The Farmer's Bride: The Amish Brides of Birch Creek

The Farmer's Bride is the second delightful book in An Amish Brides of Birch Creek series. I recommend reading The Teacher's Bride first. It gives you the backstory on Cevilla and Richard, the town and how Chris and Ruby came to be together. I thought The Farmer's Bride was well-written (as are all of Kathleen Fuller's books) and it proceeded at a steady pace. It has charming characters and a lovely setting (I would like to live in Birch Creek). I thought the characters were realistic and I could feel their emotions plus their struggles. Cevilla Schlabach is a hoot. She gets an idea into her head and there is no stopping her. Richard is the perfect companion for Cevilla, and his comments are humorous. It will be interesting to see if Richard can give up his modern conveniences. Cevilla meets her match when Delilah Stoll moves to town. Delilah is a determined woman who steamrolls over anyone who gets in the way of her goal. Delilah and Cevilla butting heads had me chuckling. I liked how Martha enjoyed learning new things (like tying nautical knots) and working on puzzles. I completely agreed with the comment "There's something gratifying about completing a challenge". I had to smile when I heard soda referred to as "pop". I had not heard that phrase since I lived in Ohio (I got teased for using it when I first moved to Florida). It was hot in Birch Creek (like it currently is in Florida) and I could relate to Cevilla saying it is "hotter than a pat of butter melting in a frying pan". The Christian elements are beautifully incorporated into the story with emphasis on having a strong faith, relying on God, forgiveness of others and oneself, and the importance of prayer. The Farmer's Bride is an amusing Amish tale that I did not want to end (but then I was eager to see how it ended). I am impatiently waiting for the release of the next An Amish Brides of Birch Creek Novel to revisit Birch Creek and see what is in store for Selah Ropp.