Softly Blows the Bugle

Author: Jan Drexler
Genre: Amish Historical Romance
Series: The Amish of Weaver's Creek #3
Release Date: October 20, 2020

Welcome back to the Amish community at Weaver's Creek, where the bonds of family and faith bind up the brokenhearted.

When Elizabeth Kaufman received the news of her husband's death at the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, she felt only relief. She determined that she would never be at the mercy of any man again, even if it meant not having a family of her own. Then along came Aaron Zook . . .

Despite the severity of his injuries, Aaron has resolved to move west and leave the pain of the past behind him. He never imagined that the Amish way of life his grandfather had rejected long ago would be so enticing. That, and a certain widow he can't get out of his mind.

Yet, even in a simple community, life has a way of getting complicated. Aaron soon finds that while he may have left the battlefield behind, there is another fight he must win--the one for the heart of the woman he loves.

---

Reviewer: Nancy Brown

This book starts out nice, and sweet, but then goes to some very dark places.

I do not recommend this book, because of the twisted and graphic  aspects of  one character who turns out to be so vile it's not worth telling you about him, in my opinion. If you want a nice, calm Amish historical fiction book,  go elsewhere.  

The cover is nice, the back page description is nice, but it gives you no idea of the violence and sadistic scenes that are in the story.  This is not, in my opinion, a Godly Christian fiction book.  R-rated, as far as I'm concerned.  I give 2 stars to this book.  Christian fiction is not supposed to be so worldly.  I wish the author had warned readers ahead of time, on the book cover.

This book was provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group/Revell through Interviews & Reviews.  

---

---

Reviewer: Marta Aldrighetti

May 1865, Weaver's Creek, Ohio.

After the war, Elizabeth Kaufmann's brother, Jonas, comes home with a friend, wounded prisoner, Aaron Zook. Aaron has no plans and no future hopes.

Elizabeth is the widow of a non-Amish man who was a dangerous bad man. She has no luck with men, a large farm, and lovely friends.

The book is easy and fast to read, with interesting topics: war and slaves, Amish life, and the importance of family.

I recommend it. I'm sure you'll have a pleasant time reading it.

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

---

---

Reviewer: June McCrary Jacobs

A touching historical Amish story set in post-Civil War Ohio . . .  
 
This well-written novel begins in May, 1865, in the small Amish community of Weaver's Creek, Ohio. Widow Elizabeth Kaufman lives with her friend, Katie Stuckey. Both women are eagerly anticipating the arrival of Elizabeth's brother, Jonas, who is returning home after serving in the army for the last three years.
 
Jonas is accompanied by Aaron Zook, a war veteran who is an amputee. Aaron is not Amish, and this takes Elizabeth by surprise. When it is revealed that Aaron was a Confederate soldier who was cared for at a Union hospital by Jonas, a medic, Elizabeth is fraught with bad memories of her deceased husband, Rueben, also a Confederate soldier.
 
Throughout the story, the author deftly peels away layer after layer of the protective coating Elizabeth has placed around her heart for the past decade-plus. We learn of the many difficulties, challenges, and abuses she suffered at the hands of Rueben who was not a member of the Amish faith.
 
Meanwhile, Aaron deals with the emotion and trauma of learning to literally navigate his way through life with only one leg and a pair of crutches. This character was perhaps my favorite of the entire book because of his strength, determination, resilience, and perseverance. Even with what he had been through, Aaron was kind, helpful, and concerned about the well-being of those around him. 
 
The author gifted us with a mystery which added to the anxiety and tension in much of the plot. The villain in this story is despicable, cruel, and hateful; his beliefs and actions accurately reflect historical views on slavery and the poor treatment of people, in general. The author did such a fine job of creating and developing this character that I found myself tensing up each time he appeared on the page.
 
Many of the characters experienced profound personal growth and a reawakening of their faith which I found to be genuinely inspiring on a personal level. The faith thread was powerful throughout the book. As a reader, reading Amish fiction has delighted me for the past dozen years or so. This is one of the finest Amish novels I have ever read. Coupled with my love for historical fiction, I would have to place this book in my 'Top 5' of the many novels I have read in 2020.
 
I look forward to reading more work by this gifted author. I highly-recommend this book for fans of Amish and Christian fiction, Amish and Christian historical fiction, Amish and Christian romance, and post-Civil War fiction.

This book was provided courtesy of Revell Publishers, through Interviews & Reviews.

---