Sarah's Garden

Title: SARAH’S GARDEN
Author: Kelly Long
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
July 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59554-870-2
Genre: Inspirational/Amish

Sarah King is used to it just being her and her garden. Her father jokes that instead of having a green thumb, she has a green arm. Her garden is famous among the Amish for the many varieties of heirloom vegetables she grows, and the family’s road side stand is an important source of income for the family.

Grant Williams is the new veterinarian to the Amish farmers and he’s bought a former Amish farm and moved into it with his housekeeper and butler. But when going to the roadside stand to buy fresh vegetables for his housekeeper, Grant meets Sarah and is instantly smitten.

The King family reaches out to Dr. Williams, helping him to become incorporated into the community, volunteer Sarah’s services to help Grant plan and plant a garden, and invite him into their home, yet they warn Sarah to guard her heart against him. What will it take for an Englisch man and an Amish girl to be together?

SARAH’S GARDEN is Ms. Long’s debut novel, and the first book in the Patchwork of Heaven series. Sarah is a spunky, sassy, and spry heroine, and quite an expert in the heirloom gardening which piqued my interest in this. I may have to take on a new hobby so I can try a lot of the vegetables that she was a wealth of information on.

Some things I found a bit unrealistic or unthoughtful, but overall, the book was a light, sweet summer read. Ms. Long included a lot of Amish phrases that most Amish authors don’t use, which was nice. There were some tender romantic moments in the book. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book. $14.99. 304 pages.