she also struggles with her desire to become a wife and mother. Meanwhile, Jesse's wife died and he moves to a new location. Follow the journey of Lenore, Michelle, and Sara in this delightful book by Wanda E. Brunstetter.

I have enjoyed reading Wanda Brunstetter's books for many years. I really enjoyed reading this book.

This book centers mostly around Lenore Lapp. Lenore is a twenty something Amish woman. She is a schoolteacher that has given up hope of finding love. She lives with her Grandparents.

Lenore soon meets Jesse Smucker and his baby daughter Cindy. Jesse lost his wife and has recently moved to the area to find a new start. They strike up a friendship and Leonore comes to care for Jesse and Cindy.


The book follows the ups and downs in Lenore's life. I really enjoyed the interaction between characters and the story line was very good.

I am so glad I discovered this series! I devoured each book! Wanda E Brunstetter is a fantastic story teller and each of her books are full of surprises!

The Healing Jar is no different. I read this book in a day and a half. For anyone who loves Amish fiction, this series is for you!

The third book and final book in Wanda Brunstetter' trilogy was great. The families continued to lead spiritual lives through sad and happy times. Wanda has a way of making all types of life experiences liveable through their faith. I love reading her books as they keep me at a level of reality that relaxes me and helps me accept life as it is. The Amish stories show me how to keep it simple. A fabulous end to a trilogy. I read all three as advanced reads and recommend them, in order, for a break in reading deeper plots.

The Healing Jar is the third installment from Wanda Brunstetter's The Prayer Jar series. I have loved the other books in this series and this one does not disappoint. I believe this one is my favorite of the series. It is fun to catch up with the primary characters from the previous books. I enjoyed Lenore and Jesse's story and getting to know them.



I give The Healing Jar five plus stars. I am so sad to see the end of this series. I highly recommend this book and recommend readers to read the prior installments of the series before reading this one.



I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

“The Healing Jar” by Wanda Brunstetter is the third book in The Prayer Jar series. I enjoyed the first two books in the series but each book is a also a standalone. It is helpful to have read the first two books since many of the characters carryover but Brunstetter is a master of giving a short background on important characters. The Healing Jar is the story of Lenore Lapp, an Amish schoolteacher living with her grandparents after a her beloved grandfather suffers a stroke. One of the beauties of Amish life is the tradition of caring for the elderly. I grew up with grandparents and great grandparents living with family members until they passed on. Lenore knows she is truly blessed to have this privilege and has resigned herself to being an old maid. But when widowed Jesse Smucker and his precious baby daughter move to her community, Lenore begins to believe God has other plans for her.
The mystery behind the prayer jars is also answered in this final book. I have to admit I was surprised by the outcome. Even after reading the first two books in the series I did not see the outcome. Brunstetter has written a wonderful series again, giving us a glimpse into Amish life and showing how God always has a plan.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from Netgalley.

A sweet conclusion to the Prayer Jars trilogy. Many answers are given as the author weaves together a story of faith and love. I loved that Lenore is so kind and loving to her grandparents. She's waited patiently for God's answer in finding a husband. Readers will want to read the entire series to fully understand the story even though this book could be a stand alone. Recommended!

Wanda has once again captivated her audience with the day to day lives of the Lapp family and their close friends. As per other reviews, this book definitely has surpassed the previous books in the series; taking you by surprise with events and connections of people and their past in an unexpected way. Wanda has not only woven threads regarding the importance of seeking the Lord's will in prayer and waiting for His timing throughout this book but also has capably conveyed a person's frustration, impatience and uncertainty when experiencing loss, grief,courtship and starting a fresh.

The third in the series, the author gives us another wonderful book that you can’t put down. We once again see characters from the previous two books, Mary Ruth, Willis, Michelle, Sara, and this one centers on Lenore, who is helping her grandparents. She is teaching school and wondering she will every find love within the community since she is older than many of the Amish girls when they marry.

Newly widowed Jesse and his baby daughter, Cindy, move to the community. We follow the lives of all these people and see how life leads them in many new different directions.
We see how the Healing Jar the girls find, leads and directs them to answers from the scriptures and prayers written and buried in the jar.

This is a delightful book that you won’t want to put down until you see how everything is resolved. I highly recommend this book.

I received this book from Barbour and Netgalley and was under no obligation to submit a review.

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 care 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!

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

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!

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.

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.

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 by Wanda E. Brunstetter is the third and final book in the Prayer Jar Series. If you’ve read the previous two books, you must read the final installment. It won’t leave you disappointed. Although this book focuses more on our newest character, Lenore Lapp, we also are able to visit Michelle and Sara once again, too. 🙂

In this book the main character we focus on is Lenore Lapp. Lenore is a gentle and kind soul, and now it is her turn to live with the Lapps since Michelle and Sara have both married. She is now living with her grandparents, Mary Ruth and Willis. Willis health is shaky and Lenore helps them. However, deep down Lenore is wanting more out of life than being a school teacher and helper for her grandparents. Although she enjoys being with them, she is searching for some one that will love her unconditionally and start the family she desires. She tells herself that if the Lord wants her to have the family she desires let it be and if not let the desire be removed.

