The Mockingbird's Song

Another fantastic book by this talented author! Full of unexpected twists and turns! A beautiful story of the Plain People,

When I find myself worrying about the characters of a book that I've just finished reading than its a sure sign of how much this reader was drawn into the story! Wanda Brunstetter always leaves me satisfied and waiting for the next book in the series. I love her writing style and I keep on reading her books over the years. I'm never disappointed.
In The Mocking Birds Song readers are swept once again into the lives of the King family. In book one three family members died in a horrible accident. Now in book two the year of mourning comes to an end. Someone has been trying to force them into closing the greenhouse and moving. In book two it escalates to threats and damage to their greenhouse and property. Belinda King wonders if she should give in and close the nursery. Each incident seems to go from bad to worse. All this time Belinda still mourns the loss of Vernon , her late husband. There is romance and also some humor weaved into the story. I could go on and on here but my suggestions are for you to buy this book and read it.
If you are a fan of Wanda Brunstetter or love Amish Fiction and mystery stories you will love this book. I strongly suggest that you read Book one first, The Crows Call. It will help you to get acquainted with the story and the characters before moving on to The Mocking Birds Song.
I downloaded an Arc copy of this book from Netgalley and Barbour Publishing. A favorable review was not requested. All opinions expressed here in this review are my own.

The Mockingbird's Song was the first of Wanda Brunstetter's books that I have read, and I was unaware that it was the second in the Amish Greenhouse series. That being said, the book stands alone as the author does a great job filling in the "backstory" and introducing you to the characters and their stories.

This is the story of the King family as they struggle with the loss of three male members of their family in a tragic accident. In the midst of their grief they deal with the vandalism of their greenhouse, which is the family livelihood. Belinda, who lost her husband and son, is dealing better than the others with her grief. Henry, the 15-year-old who lost his brother and father is struggling, but finds solace in the joy of bird watching. Sylvia, Henry's adult sister and mother of two, who lost her husband in addition to her father and brother in the accident, is dealing with her grief and anger with God.

Sylvia joins Henry in his bird watching and while out one day, meet Dennis Weaver, who is looking for a house and some land to rent where he can expand his horse training business. Sylvia has decided to offer the house she shared with her husband and children to Dennis to rent. Sylvia and Dennis quickly become friends and enjoy each other's company. Belinda is unsure of this relationship and doesn't trust Dennis, however as the relationship develops, Belinda's attitude changes towards Dennis when he proves himself in an event that endangers one of Sylvia's children.

As life seems to be returning to some sense of normal and as they prepare for the fall wedding of Sylvia's sister Amy, the greenhouse is once again vandalized. Belinda does not want to involve the police, but the others are eager to find the culprit.

There are many wonderful characters in the story and the reader quickly becomes involved in their lives. The story is very well written and leaves you anxiously waiting for book 3 in the series!

Book 2 in the series. Although, this is part of a series, it works well as a stand alone.
Having read the first book in the Amish Greenhouse Mystery series, I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to read this one and continue on in the lives of the King family.
Almost a year past the fateful buggy accident that killed Sylvia's father, husband and brother. She and her two young children are living with her mother, younger sister (Amy) and brother (Henry). She still doesn't want to work in the greenhouse saying she needs to be in the house caring for her two young children. Henry resents having to do so much more work now. Soon to turn sixteen, he feels he's missing out on his teen years. His mother worries over Henry's friend, Seth, who is a bit of a rebel, with his smoking and driving. Amy is soon to be wed and is very happy and a great help to her mother, Belinda.
Sylvia and Henry are both angry at God for the accident. It has been almost a year. Couldn't He have prevented it? Why did He allow the three men to die? So many questions.
Sylvia doesn't feel she can ever love another man again. But...Dennis Weaver comes into town looking for a place to rent that has enough land for him to train horses for people. Sylvia ends up renting her home to him. She doesn't feel she can ever live there again, the home she shared with her husband and children. The home where she had so many dreams for the future.
Sylvia and Henry discover Dennis is also a bird watcher, as they are. They start going on bird watching trips together. Sylvia's mother, Belinda, is sour about it. Does she not want happiness for Sylvia?
The Kings' neighbor, Virginia is back in this story. She's still a bored, discontent, bitter and nosy person. She's always looking out her window with binoculars spying on her neighbors while complaining all the while about the noise of the clomp, clomp of horses and the messes they leave behind. Her husband is a man of great patience. I am hoping there will be more about them in Book 3, as this one just kinda left them hanging. What is the purpose of them in the story, I wonder?
Things have been happening at the Kings' place. The sign for the greenhouse disappeared. The new sign was found lying in the grass. Things disappearing. The windows on the greenhouse painted black. Then, their barn is burned. Who wishes to sabotage their only source of income? Is it Henry's friend, Seth? Or, maybe Maude, the the poor woman who comes around for food? Andy, why won't Belinda involve the sheriff?
Another wonderful story by Wanda E. Brunstetter!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Barbour Publishing and Netgalley, and was under no obligation to post a review.

