Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for the blog tour. Opinions shared are mine.

And I thought my life was busy!  Gathering of Sisters by Darla Weaver has all the charm of Amish fiction, spiced up by the knowledge that these stories come from real people.  Beyond family, these characters are friends.  Their love shines through on every page.

So many charming moments in this book could happen in any home.  Little boys making a muddy mess at the front door.  A snappish commute on the way to school.  Crazy garden creations based on giant zucchinis.  Wedding planning by all the sisters of the groom.  Some of the details are a little different, though.  The custom of giving a clock for an engagement was new to me!  I’ve also never carpooled while piled in a horse-drawn carriage.

This book of musings made me smile. I thought about some of the discussions (is it normal to have classic books in the bathroom?) and chuckled at the kids’ antics.  The recipes made me hungry!   Tuck yourself into a soft, cozy blanket, heat up a cup of tea, and enjoy Gathering of Sisters this fall.

About the Book

Spend a day with sisters.

Once a week Darla Weaver bundles her children into the buggy, hitches up her spirited mare, and drives six miles to the farm where she grew up. There she gathers with her four sisters and their children for a day with their mother. In Gathering of Sisters, Weaver writes about her horse-and-buggy Mennonite family and the weekly women’s gatherings that keep them connected. On warm days, the children play and fish and build houses of hay in the barn. In the winter, everyone stays close to the woodstove, with puzzles and games and crocheting. No matter the weather, the Tuesday get-togethers of this Old Order Mennonite family keep them grounded and centered in their love for God and for each other, even when raising an occasional loving but knowing eyebrow at each other.

The rest of the week is full of laundry, and errands, and work that never ends. But Tuesday is about being sisters, daughters, and mothers.

Hear straight from Amish and Mennonite people themselves as they write about their daily lives and deeply rooted faith in the Plainspoken series from Herald Press. Each book includes “A Day in the Life of the Author” and the author’s answers to FAQs about the Amish and Mennonites.

About the Author

Darla Weaver is a homemaker, gardener, writer and Old Order Mennonite living in the hills of southern Ohio. She is the author of Water My Soul, Many Lighted Windowsand Gathering of Sisters. Weaver has written for Family Life, Ladies Journal, Young Companion, and other magazines for Amish and Old Order Mennonite groups. Before her three children were born she also taught school. Her hobbies are gardening and writing.

Thanks to Audra Jennings PR for sending me a copy of this book.