Jesse Smucker, recently widowed, has come to Stratsburg with his nearly 1 year old daughter, Cindy, to get away from all the memories of his late wife. Jesse holds a strong attachment to his late wife and does not believe anyone can fill the avoid of his wife, Esther. Until one day, Jesse meets Lenore while on summer break. His daughter, Cindy, grows instantly fond of Lenore, and soon Mary Ruth and Lenore become the baby sitters for this precious little girl. Jesse also sees the need of Cindy needing a mother and feels that Lenore would fill that void. Due to his attachment to Esther, it would be a relationship based on convenience. Would Lenore agree to such an arrangement, a marriage based on convenience and not love? Jesse must learn to understand what his feelings are or will he risk a great friendship?

I don’t want to go any farther than that, but the novel takes a few twists and turns and it gets very interesting. We also get to have some answers solved for Sara and see how Michelle is handling her married life with Ezekiel King. Since I don’t want to spoil anything, you will just have to find a copy to read for yourself.

I don't want to forget to mention that I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to to post a review. I want to thank them and the author for giving me the opportunity to read the last installment of this great book. :-) I'm so happy I was able to read this series and I definitely recommend reading them all in sequential order. :-) These books would be great for any young adult audience looking for a good clean novel.

Healing after Hope and Forgiveness
"The Healing Jar", written by New York Times best-selling author Wanda E. Brunstetter and published by Shiloh Run Press continues the story with the wedding of Sara and Brad. It is the last book in the 3-book series that plays mainly in a moderate Amish community in Strasburg, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. Lenore tries to deal with the trials her grand-parents are facing and wonders if God even hears her prayers. She is the third one (after Michelle and Sara) to discover the jars that contain scriptures, prayers, and personal notes. Her grandmother encourages her with the statement: "We must learn to trust the Lord, even with things we don't understand. As we go through troubles waters, it should strengthen, not weaken, our faith. And remember, dear one, prayer is not a business transaction. We don't give something to get something in return." The story takes some twist and turns and presents some unexpected surprises such as Jesse saving Leonore's life.
"The Healing Jar" is another great Amish novel, a well written book with believable inspirational characters who have to deal with life's challenges. It ties all the three volumes together. I highly recommend the book, but advice, in order to truly understand it, to first read the previous volumes of the series ("The Hope Jar" and "The healing Jar). It also includes discussion questions which can be used for personal reflection, in a small group, or in a book club and the recipe for Lenore's Pineapple Philly Pie.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#TheHealingJar #NetGalley

The Healing Jar by Wanda Brunstetter

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Description of Book

Lenore Lapp is an Amish schoolteacher in her late twenties still living at home with her parents and grandparents. She thought love had passed her by until she meets Jesse Smucker, a widower with a baby daughter. She quickly falls in love with them both and accepts Jesse’s proposal of marriage, but Jesse breaks off their engagement when he realizes he can’t marry only for convenience.

Resigned to living single, Lenore throws herself into caring for her elders. While working in her grandmother’s garden, she digs up an old jar. Will Lenore find healing for her broken heart and solve long-buried family secrets by reading the note contained inside?

Book Review

This is one of many books I have read that was written by Wanda Brunstetter. She is one of the best authors I know of. In fact, she is the first author that I read about the Amish.

When this book starts out, Lenore Lapp stays with her grandmother and grandfather. Her grandfather has had a stroke and is pretty much confined to his wheelchair. The book goes on and then Lenore meets Jesse Smucker who is a widower and also a father to a baby daughter. When he arrives in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, Lenore falls in love with the baby daughter. He asks her to keep his little girl while he works and then sparks begin to fly. But this is just the start.

This is one of the best books by Wanda Brunstetter that I have read in quite a while. I don’t want to say anything more or else I will spoil it for you. If you love Amish as much as I do, you need to pick this book up and read it. Thank you Wanda Brunstetter for giving us such a GREAT book to read as you always do. You never disappoint me at least.
Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for giving me this opportunity to read this book and give my review.

I have thoroughly enjoyed each of the books in this series. I love how there is a blended community of Amish and English in this series and how they live and interact with one another was truly heartwarming. I feel like the deeper I got into the series, the more the characters came to life and felt like dear friends. In a way the storylines melded so well in the first two books that this one almost felt like a third wheel, but it doesn't mean in any way that I didn't enjoy the story as well.

This was a series that I followed closely with an intense need to know how life would turn out for the characters. It's written in a way that you are just as concerned for the supporting characters as you are for the leading roles. Everyone in this book is intricately placed with a specific purpose that validates their presence. I'm truly going to miss reading about each and every one of them.

This is a series I highly recommend starting from the beginning. The books are strongly connected through both characters and storyline. If you were to miss the first two books you would be quite lost in reading this one.

I've really enjoyed my time with this series and highly recommend it to Amish fiction fans.