The Mockingbird's Song is a deeply touching story about grief and recovery. It is a powerful illustration of how we all cope with grief in different ways, and that everyone must move through it at their own pace. In the Mockingbird's Song we read Sylvia's story after the deaths of her husband, father and brother in a horrible buggy crash. Sylvia has been nearly paralyzed with grief which makes caring for her young children difficult along with helping her mother and siblings with the family business. I enjoyed reading how she bonded with her younger brother over birdwatching- a hobby that helps both heal and cope. And i also enjoyed the friendship she and her brother Henry develop with a newcomer to the community, Dennis- through birdwatching. I hope that there will be additional books in this series as the characters feel so relatable and I hope to see how they continue healing.

Wanda Brunstetter continues to author a quality story. I largely appreciated the concise overview of past editions to bring the reader up to date. Wanda then meshes a number of threads together including the effects of seemingly intent vandalism, the impact of anxiety on their neighbour, the difficulties of restarting a business after hibination over winter with new competitors, unwanted attention and the varied effects grief has on a family a year on. An easy but stimulating read.

Loved it, loved it, loved it, Sylvia is getting back into life, Belinda seems to be sticking her head further in the sand, what’s it going to take for her to get the sheriff involved? I thought after the barn she would do more, but no. I still think it’s the creepy ex, what a loser.

Book 2 Has not disappointed. This story line follows Sylvia as she navigates through grief and meets Dennis while bird watching with her brother. Mysterious things are still happening and it is still a mystery. You will love Dennis as the new person in the series. A must be read if you love Wanda's books.

The second book in the Amish Greenhouse Mystery series takes up where the first one left off and shares the rest of the story, although it could stand alone since enough information is provided to make the back story clear. In this touching novel, we see the King family still struggling to deal with the deaths of their loved ones and working to move on with their lives. The plot holds the readers’ interest, but much of the dialogue and inner thoughts do not sound natural or flow as smoothly as it should. Sometimes it seems a tool used to convey information rather than move the plot forward. There are still some suspense elements to tie up so I look forward to the next book in the series. Those who love Amish tales should enjoy this one. I liked the fact that it was a bit different than your typical Amish drama. I received a copy from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This is the second book of Wanda Brunstetter’s Amish Greenhouse Mystery Series. The family is still dealing with the grief of losing their loved ones. While mom (Belinda) and daughter, Amy have the greenhouse open and running again the family is still experiencing with vandalism. Belinda’s older daughter Sylvia and youngest son Henry are still working through their grief, they both are learning to live again as they take up a hobby of bird watching.
A new character, Dennis wants to move in the community and is looking for a place to live and start his business. He runs into Sylvia and Henry while bird watching. He finds out Sylvia has been trying to decide whether to sell her farm house or rent it. Dennis was interested in renting.
Will there be romance in the air for Sylvia? She feels she could never love again after losing her husband and raising two children by herself.
I’m really interested in who has been causing the vandalism and I think I may know who it is but, am I in for a surprise? I will have to wait until the third book in the series. I love reading this series because it has a little mystery to it compared to the other Amish books I have read by Wanda Brunstetter. Wanda’s books are all excellent and she is one of my favorite authors. Her books do not disappoint me. I highly recommend reading this series to anyone who enjoys reading Amish fiction. I’m looking forward to The Robin’s Greeting coming out in the Spring of 2021 to read who has been vandalizing the family, what their neighbor and the homeless woman are up to, more of Belinda, Sylvia, Amy and Henry and much more.

Sylvia is finding her way back into life after loosing her husband and reconnecting with her brother with the birds. Still a mystery as to who is causing trouble with their family life and Mom's feelings of the uncertainty. With each day new beginings and trials. Looking for Robins to start anew and solve this puzzle! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

I am really liking this series so much and glad I was able to relax and visit the characters again in this book. The story finds us seeing how the family is doing after a devastating loss. I loved reading about the greenhouse and how the family works hard to keep it running. I am not good with plants but I enjoy looking at them. I admire people who have beautiful gardens and flowers that cascade around the yard.

