The Scent of Cherry Blossoms

Title: THE SCENT OF CHERRY BLOSSOMS

Author: Cindy Woodsmall

Publisher: Waterbook Press

February 2012

ISBN: 978-0-307-44655-8

Genre: Amish/Mennonite

Annie Martin loves the Plain ways of her Old Order Mennonite people, like those revered by her beloved grandfather. Retreating from a contentious relationship with her mother, Annie goes to live with her Daadi Moses in Apple Ridge.

But as spring moves into Pennsylvania and Annie spends time amongst the cherry trees with the handsome Aden Zook, she wishes she could forget how deeply the lines between the Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite are drawn.

Can Annie and Aden find a place for their love to bloom in the midst of the brewing storm?

THE SCENT OF CHERRY BLOSSOMS is a novella from award-winning author Cindy Woodsmall. It has many different points of views, but the main story-line is between Annie and Aden. Aden is Amish, and his family own a restaurant. When Annie gets kicked out of her family’s home for disrespecting her mother, she goes to live with her grandfather and when he sends her to help out Aden’s mom, she goes to work in the restaurant. This upsets her grandfather, since he didn’t tell her to go to the restaurant, and especially not to stay out late, after midnight, alone, with an Amish boy. But Annie talks back to him, explaining her motives.

Despite the differences in beliefs and lifestyles, Annie and Aden continue to spend time together, ignoring all advice and warnings that a relationship would never work—the lines between the two beliefs are clearly drawn in the sand, despite the fact that both Annie’s people and Aden’s have horse and buggy transportation. 

This book isn’t as fantastic as Ms. Woodsmall’s longer Amish stories, not so deeply developed, but it is still a good read and I enjoyed it.  I did hope Annie and Aden find a way to be together, but I didn’t enjoy them talking back to or disrespecting their parents/elders so much. Though that is reality. $14.99 hardcover. 208 pages. 4 stars.