When the Morning Comes by Cindy Woodsmall

Hannah Lapp has left her Old Order Amish community and ex-fiance behind to live in the Englischer world with her aunt Zabeth. She finds the difference in culture, the moral ambiguity, and the complex demands of her new world distressing, but tries her best to cope. She finds a new friend in Zabeth's quasi-son Martin, and develops a protectiveness for Martin's nephew and niece. Meanwhile, back in Owl's Perch, Paul Waddell, Hannah's ex-fiance, is waiting for her to come home. Sarah, her sister, suffers a mental break, and Mary, her best friend, gets married against doctor's orders. Will Hannah be able to stay away when she learns what's happening back home?

When the Morning Comes is the second book in the Sisters of the Quilt series by Cindy Woodsmall. The first book in the series, When the Heart Cries, was my book club's pick for March, and I liked it enough that I decided to finish the series and find out what happens to Hannah. Until we read Heart Cries, I had no idea that the Amish romance sub-genre even existed. I was half-expecting rushed couplings in the hayloft, or lusty beaus tearing off prayer kapps and aprons in fits of passion. Instead, what I discovered was melodrama, and When the Morning Comes is a continuation of the dramatic events of the first book.

If you're the kind of person who thought Samuel Richardson's Pamela was a sham, you probably won't like this series. Hannah is painfully naive, and I think a lot of readers will struggle to relate to her. Without an appreciation for her situation, enjoyment of this series is impossible. But if you're like me, and you can suspend your disbelief, you'll probably enjoy watching issue after issue pile up on poor Hannah as she struggles to cope. In When the Morning Comes, there's a lot less drama in Hannah's life, and a lot more introspection. I didn't find it as entertaining as the first. But darn it, I want to know what happens! And whether she'll get sucked back into her old life and her relationship with Paul.

One thing to note: non-religious readers may find the religious context unappealing.

I recommend this book to Christian romance fans and melodrama fans.

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Copy source: library
Genre: romance
Format: hardcopy

View my suggested books by Cindy Woodsmall