Sylvia is still struggling with her loss while raising her two small children. It was nice to see how Sylvia and her younger brother took up birdwatching together. I have several bird feeders in my yard and get great pleasure watching them fly around while grabbing seeds. I think this hobby has brought Henry a little happiness in his life. He still feels overwhelmed at times but he is slowly dealing with his grief.

I loved the introduction of Dennis to the story. He has his own grief to deal with and his friendship with Sylvia is helping both of them. The author does a great job of slowly developing their relationship. If only Sylvia’s mother could accept the fact that Sylvia is ready to move on with her life. I was quite surprised by Belinda’s attitude toward Dennis. Perhaps she is not ready to see her daughter move on. Dennis is a perfect gentleman but he is beginning to feel that perhaps he shouldn’t pursue the relationship with Sylvia. I couldn’t wait to see where the author would take Sylvia and Dennis relationship. I so wanted them to get together.

There is a bit of mystery in the story that I hope to see come to an end in the next book. Who is trying to sabotage the greenhouse? I haven’t figured it out yet but I am anxious to discover who it is. I also liked reading about Virginia the neighbor. That poor lady is so desperate for friends. I laughed when she started spying on Sylvia and her family with binoculars. Talk about being a nosy neighbor. She reminds me of Gladys from a show that was on many years ago. I am wondering how Virginia will fit into this story. Will she let her guard down and become friends with her neighbors?

The story has a gentle feel of faith that is just the right amount to give readers a sense of peace. The story was one I didn’t want to end. There are lessons in the book about judging, forgiveness, grief and acceptance. I can’t wait to read the next book in this lovely series.

I received a copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion.

Grief of epic proportions.....beyond all ability to cope.....this is where Silvia is now that she has lost her husband, brother and father. She has problems in being with the public and that causes problems for the family greenhouse business. Then we have the unknown person who is terrorizing the family through vandalizations. How is Silvia going to go on? How is she going to learn to be in public again? When will the vandals stop.....before or after someone gets hurt? This is the second of the Amish Greenhouse Series and a wonderful addition from Wanda Brunstetter. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the journey of Silvia and her family!!

I don't read many romance books. I want good, clean romance that leaves you feeling warm and cherished. The Brunstetter family books are always some of my favorite reading experiences. This one has some mystery and some deeper feelings mixed in but it is still the same quality of writing I expect when I read a book by Wanda Brunstetter.

THE MOCKINGBIRD'S SONG by Wanda E. Brunstetter is the second book in the Amish Greenhouse Mystery series. After reading the first book in the series, I was anxious to read this one as it is a continuation of the first. For that reason, even though it can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading The Crow's Call first because the background of the accident and the relationship of the King family begins to be developed in that book.

I enjoyed this book a bit more than the first one as it had more of a romance and mystery than the first one. This story tells the story of Sylvia, whose husband was one of those killed in the accident in the first book. She is extremely depressed and doesn't want to do much of anything. Her younger brother gets her interested in bird watching and they meet an Amish man who recently moved to their community, out bird watching as well. Dennis Weaver has his own issues, but he and Sylvia become friends and eventually want to court one another. Her mother is not pleased with his interest in Sylvia and tries to convince her not to pursue it. As she is also putting off the advances from her adolescent beau, the vandalism on the greenhouse picks up. The unhappy neighbour across the road has not warmed up to the Amish yet, and her brother is getting into trouble. A lot going on in this family.

As usual, Wanda E. Brunstetter has penned an Amish story that has all the things I like about her stories. There is faith, some doubt, family, community. Add in a bit of a mystery and this story has me waiting anxiously for the next book in the series. The plot and characters are well developed, but I am not sure yet about the inclusion of the rather nasty neighbour. I will let you know that the mystery still continues, as is not yet solved, though I do have my suspicions as to who is causing the vandalism to the King family Greenhouse. If you are a fan of clean romance, Christian Fiction and a mystery that is not a murder, then pick this series up and give it a read.

Wanda E. Brunstetter has done it again in her second installment from her Amish Greenhouse Mystery series, The Mockingbird’s Song. I loved the first book, The Crow’s Call, and this one does not disappoint. Sylvia is one character that I felt connected to. My heart just broke for her. I had to keep reading to find out where she would end up. I thought it was beautiful and sweet story of hope, finding oneself, how to overcome grief and moving on. There was a little mystery to be solved, as well.
I am giving The Mockingbird’s Song a very well deserved five plus stars. I can not wait for the third book from the Amish Greenhouse Mystery series, The Robin's Greeting. I look forward to see what happens next.
I received The Mockingbird’s Song from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

The second book in the Amish Greenhouse Mystery series really had me looking
forward to reading it.
The first book in the series ended in a cliffhanger and I thought we would see a resolution to who has been vandalizing the greenhouse by the end of the book but it was not to be.
The King family has lost family members in the first book and we see some pretty heavy grieving in the second book. We all grieve in our own way and there is no time line for this. Some can hide their feelings better than others for this as well.
There are more cases of destruction at the greenhouse and it just seems to go from bad to worse.
There is romance,redemption and healing mixed in the pages as well.
I really get drawn into the authors stories and have been reading them from the time she has started writing. She is a definite favorite author of mine.
I am looking forward to the conclusion of this series which will publish next year.

