The Sound of Distant Thunder

Sound of Distant Thunder 

(The Amish of Weaver's Creek #1) 

Paperback, hardcover, ebook

September 18, 2018

by Jan Drexler (Author)

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Revell 
• ISBN-13: 978-0800729318

For two hopeless romantics, the Civil War will be the ultimate test . . .

Katie Stuckey and Jonas Weaver are both romantics. Seventeen-year-old Katie is starry-eyed, in love with the idea of being in love, and does not want to wait to marry Jonas until she is eighteen, despite her parents' insistence. So much can happen in a year. Twenty-year-old Jonas is taken in by the romance of soldiering, especially in defense of anti-slavery, even though he knows war is at odds with the teachings of the church. When his married brother's name comes up in the draft list, he volunteers to take his brother's place. But can the commitment Katie and Jonas have made to each other survive the separation?

From the talented pen of Jan Drexler comes this brand new Amish series set against the backdrop of the Civil War. She puts her characters to the test as they struggle to reconcile their convictions and desires while the national conflict threatens to undermine and engulf their community.

My thoughts:  THE SOUND OF DISTANT THUNDER is the first book in Ms. Drexler's Weaver's Creek series. Ms. Drexler is a talented author, who knows her craft and has a lovely voice, but I felt somewhat lost as I read and realized there were irrational fears that all men who like her or are attracted to her die. Except Jonas. I'm not sure why she doesn't have that fear about him. The fears never did play out as I thought they might and really weren't explained (unless I missed it). 

The ending also seemed really rushed to me. 

Katie is seventeen and Jonas is twenty and he wants to marry Katie but has to wait for her to turn eighteen and not only that but he is fascinated by the idea of war and when the opportunity comes up to go in his brother's place, he's on it. 

Most of the story takes place with them separated. They write really sweet letters, but war isn't as romantic as Jonas thought and not only that but he's taken captive and imprisoned, and presumed dead. 

There is a lot of civil war history in here, information on how an Amish person would serve in war (which I knew, because my Amish great (something) grandfather was drafted and served in the Civil War. It was interesting reading what my ancestor might have experienced.)

This book might appeal to fans of both Amish fiction and historical fiction. Probably more the Civil War era readers than other time periods. I enjoyed Ms. Drexler's first Amish series, and maybe the second one in this series will be better (the is a sample at the end of the book which I didn't read) and a letter from the author which I did read talking about how she got interested in this time period.  

I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own.