Monday, July 10, 2017

Gladden the Heart by Olivia Newport



                                                  Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Book



Book title: Gladden the Heart  
Author: Olivia Newport  
Release date: July 1, 2017  
Genre: Historical Amish  

“When you have experienced the Holy Ghost as I have, you would see that it is difficult to turn back.” When the lively fervor of nineteenth century revivalism endangers the staid customs of the Amish community in the lush but rugged Kishacoquillas Valley of central Pennsylvania in 1847, the Amish church must deal with a divisive question: What is a genuine spiritual experience? The question turns personal when Susanna’s beloved cousin Noah begins preaching while under trances and even though he is not a minister he gives long sermons that attract increasing attention. Curious, she helps to keep Noah safe during his trances. At the same time Adam, Susanna’s intended, feels pressure from the bishop to speak out against the ways of revivalism. Susanna and Adam are pushed to opposite sides of a controversy that threatens their traditional Amish faith.. Now they must grapple with whether love is possible…even if they come to different conclusions. When Noah goes missing at a time of day when he often preaches while asleep, circumstances thrust community members with divergent opinions into a crisis that demands they recognize the humanity they share regardless of beliefs. But can strong-held opinions be softened by the truths that shape their lives?


My Review

Totally unexpected but a welcome out of the ordinary novel . . . Gladden the Heart will take you through a journey of Amish history and beliefs. One that I personally was not aware of. Within the pages, you will be met with a challenging yet lovely relationship blooming. With what I consider a difficult historical event to tackle, the author really does a good job of bringing events to life and keeping the action moving. She does this without losing the charm of an Amish novel complete with the work ethic, dedication to family, and selflessness we love about the Amish and their ways. The level of interaction with religious beliefs outside of the fold were an interesting avenue this book takes us down as well. Once again, faith in the Lord is what sees our characters through very trying times which is always a blessing to my heart. I have to say that although this book was not what I expected, it is worth taking a look! History, faith, love, and the timeless ways of the Amish combine to create a truly delightful read!

I recieved this book for free, and all opinions given are entirely my own. 


About the Author


 
Olivia Newport’s novels twist through time to discover where faith and passions meet. She chases joy in Colorado at the foot of the Rockies, where daylilies grow as tall as she is. Her books include the Avenue of Dreams series set in 1890s Chicago; the Valley of Choice series, which intertwines contemporary and historical Amish stories; the historical Amish Turns of Time series; and Hidden Falls, a warm, contemporary, small-town novel.

Guest Post from Olivia Newport

Sleepy Sundays Now don’t laugh, but my guess is that if you looked around your church on any given Sunday morning, you’d see somebody sleeping. It might be an infant or toddler whose nap time collides with the worship time resting in a parent’s arms, or it might be a senior citizen who has perfected the art of dozing in an upright position. What you don’t expect is that the person sleeping will be the preacher. I’ve always been interested in church history. I even read a magazine called Christian History on a regular basis and consider it pleasure reading. In my ambling through church history, I came across a notation about “sleeping preachers” in the nineteenth century in various denominations, including the Amish. The accounts suggested that individuals who were not ministers would fall unconscious, wake up to preach for lengthy periods, sleep again, and have no recollection of their actions. Could this possibly be true? Or a giant hoax? What’s a genuine spiritual experience, and what do we do when don’t agree on how to answer that question? Let’s face it, even now, 150 years later, we still don’t quite know what to do with our varying traditions when we don’t agree on how to answer that question. I knew I had the makings of a story. Gladden the Heart travels back to 1847 and wrestles with these questions. When a divided community faces a life-or-death situation, they must respond to a crisis that challenges them to look past their differences. But can strong-held opinions be softened by the truths that shape their lives? Gladden the Heart is the fifth story in Olivia Newport’s Amish Turns of Time series of historical Amish novels. Olivia chases joy in Colorado at the foot of the Rockies, where daylilies grow as tall as she is.



Blog Stops

Giveaway


To celebrate her tour, Olivia is giving away a Grand Prize that consists of: 

All five books in the Amish Turns of Time series (http://www.olivianewport.com/amish-turns-of-time/) 
PLUS Bonus: All three books in the Valley of Choice series ()http://www.olivianewport.com/valley-of-choice/) 
PLUS $25 Amazon Gift Card!! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/bc59
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