https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2032573401?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

This is such a great story. I laughed and cried. It would be very hard to find out that the people who raised you your whole life weren't your real parents. Your sister isn't your blood sister. These would be so unusual to find out. Ruth Reid handles these problems so well. I did not want to put this book down. I look forward to more in the Amish mercies series. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Abiding Mercy is the first novel in An Amish Mercies series by author Ruth Reid. The book takes place in Posen, Michigan with scenes in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan to help set the stage for the amazing plot twist.

The reader is introduced to two very different Amish sisters, Faith and Olivia Pinkham. Faith, the younger of the two sisters, is ready to join the church. Olivia is riding the fence and about to “jump”. Gideon, once ready to marry Olivia, has now developed deeper feeling for Faith. Faith is convienced that Olivia and Gideon will work things out and she will join the church. Gideon tries hard to convince her that he only has eyes for her.

As the plot twist unfolds, the reader discovers that the 18 month old daughter of Rosalyn and Brandon Culpepper has been kidnapped and held for ransom. The mystery deepens as the reader tries to figure out what the young abductee has in common with the Pinkham family. Furthermore, who is the wise red haired stranger that continues to show up in both settings.

This book is highly addictive and I could barely put it down. The twists and turns keep the reader engaged and the characters are very well-developed and allow the reader to easily become engulfed in their lives. I found myself on an emotional roller-coaster along with Faith in this gripping tail. This book more than meant my expectations and when I came to the last page I honestly wished there was more.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from netgalley in return for my honest opinion of the book.

Ruth Reid pens another winner...Love her writing and insight to the Amish lifestyle.

This is a wonderfully written book about a young girl growing up in an Amish family not knowing that she had been kidnapped as baby from a wealthy family. The red haired man was an intriguing character with a wealth of knowledge. I loved the way past and present day was woven together. I'm looking forward to the next book on this new series. Highly recommended!

A very well written book with a good plot and well thought out characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you are a fan of Amish fictions I recommend this book to you.

The characters in Abiding Mercy have been skillfully developed and draw you into the story right away. You will find yourself pulled emotionally by both the Amish and the English world as events unfold in Faith’s life. I actually found myself battling with how I wanted the story to resolve, and the ending is written perfectly!

A plot filled with twists and turns, Author Ruth Reid leaves you wondering what in the world will happen next. Through it all is the reminder that God is always with us, guiding and encouraging us on the path of life. This is definitely not a “traditional” Amish story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a positive review.

What a wonderful story by Ruth Reid. This is the first book I have read of hers and I really enjoyed it. I loved the mix of English and Amish as the story bounced back and forth between both worlds, as well as back in time, but it was all easy to follow.

I enjoyed reading about Faith, and her blooming relationship with GIdeon, and at the same time, another story was unfolding about an English mother looking for a lost child that was abducted. Both weaved together perfectly. Although, I did think the reunion between Faith and her long lost English mother (that she never knew about) was a little harsh and sudden, it played out well in the end. And along the way, we are given another last minute twist about Faith's sister Olivia. Overall, a great read.

* Note: I was unable to publish this review on Amazon because it is not open to reviews yet for this title.

Wow !! What a fantastic read !! I finished this book in one day as it was impossible to wait to find out what happened !! I love how everything worked out in the end for the main character of the book. Parts of the ending I didn't see coming. I highly recommend this book !!

I chose this story because who can turn down a good secret? The description hooked me into wanting to read how an Amish family ended up with a little girl that was kidnapped. The last suspenseful story that I read along these lines was CLAIMING NOAH (not an Amish story though), and ABIDING MERCY kept me on the edge of my seat as well.

Throughout the story, there are a bunch of twists and bends that kept the plot interesting. I enjoyed the switching back and forth between Faith's biological mom's perspective and that of Faith herself. Occasionally, I wasn't quite sure whether something was happening in the past when Faith was first kidnapped or was happening in the present day when the story shifted to Faith's biological mom's perspective. However, that didn't hinder plot comprehension that much.

