Lost and Found

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher
Genre: Amish Romance
Pages: 320
Release Date: September 26, 2023
Publisher: Revell

What you're looking for isn't always what you find. 
 
Trudy Yoder shares a passion for birding with Micah Weaver--and she has an even greater passion for Micah. Their friendship is finally turning romantic when Micah abruptly grows cold. Worse still, he wants to leave Stoney Ridge. 
 
Micah thought he was over Trudy's older sister, Shelley, who shattered his heart by running away to Nashville to pursue a singing career. Then out of the blue, she started leaving alarming messages for him. 

So when the bishop asks for volunteers to scout a potential church relocation in Tennessee, Micah jumps at the opportunity. Despite scant details, he's confident he can find Shelley. After all, his reputation as a field guide is based on finding birds that don't want to be found. 

But what he discovers in Tennessee is far from what he expects.

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Reviewer: Marta Aldrighetti

Micah is a bird guide and owns a B & B with his sister in the Amish village of Stoney Ridge. He moved there some time ago, and it seems everyone accepted him.

David Stoltzfus is a man with many responsibilities: son, husband, father, shop owner, and bishop. As a bishop, it's difficult to listen to the people, give good advice and help, and make important decisions for the benefit of all the people in the village. But with friendship, strength, and patience, the love of God is always better.

This Christian book has interesting topics common in the Amish communities but also in the English world: loyalty, friendship, mental illness, love, family, hard work, and respect for nature. With lovely characters, I enjoyed reading it, and I recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews and NetGalley.

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Reviewer: Juanita Varela

This was an interesting read. I have read a few Amish books, but none quite like this. This one explained more about the different groups in the Amish community. I like learning about different cultures and religions, and this one really gives you an understanding of the Amish community. 

The journal entries about the birds were really interesting. I have enjoyed bird watching, and seeing this has given me many ideas. I liked the symbolism and the biblical references to each bird. It gave me a new perspective. Suzanne Woods Fisher did an excellent job with this.

The part I did not like was Micha’s dumbness. Like, how can a man be so dense? I am not criticizing Suzanne Woods Fisher’s writing because there are men out there like him. Why can’t they just see what's right in front of them?

I enjoyed reading about the Amish community, and plus, this is a clean book.

I received this book from Revell through Interviews and Reviews. I was not required to give a favorable review. All reviews are my own. 

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Reviewer: Kimberlee Sams

Lost and Found by Suzanne Woods Fisher is a lovely book. Ms. Fisher does a wonderful job of describing the daily lives of the Amish people in enough detail to allow the reader to learn quite a bit, but not enough to cause you to lose interest. I truly enjoyed the personal glimpses into Amish life I got by following the lives of Micah, Trudy, Shelley, David, and others over the time period of this story.

The intertwined storylines were all interesting in their own right and all worked together well to form the overall fabric of the novel. The reader watches as Micah tries to sort out his feelings for Shelley and Trudy, and David struggles to make a decision regarding the future of his church.

There are a lot of really nice things about this book. Each character has a unique and well-drawn personality, and it was enjoyable to get to know all of them and try to guess what will happen to them next.

The Amish community itself is almost a stand-alone character. It was interesting to see how each person fits into the group as a whole. There were some nice, subtle lessons about the value of forgiveness and trusting God's plan for your life.

The Micah and Shelley/Trudy dynamic takes center stage. If you've previously read other books set in the world of Stoney Ridge, you've no doubt met these young people, at least briefly.

This book can be read as a stand-alone. I had the benefit of having come to like Micah's character in "A Season on the Wind", but he played a fairly minor role in that one, with Shelley and Trudy even more in the background. I think a new-to-this-world reader could easily start with this book without feeling like they're missing anything crucial to their enjoyment of this story.

I received a review copy courtesy of Revell, through Interviews & Reviews, for my honest opinion.

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Reviewer: Sandra Broome

Lost and Found continues the story of the Amish community in Stoney Ridge. This is the second book that centers around bird watching, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Suzanne Woods Fisher is an amazing storyteller, and I have loved every book I’ve read by her.

In this book, extremely shy Micah receives a phone call from a girl he liked who had previously left the Amish community. She is apparently in trouble and needs his help to get back home, but the problem is that Micah has almost no information to help him find her. In the meantime, Micah’s best friend Trudy is trying to prevent some community problems that could change the town of Stoney Ridge forever.

This story is very entertaining and engaging, with lots of surprises and even a bit of suspense. I enjoyed reading about how the different groups within the town learned to work together to find a solution that worked for everyone. I also love the humor that the author adds to each of her books, especially in the recurring character of Hank Lapp, and Billy and his fainting goats were a hilarious addition to the story. The author does an amazing job of developing her characters. You really feel like you are getting to know them and what makes each of them tick. The bird facts throughout the book are interesting and educational.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian fiction or Amish stories. And if you haven’t already, you will definitely want to read the author’s other books about the Stoney Ridge community.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through Interviews & Reviews. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Reviewer: Lori Parrish

I loved this story in so many ways. But in other ways, not so much. But, as I read on, I began to understand why everyone treated Shelley the way they did. I won't say why. I don't want to give it away.

Here's the main reason why I didn't care for this story: I didn't like her dad. I thought he was living in a fantasy world himself, and he was too hard on his family because he didn't want to face reality. I get it. I really do, but sometimes it's necessary! Trudy was the one I cared most about. I felt sorry for her. I didn't like how everyone treated her. Especially her parents. Shelley Shelley Shelley. Now I know why I can relate to Trudy in that regard.

I did like the way Fisher Woods brought the tough subjects to life and how the Amish reacted to them. Even the Amish aren't perfect. Micah wasn't perfect either, but he did get on my nerves in the way he treated Billy and Hank. I loved Hank, and Billy made me laugh. It was the way he expressed things. I thought he was what everyone needed to wake them up. Especially Micah. I was pleased when he finally realized that there's more than meets the eye, so to speak. Nothing he was learning was as it seemed.

This quote is what I'm talking about in regards to Micah. "I appreciate Micah for his big and wonderful, caring heart. He's like me in that way. We both wear our hearts on our sleeves, so to speak."

I did love learning about the Swartentruber Amish and how more conservative they are than the Old Order Amish. Quite a big difference! I did enjoy learning about the many different types of birds, especially the Goshawk chick. That made for an interesting read!

Here's another quote I want to share, considering the Goshawk chick or just things in general. "You just can’t know everything in life, kiddo, but you can get pretty close to knowing. At least that’s the way I see it."

I believe that as you read, you'll notice that this is pretty close to a certain Bible verse too! Overall, Fisher did a great job with this book. I am still happily giving this story 5 stars! I highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.

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Reviewer: Deanne Patterson

I have read most books by this author and all in this series. I have and will continue to enjoy the Stoney Ridge series. I enjoy the fact that there are so many recurring characters in the books, so we know what to expect from their personalities.
 
This is the second book about birding in this series. It is a topic unusual for an Amish book, but I am enjoying it. The birding occurs mainly in Pennsylvania, where I live, so I am familiar with the birds. Another thing I enjoyed about the books is how realistic they are. The author is not afraid to show weakness, fear, uncertainty, and vulnerability in her characters. She also shows remarkable strength as they lean on God to get them through. This is an inspirational feel-good book that has subtle lessons, but they are not condescending.
 
God shows us that, through Him, what we are looking for may be right in front of us and what we already have. This book is such a blessing to have read. It is such an encouragement.
 
I received a complimentary copy from Revell through Interviews & Reviews. All opinions expressed are my own. 

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