A Season on the Wind

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher
Genre: Amish Romance
Release Date: October 5, 2021

Ben Zook was as free as a bird--until a chase for a rare White-winged Tern takes him to the one place on earth he planned to never return: his Amish home in Stoney Ridge.

Desperate for photographs of the elusive tern, Ben hires local field guide Micah Weaver, planning to "bag the bird" and leave Stoney Ridge before anyone recognizes him. But he neglected to plan for Micah's sister, Penny.

Ben had become Penny's spark bird during one long-ago summer, when she had introduced him to birding, even sharing with him a hidden eagle aerie. Penny always hoped Ben would come back to Stoney Ridge. Back to his Amish roots. Back to her.

The only problem? Ben has absolutely no memory of Penny.

---

Reviewer: Marta Aldrighetti

Penny Weaver is an excellent cook. She owns an Inn. Her brother Micah is an expert bird watcher and guide.

"Birds didn't always act or play according to the rules."

One day Ben Zook, a well-known writer about birds, with his cousin Natalie, recently divorced and depressed, comes to Stoney Creek and asks Micah for help to see a rare bird. They eventually will discover God and what really matters in life: listening, forgiving, helping, loving, and kindness to each other.

This author knows how to take the readers by the hand and accompany them through the story as if they are the book's characters.

I will miss the characters.

This book was provided courtesy of Revell through NetGalley and Interviews & Reviews.

---

---

Reviewer: Marie Edwards

While I have previously read Fisher’s Three Sister's Island series, this is the first Amish fiction book by the author I’ve read, though she has published several books.  

I am definitely not new to Amish fiction. I’ve read several Amish romance and romantic suspense novels. Most of them have been through Harlequin’s Love Inspired, and Love Inspired Suspense line.  

This is NOT a typical Amish romance novel at all, and it definitely fits the genre of Amish Fiction – meaning that it is just that – general fiction centered in an Amish setting. I might be the only one, but I was left wondering about the connection between the cover, title, and plot. 

Despite being about birds and a “reunited” love interest – this is definitely not a light read by ANY means. Readers should be aware that this mentions suicide, depression, Alzheimer’s, and marital infidelity. This kind of content might be traumatic to some readers.

In addition, this does have a LOT of birding references which is a major theme of the story. While the author provides a glossary at the beginning of the book, readers who don’t enjoy birding may not enjoy this offering.  

I was wondering how Ben Zook forgot the woman who introduced him to birding. That was what kept me slightly interested in reading it.  

This is a shorter story than some. About 36 pages of “BIRD WATCHING LOGS,” bringing the total “story” pages down to 246 pages. So, a relatively short story. And, it is primarily about Ben’s search for a particular bird that Micah put on the alert system.

As soon as Penny sees Ben, she’s excited about his return. But, there is something wrong with him in addition to his physical health. Ben left the Amish order when he was 16, and the reason is devastating. Honestly, I think that was the WORST part of the story. It definitely wasn’t something I would’ve expected. But, his return is for a far more beautiful and serene reason – the bird.

Fisher definitely took some odd parts and made a beautiful story out of it, much like weaving a quilt together. And, while it was a 4-star read, I had trouble reading this one. I just didn’t connect with it. 
 
A Season on the Wind didn’t become remotely fascinating until a little over 50% into the story. I never got the connection between the story and the title. The relatively short chapters and frequent scene breaks did help me finish this sooner than I thought. Hank’s “shouting” (ALL CAPS) was distracting, and I found myself skipping over some of those scenes.  
 
Fisher did a great job of describing the scenes with vivid imagery as well as emotional dialogue. This is an educational, endearing, charming, and at times deeply emotional read.   
 
As I am not into birds, I did skip the bird logs. Some birders/bird-watchers will no doubt be interested in them.  
 
Since this is an Amish story, readers should expect some bible quotes and other references to God. These are definitely not part of the plot but are more to do with the Amish and their religion. It is also a very clean read with no foul language and no displays of affection or intimacy.  

Thank you to the publisher, Revell (a division of Baker Books), for providing a complimentary review copy through Interviews & Reviews. A positive review was not required, and all words are my own. 

---

---

Reviewer: June McCrary Jacobs

A beautiful novel about love, nature, and God's enduring gifts to us . . .
 
I have been a fan of Author Suzanne Woods Fisher's Amish fiction for many years. I believe this may be my favorite story penned by this author that I have read! As a bird lover when I opened this book and read the 'Birder's Glossary' in the front matter of the book, I got so excited that I grabbed my well-worn bird guide and reread the entire book so I would be able to recognize the birds mentioned in this story.
 
The main characters in this book, Penny Weaver and Ben Zook, are well-developed characters who both loved bird watching. Penny is an Amish woman who has never been married who lives with her much younger brother, Micah, on their late grandmother's farm in Lancaster County. Micah is an expert bird guide, and Penny is supportive of his endeavors.
 
Ben Zook is a world-renowned bird watcher and bird book author who has ties with this Amish community. He has never been married and is a couple of years older than Penny. He harbors many regrets and bad feelings about his past. He is also dealing with a mysterious illness that leaves him extremely fatigued.
 
This story is filled with symbolism, faith, family, and love. It is a beautiful love story on two counts—the romance between the two main characters is realistic and touching. The other love story is between the characters and God's creations, especially birds. The faith thread is a tightly-woven element in the story and was heartwarming to me as a reader. Many of the characters learn difficult lessons about honesty and about accepting responsibility for their actions.
 
This book is completely clean in language and content. Highly-recommended to fans of Amish romance, Christian/clean romance, and those who enjoy reading a well-paced, well-researched story filled with emotion and examples of personal growth.
 
I received a paperback copy of this book from Revell through Interviews and Reviews. My thoughts and opinions shared in this review are solely my own.

---

---

Reviewer: Nancy Brown

A Season on the Wind is Suzanne Woods Fisher's newest Amish fiction book, and it truly is a wonderful read! 

I don't know how she does it, but each character, Penny, Micah, Ben, Roy, Boyd, Trudy, and even Natalie, are all characters that you will enjoy, and become "involved with" more and more as the story progresses.

A Season on the Wind is  also a very interesting account of bird watching and bird facts.  Mrs. Fisher must have done quite a good bit of research to write this book, and I thank her for taking time to include the birder's glossary, and the fascinating bird-watching log of Micah Weaver!  I was reading some of the facts to my husband, who also enjoys wild bird watching. The bird-watching log of Micah was a highlight, something I eagerly looked forward to reading.

This is also a story about deep sadness, loss, and learning to forgive by following Jesus's supreme example of compassionate, undeserved forgiveness he showed to all who ask for it. I was touched by the healing of the relationship between Ben and his dad, Zeke.  It reminded me of dear loved ones in my family whoI truly miss now, since they have died.  

You did a great job Suzanne. I highly recommend this book. With many facets to it, you will learn something new, I'm sure! 

I received a free copy of this book from Revell publishers, through Interviews and Reviews.

---