The Hope Jar - Celebrate Lit Blog Tour

Book Title: The Hope Jar (The Prayer Jars, Book 1)  
Author: Wanda E. Brunstetter  
Genre: Amish Fiction
Release date: August 7, 2018  
A Brand-New Series from New York Times Best Selling Author Wanda E. Brunstetter.  

What happens when making an elderly Amish couple very happy means going along with a lie that gets bigger by the day?

Michelle Taylor is not who her new family in Lancaster County believes her to be. The Lapps were looking for their long-lost granddaughter when they met Michelle and she assumed the identity of Sara Murray. Once homeless and hopeless, Michelle has come to love her new Amish friends and even considers the idea of romance among them. Finding an old blue jar in the barn that is filled with slips of paper containing thoughts, quotes, and prayers by an unknown author becomes a boost to Michelle’s budding faith— but also convicting. How can she tell the truth without hurting the ones she has truly come to love?

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Wanda E. Brunstetter is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. She has written close to 90 books translated in four languages. With over 10 million copies sold, Wanda’s stories consistently earn spots on the nations most prestigious bestseller lists and have received numerous awards. Wanda’s ancestors were part of the Anabaptist faith, and her novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Her books are well-read and trusted by many Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs. When Wanda visits her Amish friends, she finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family ties. Wanda enjoys photography, ventriloquism, gardening, bird-watching, beach combing, and spending time with her family. She and her husband, Richard, have been blessed with two grown children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

My Take:

I used to love to read Amish fiction, then I kind of got away from it for a while because it all seemed to end up the same. However, I always enjoy a new twist on Amish fiction, and this is definitely a book with a different style. 

The main character Michelle is suffering abuse at the hand of her boyfriend and has also lost her job and is going to be evicted soon. She is looking for an escape, which coincidentally comes in the form of an accidental meeting. Although, the relationship is begun on a pretense, Michelle learns alot from her Amish "grandparents". She also learns about God, faith, love and forgiveness. In the end, will she be able to keep up the pretense, or will the need to confess become more than she can bear? 

There were things about this book that I liked and others I didn't. The style of dialog for one was not really my favorite. It kind of felt like it was written for a younger group. That may just have been my mindset while reading it, I am not sure. Parts seemed simple with not alot of depth to the characters or much description. However, that didn't necessarily take away from the plot or story line, which was interesting and kept me reading. The feeling of unfinished business at the end opens the door for the next book in the series, which I am certainly eager to read as I would love to find out more about the real granddaughter, Sara. 

I was blessed with a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher and Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own.

Make your own Prayer Jar!

Want to make your own prayer jar to pass along to future generations? CLICK HERE to download a printable template you can use to write your sentiments on. Simply cut out each strip of paper when you’re finished and put them in the jar of your choice.

Blog Stops

Janices book reviews, August 14

Among the Reads, August 14

The Avid Reader, August 14

Reflections From My Bookshelves, August 15

Just Commonly, August 15

Genesis 5020, August 16

Mary Hake, August 16

Bigreadersite, August 16

Lighthouse Academy, August 17

Seasons of Opportunities, August 17

Christian Bookaholic, August 18

Luv’N Lambert Life, August 18

Random Thoughts From a Bookworm, August 19

Blossoms and Blessings, August 19

Splashes of Joy, August 20

SusanLovesBooks, August 20

Ashley’s Bookshelf, August 21

Because I said so — adventures in parenting, August 21

Two Points of Interest, August 22

Southern Gal Loves to Read, August 22

Cafinated Reads, August 23

Quiet quilter, August 23

Have A Wonderful Day, August 24

Carpe Diem, August 24

A Baker’s Perspective, August 25

Bibliophile Reviews, August 25

proud to be an autism mom, August 26

Texas Book-aholic, August 26

Reader’s Cozy Corner, August 27

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 27

Jeanette’s Thoughts, August 27

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Wanda is giving away a grand prize that includes a $25 Amazon Gift Card, jar-shaped notepad, and a copy of The Hope Jar (with an autographed book plate inside).

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d40a/the-hope-jar-celebration-tour-giveaway