The characters are skillfully created--you feel emotionally for both Faith and her adopted parents as well as her biological parents. You aren't really sure if you're rooting for Faith to be found by her biological parents or for to remain happily unaware with her Amish parents who love her so. All and all, this is a wonderful story that I would recommend to all Amish fiction fans.

Abiding Mercy is about 16-year-old Amish girl, Faith. She loves her community and her family, working at her family's restaurant. She is looking forward to being baptized into the church and one day getting married. But with a buggy accident involving her parents, a sister who was curious about the English, and a newspaper article that changes her world, how much heartache can she take?

Oh my goodness! Abiding Mercy is a fabulous piece of Amish Fiction. I found the story to be unique and quite refreshing to read a little bit of a different Amish story. I felt connection to Faith from the beginning. She endures so much heartache in such a short time. I cannot wait to read the second installment in the Amish Mercies series.

Highly highly recommend.
 
5 plus stars.

I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

This is the third Ruth Reid book I've read. When I went back to read the reviews of her books I'd previously read, I was surprised to see this review. What surprised me in rereading that review was that I felt I would never read another book by her again.

I've gone through cycles where I will read Amish fiction, or cycles where I won't read any Amish at all. I'm in a cycle where I'm picky about the Amish fiction I'll read, but I do enjoy reading it. This book is a bit similar to an Amish fiction book I've read before, but it does come with a twist.

Roslyn and Brandon's toddler daughter was kidnapped and for the last fifteen years Roslyn has been obsessed with finding Adriana. She has created a foundation to reunite kidnapped children with their parents, and she has made it her life's work to find Adriana.

Faith has been working at her maam's restaurant ever since she finished school in the eighth grade. She loves cooking and she loves baking the bread in the restaurant. She also loves Gideon, but he's her sister's boyfriend.

These lives are on a collision course without any of them knowing it. And it caused no small amount of tears for me as I read it.

After I read that one Ruth Reid book, I kind of forgot about it, so I picked up another one. I am certainly glad I did. This book broke my heart and it gave me such hope at the same time. I give it five stars, two thumbs up, and a freshly baked loaf of bread.

Abiding Mercy by Ruth Reid is on of the best books of Amish fiction I have read in quite a while. I read books is all genre and am sincere in saying this one was very enjoyable. Reading so much I am amazed when a fresh storyline comes along. This was one.

"Abiding Mercy" by Ruth Reid is a unique and very deeply moving story. And it also includes a character very representative of Ruth's writing style- an angelic type character who shows up at different points in the story to gently guide the main character or characters along in their situation. In "Abiding Mercy", the reader is first introduced to Roslyn and her toddler daughter Adriana, and to Roslyn's workaholic husband Brandon. When Roslyn is attacked and left unconscious by kidnappers who steal Adriana, a nightmare begins for Roslyn and Brandon. They will spend the next 15 years looking for and trying to not give up hope of finding Adriana. Meanwhile, in another town in the same state of Michigan, Amish teenager Faith is content in her life, helping her mother in the family owned restaurant, and looking forward to joining the Amish church. She truly has no interest in the "running around" period most Amish teens seek before baptism. Conversely her sister Olivia is embracing the running around time and sneaking out of the house and restaurant at any opportunity. However, when their parents are critically injured in a buggy accident, instead of coming together to help the family, Olivia starts lashing out against Faith and becomes even more sneaky in Faith's eyes. Gideon, who at one time was interested in Olivia, now starts to look at Faith in a whole new way. As this is all taking place, Roslyn and Brandon, mainly Roslyn, continue to look for Adriana. Then, a newspaper picture that shows what Adriana might look like as a teen starts a snowball effect when it is seen in Faith's town.
I invite my fellow readers to read "Abiding Mercy", to be drawn in to Faith's life and to feel like part of her family and see what happens when the picture of Adriana catches someone's attention. This is truly a heartfelt, compelling novel.