Here’s a review you never saw coming! Huckleberry Summer joins the list of fewer than a dozen Amish novels I’ve ever read. Possibly fewer than half that many. So why, you might ask, am I actually reviewing one on my blog when I so rarely post reviews at all?
A member of my street team told me this was one of the few Christian novels she’d read that touched on environmentalism, other than mine. And she said she really enjoyed the story. So I picked up a digital copy and read it a couple of weeks ago.
The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series, of which Huckleberry Summer is second, follows Anna and Felty Helmuth as they attempt to marry off their grandchildren. Their grandson Aden, who lives in a different Amish community, has been hanging around with an Englisch troublemaker and has even been arrested for chaining himself to a tree. They invite Aden to come for the summer, and he’s eager for a fresh start.
Lily Eicher has never in her life even thought about flouting her father’s wishes. When he agrees she can be kitchen/garden help for Anna Helmuth, she’s destined to see a lot of Aden, which, of course, is Anna’s plan. But Lily can’t fathom the recklessness of someone who’d willingly get in trouble for a cause, especially a nonAmish cause. Still, a lot of the Amish people enjoy picnics at the pond, and it is full of garbage. Maybe Aden has a point that it should be better kept. Many community members, including Lily, join him in cleaning it out.
Lily’s father is not amused to discover this troublemaker with the strange ideas is eyeing his daughter. Being a very good girl, Lily does her best to put a stop to her growing attraction. Being a reckless lawbreaker who’s falling in love himself, Aden is no help in ending things.
I admit that I laughed out loud a number of times while reading this book. I’ll also admit that I read the first book in the series, Huckleberry Hill, just to get a grounding in the series, and found it just as humorous as Huckleberry Summer. If you’re curious what an Amish novel about an environmentalist might be like, give this book a try.
Jennifer Beckstrand is the bestselling Amish romance author of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series for Kensington Books.
She has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring family ties of the Plain people and loves writing about the antics of Anna and Felty Helmuth. Jennifer has a degree in mathematics and a background in editing. She and her husband have been married for thirty years, and she has four daughters, two sons, and four adorable grandchildren, whom she spoils rotten.
I’m glad you enjoyed reading this! It always makes me a little nervous when I recommend a book so highly!