Pub Date 01 Aug 2020
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The Mockingbird’s Song, by Wanda Brunstetter is book two in the Amish Greenhouse Mystery series. While this is part of a series an d takes over where book one left off, this also is a great stand alone story. The author have given background information so the reader can understand what has happened and how it affects what is now happening.
In one day the King family loses three men in their family. Now the remaining family members are trying to pull together to keep the family greenhouse going.

It is easy to feel sorry for the characters in this story. They have been handed such a loss and terrible things continue to happen. This story points out that everyone handles grief in their own way and time. When it is time to move one, God will put someone in out lives to help us through. This story also points out the extreme faith the Amish have in God, they do not involve law enforcement when they are wronged. And families come together to help when tragedy happens. This is a great book. I look forward to reading book three, with hopes the person targeting the greenhouse will be exposed.

I received an e-book copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

The Mockingbird’s Song by Wanda E. Brunstetter is the 2nd Amish Greenhouse Mystery. It can be read on its own for those who have not read The Crow’s Call. I thought the story was well-written with developed characters. Sylvia Beiler misses her husband. She is depressed and angry at God. She worries about her children and does not like to be separated from them for any length of time. Henry is also angry and rebellious. When he is not busy with chores, Henry likes to read magazines and books on birds. Amy Beiler is planning her wedding to Jared next fall. She cannot wait to become a wife. Belinda Beiler misses her husband whom she loved dearly. Instead of dealing with her feelings, she keeps herself busy with work, her grandchildren, and worrying about her family. The Mockingbird’s Song is a story about dealing with overwhelming grief, the various threats to the family and their livelihood, birdwatching, hope, and love. Sylvia and Henry have lost faith in God. They do not understand why He did not save their family members. The mystery is not the focus of the book. It is something that is happening, but it is not investigated. The threats are escalating making the situation dangerous. Virginia Martin and her husband, Earl live across from the King family. Virginia dislikes living in the country and especially from the noisy and smelly greenhouse (her words). She spends most of her day watching her neighbors (reminds me of my Grandma Anderson). Loneliness and the actions of the woman’s first husband have shaped Virginia. I am curious to see how Virginia’s story will turn out. The Mockingbird’s Song is an inspiring story of faith, family, friendship, healing, and love. I am curious to find out what happens next with the King family and their greenhouse.

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:5

The King family are still reeling from the death of their loved ones. Belinda King and her four children are still dealing with the death of their father, brother and brother-in-law. Sylvia is now raising two young children on her own. She has moved in with her mother and younger siblings. They are suffering together and keeping the family business afloat. It has been a year and Sylvia has joined her younger brother in bird watching. She finds some peace in her newly acquired hobby and has also found a friend in Dennis Weaver. Dennis is new in the community and is looking for a place to rent. Sylvia uncharacteristically offers her home to Dennis to rent. This offer leads to hope and turmoil for Sylvia's family.

An Amish romance mixed with a touch of mystery. Vandalism on the King's property keeps happening leading the family to anxiety of who is wanting them to fail. Picking up the pieces of a senseless death weighs heavy on the family as they continue life and the planning of a wedding. Sylvia's time of mourning is coming to an end and how life continues. How each family member processes grief in their own time. What gives hope in hopeless circumstances is faith and family. Family that learns grace together will grow stronger together.

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

I have read many books by this author, and enjoy the Amish characters and the settings. The greenhouse setting of this book makes it interesting, as well as the bird-watching angle. I am hoping to read Book 3 in the series, in which I hope loose ends are tied up and all is resolved.

This is the second book in the “Amish Greenhouse Mystery” series by Wanda Brunstetter. The main character in this book is Sylvia, a widow attempting to recover from her husband’s tragic death. Sylvia’s story is compelling reading as she moves from being almost completely overcome by deep grief to realizing that God continued to have a purpose for her life. Her journey to hope and love was inspiring and has a good message of God’s care for all of us.

