Jeanie Dannheim
The Hawaiian Discovery, sequel to Wanda and Jean Brunstetter’s The Hawaiian Quilt, picks up about two years after the first ends. It is a page-turner with a fast-moving plot and delightful characters, a beautiful story of change, faith, and family ties. It can be read as a standalone as the authors do a marvelous job of giving just enough about the past to refresh one’s memory or introduce the characters. Ellen loves the work she does for best friend Mandy and Mandy’s husband Ken, at their Pleasant Valley B & B. She lives with her parents, and her father owns a local shoe store. Her family embraces their Amish faith, and she enjoys the Amish theme throughout the B & B, including quilts made by Mandy’s and Ellen’s families. When Ken gets news that his father is gravely ill, he and Mandy immediately go to Hawaii. His parents own an organic chicken farm, and their help will be needed to keep the farm going. When tragedy continues to strike Ken’s family, he and Mandy must make difficult decisions. Yet another crisis in best friend Mandy’s family sends Ellen to Hawaii. While she had planned to visit again someday, current circumstances couldn’t be much worse. Ellen helps on the chicken farm along with a temporary hired hand, Rob. They build a tentative friendship, and he takes her around the island on their rare days off. Rob, however, is English, and Ellen can’t consider anything more than friendship. He has secrets of his own, so he could not consider any future with her, either. Both struggle with their feelings for each other. Ellen and Mandy are my favorite characters; they are three-dimensional, delightful young women. I like watching them, and the others, pray and be able to share a word of scripture with each other in encouragement and friendship. I also appreciated seeing Ken’s mother, Vickie, pray through a huge decision she made. All the characters, each in their own way and time, show challenges and changes to their faith throughout long, troubling days. This novel captured me at the beginning and, with each twist and turn, drew me in deeper to see how these people of faith would respond challenges, some that seemed insurmountable. The plot was interesting, and the characters seemed so real! I read, celebrated, and ached with Mandy, Ken, and Ellen. I hadn’t thought much before about how the Amish travel, and learned more about it. I envied the ease that Mandy and Ellen had of sharing scripture verses, challenging me to try to re-learn those verses I used to know. The Hawaiian discovery, to me, not only refers to a certain event, but to what the characters discovered deep inside themselves. I highly recommend this novel to those who appreciate well-written Amish/ Christian women’s fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.
Lindsay Hickey
Ever wonder what it like to run a bed and breakfast? Well we learn about it a bit though the book of The Hawaiian Discovery. This is only at the beginning. This is where we start out at. Mandy and her husband Ken are the owners of the B and B. Their friend Ellen works there. Ken’s mother calls and we get where they fly back to Hawaii. We are left Ellen managing the B and B. There are some tragedy and a few surprises along the way. We meet up with Ron and Tavi. We start to learn about Ron. This take place mainly in Hawaii and I do not want to give away the ending. Ellen get to fly to Hawaii for Emergency and spend time there. What happens and what develops while there is really sweet and surprises all. What find out and discovery will be the reason of the title. Wanda does a wonderful job writing this book with her daughter in law Jean. What a story this and will Ellen get her wish? Ellen seem to be wanting what all Amish want but will she find it in Hawaii or will she not? You fall in love with the characters as you read the book. This book focus on Mandy and Ken and Ellen mostly. Is Ron who he says he is or is he someone completely different? What could Ron be hiding, if that even his name. All these mysteries. What happens to Ken?