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

THE HEALING JAR by Wanda E. Brunstetter is #3 in The Prayer Jars series and is a continuation of THE FORGIVING JAR #2 in the series. Although THE HEALING JAR can be read as a standalone, I recommend first reading THE HOPE JAR and THE FORGIVING JAR by Wanda E. Brunstetter.

This sweet, heartwarming novel set in a small community in Pennsylvania, will tug at your heartstrings. A young school teacher feels that she is destined to miss out on love and marriage. Sara longs to unlock a family secret.
I enjoyed learning about the Amish way of life, and watching the relationships develop between the newly married couples. It was interesting to read the various Amish home remedies, some I have heard before and some were new to me.
This book of love, families, faith, healing and second chances should appeal to those who enjoy reading Amish fiction, Christian fiction, and sweet romance novels.

My thanks to Barbour Publishing, Inc., Shiloh Run Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book, which enables me to write my unbiased thoughts and opinions in this review.

4 healthy stars ⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️

Posted on Goodreads August 26, 2019
NetGalley August 26, 2019
Savvy Reader August 26, 2019

What a wonderful conclusion to this series by Wanda Brunstetter! I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters in these collections.

Lenore wanted nothing more than to be a wife and mother. When she met Jesse she felt that her prayers were answered. But were they?

The prayer jars had valuable lessons enclosed inside. Lenore, Michelle, and Sara had much to learn from them. Each prayer inside guided their paths. What a previous gift that was given to them. The jars were hidden but they were in places that they could be found. Three jars: three young women who needed to find them.

I love the idea of having a prayer jar. I also think it would be wonderful to have a blessings jar.

Lenore was inpatient with GOD's timing. I think we all have been there at some point in our lives. I was divorced and felt cheated of having a happy home and a husband. But GOD was telling me to wait...I didn't listen. I dated and tried to make the relationship work but it wasn't GOD's plans for me. When I least expected it, I met my husband. The man GOD wanted for me. I couldn't be happier.

This was such a lovely story! I loved hearing more about Lenore and Jesse, and truly hoped that they would find a happily ever after in each other. I so love the final resolution of the mystery that weaves the 3 books together, and seeing more revealed from the prayer jars. Such a sweet peek into the Amish culture and finding that they live, love, and break bread just like the rest of us. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and NetGalley, and was under no obligation to write a review.

MMMMmmmmm.....
I was so excited to read this book! I have read the other books in the series and couldn't wait to find out the ending. It definitely did not disappoint :) I am happy that Lenore got her own story and that she exhibited strong character and overcame some overwhelming hardships. I loved Wanda's use of the prayer jars to bring a family together and help heal some past hurts. It is truly a unique idea. After reading the first book in the series I started putting prayers or verses in a jar on my bedside table every night. I hope many people read this book and are heartily affected by the message it presents.
I volunteered to read this book from Barbour Publishing Group in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.

Loved this book! I love all of Wanda Brunstetter's books, but I especially loved this series. It is full of action and especially love of God and family. The story is such a heart touching one and I love how Wanda incorporates the messages in the healing jar into the books plot.

The Healing Jar

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Examples of difficult situations and decisions abound in Wanda E. Brunstetter’s The Healing Jar along with positive, Godly responses to those circumstances. Frequently the characters pray and then continue with their daily activities as they wait on God to answer their prayers by changing their circumstances or their hearts. Often He acts in surprising ways.

The main characters in these stories are all connected to the Amish Lapp family, and they all independently stumble on prayer jars hidden on the Lapp property. What remains a mystery to the young ladies, until a discovery in this book, is who accumulated Scriptures and heartfelt petitions to God on slips of paper in old canning jars.

The matriarch of the Lapp family is Mary Ruth. The other main character in The Healing Jar is her granddaughter Lenore Lapp who longs to be a wife and mother. The story of Sara, a granddaughter who was not raised Amish, continues in this book as she tries to discover the identity of her biological father. Michelle, who in an earlier book pretends to be Sara, finds happiness in her conversion to the Amish way but faces challenges when her husband wants to move away from her new family and friends.

I enjoyed this gentle book and recommend this trilogy to those who are interested in learning more about Amish life and customs and to readers looking for romance with a Christian focus. I do think this series should be read in its entirety and in sequence as it is very character based. Perhaps because of the way the series builds and the closure this book provides, it is my favorite of the three books.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Barbour Publishing (Shiloh Run Press) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Christian, Literary Fiction

Notes: #3 in the Prayer Jar Trilogy. I recommend it, but not as a standalone.

Publication: August 1, 2019— Barbour Publishing (Shiloh Run Press)

Memorable Lines:

“We must learn to trust the Lord, even with things we don’t understand. As we go through troubled waters, it should strengthen, not weaken, our faith. And remember, dear one, prayer is not a business transaction. We don’t give something to get something in return.”

It was frustrating how a person could think they had worked through a situation, even felt peace about it, and then out of the blue, the pain of it all came right back to haunt them.

“It just goes to show that even when people make terrible mistakes, God can take a negative situation and turn it into something good.”