There’s still an on-going mystery as to who is trying to sabotage their greenhouse business, as the family struggles to determine who would want to cause them harm. This book leaves several storylines unfinished, and I’m looking forward to the conclusion of this family’s story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The Mockingbird's Song bk #2 in the Amish greenhouse Mystery by Wanda Brunstetter

A year has passed since that fateful day when Sylvia's family lost a father, son, and son-in-law in a horrible accident. Sylvia's children are growing, unaware of their family's grieving. Belinda, Amy, and Henry continue to work in the greenhouse. Life goes on as do the strange occurrences around the farm. Who is responsible, the nosey neighbor, the teenager, or maybe the odd lady who roams the neighborhood?
As Amy and Jared plan for their wedding, Sylvia and her brother Henry, take up a new hobby and find a stranger along the way.
What is in store for this family, love, understanding, compassion, fear? Will the mystery ever be solved?
This e-book was provided by NetGalley but the review is mine.

Another good book by Wanda E. Brunstetter! Belinda and Sylvia, who are Mother and daughter, are dealing with horrific loss. They lost both their husbands and one of Belinda's sons (Sylvia's brother), who had gone to get ice cream on Belinda's birthday and were hit by a car and all 3 died in the accident.
This story is about recovery from an awful loss. Belinda and Sylvia go through so much and so does the rest of the family. But the story is mainly about Belinda and Sylvia.
Monroe, who loved Belinda during the courting years, shows back up in the picture trying to wiggle his way back into Belinda's life and hopefully love.
Sylvia has a man show up in her life unexpectedly, Dennis who rents her house she shared with her husband and 2 children. Dennis has moved into the area and needs a place to rent with a lot of land for raising and training horses.
This story shows the ups and downs of what it's like to lose a loved one. It starts out sad, then you start getting some hope and by the end of the story your smiling. Wanda E. Brunstetter has a way of taking any story and bringing you through so many emotions while reading. There's not many authors who can successfully do that. She brings the characters from a horrific loss, showing what each are going through while in the beginning stages of grief and shows that the sun will rise again another day and things will get better. You don't get over the loss of a loved one but the hurt does start to pass and just becomes an ache, and eventually the person becomes a fond memory.
I also love the knowledge Wanda E. Brunstetter has of the Amish, through her own friends and it shows in each of her books. She's in my top 2 favorite authors to read who write about the Amish, and I love each of her books. I don't believe I've read one yet that I didnt like. At the beginning of this book it was a little dark and I thought I might not like it, but as more of the story unfolded and I met more of the characters I ended but finding out that starting in the darkness of the beginning of grief helped us to find the light at the end of the long grief tunnel.
I want to thank NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for the advanced ARC. I am honored I was chosen to read this story in advance. I was not given any compensation, only asked to give my honest opinion of what I thought of the book. This review expresses my honest opinion.
One of my favorite parts of the book is at the end where Sylvia says a quick prayer after reading a Bible verse. I'm going to share it because it'll leave everyone with some hope!
" Sylvia thought of Psalm 30: 5, the Bible verse she’d read last night: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Thank You, Lord, for restoring my faith and filling my heart with joy again."

Sylvia's husband, her older brother and her father were all killed in an accident when a car hit their buggy almost a year earlier. Sylvia and her two children have moved back into her mother's house and shares it with her grieving mother, sister and younger brother. The family business, a greenhouse, has been struggling since her father died. Someone is trying to sabotage the business and things keep happening. Meanwhile, Sylvia has developed an interest in her younger's brothers favorite hobby -- bird watching. As they prepare for her sister's wedding, a lot of situations arise that require them to move past their grief and deal with family and neighborhood issues. This was a good read. It kind of left me hanging so I'm guessing theres another book in the series on the way, but I am disappointed that I didn't get a few more answers in this book. Patience is not one of my higher virtues.

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

Book two in the Amish Greenhouse Mystery series starts right where book one left off. The King family is still struggling to deal with the deaths of their loved ones. There were some mysteries left unsolved, so hopefully in the next novel we can see them unveiled.
I received a copy from Netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A story that made me feel like part of the family! I didn't read the first book of the series but that didn't hinder my reading and understanding the second book. I felt like I was there right with the family and prayed along with them.
This is a second book in The Amish Green House Mystery Series. Dealing with the loss of three family members, finding new love, the mystery of who is vandalizing the family Green House and their relationships with God will keep you wanting more. I didn't want it to end and the mystery and relationships will continue on in the next book. The only character I disliked was Virginia but I'm sure the author has plans to reveal who she really is as a person and maybe she will even be introduced to the Amish way of life and start a relationship with God.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

Wanda is a great author and I enjoy reading her books. This book is just as good as her other books.