The Lesson by Suzanne Woods Fisher – Book Review

In my years reviewing books, one of my favorite authors is Suzanne Woods Fisher. Not only is she a talented writer, she also seems, from our interactions on Facebook, to be a wonderful person! So I was excited to jump on the blog tour train for the last book in her Stoney Ridge Seasons series, The Lesson.

Here is the synopsis of this novel:

Sometimes love shows up when you least expect it.

Nineteen-year-old Mary Kate Lapp yearns for adventure, but all she seems to find is trouble. Her dreams of travel have taken a backseat to her assignment to teach school this year. And nothing ever seems to happen in her sleepy Amish community.

But when a sudden and unexplained death conveniently coincides with the arrival of a mysterious young man, M.K. is frustrated that no one takes it seriously. She’s determined to take matters into her own hands and gets to the bottom of it. Will she find more than she bargained for?

Centered on one of bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher’s most loved characters, this is the Stoney Ridge story you have been waiting for. With a surprise at every turn, a gently romance, and a shocking answer to an old family mystery, The Lesson is the dramatic conclusion to the Stoney Ridge Seasons series.

Here is the biography of this author:

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of a new Amish children’s series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp.  Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist. She is the host of internet radio show Amish Wisdom and a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, please visit www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with her on Twitter @suzannewfisher.

As per usual, Suzanne’s writing is very creative and entertaining. Here is an example of how she shows Mary Kate’s personality shining through:

        “The school board has decided you will fill in for Alice,”                Amos said.

“Me? Me?” she said with a squeak. “Teach school? You want me to teach school?” She was outraged! It was just an accident. She hadn’t run into Alice on purpose! “No! No, no, no, no, no. I can’t do it! Absolutely not!” The very thought terrified her. Stuck in a hot room with twenty-five slow-witted children, all day long? Boring! Supremely boring! “Dad, you’ve got to tell the school board that I can’t do it. Tell them you and Fern need me to help at Windmill Farm.” (p. 21)

One of the characters in this book, Grace Mitchell, had a struggle in life that happens everywhere (you will have to read the book to learn more), but not always in the Christian Fiction genre. I applaud Mrs. Fisher for tackling a difficult issue.

The ending was unexpected, but satisfying. It is nice when people are content in their lives!

As with the other books from Suzanne, this book is a welcome diversion from the busyness of the modern world. It is a lot of fun to spend time with Suzanne’s Amish characters and its community. Although this is the last book in this series, I am sure there will be more to come from the prolific Mrs. Fisher!

This book was published by Revell Publishers, and provided by the LitFuse Publicity Group for review purposes.