A Faithful Gathering

A Faithful Gathering by Leslie Gould is the third novel in The Sisters of Lancaster County series that begins in April of 2017. Leisel Bachmann will be graduating from nursing school the next day. She wishes her father who encouraged her to pursue her dream was still alive to witness her graduation. Leisel grew up Amish, but she left the community to achieve her goal of becoming a nurse. Once she passes her licensing exam, Leisel hopes to obtain a job in the local emergency room where her boyfriend, Nick Jordan works. She is worried when her sister, Marie fails to show up for her ceremony. Leisel learns that Marie is in the hospital, so she quickly packs up and heads to Lancaster County. When Marie is diagnosed with cancer, Leisel moves into Aunt Suz’s Dawdi Haus so she can take care of her sibling. Leisel becomes discouraged when her life takes a downturn. She even begins to doubt her choice to become a nurse. Aunt Suz shares the story of Liesel’s grandfather, Joe who served with Civilian Public Service during World War II. Joe’s story and his choices strike a chord with Leisel. Nick makes a decision that goes against Leisel’s beliefs and she is faced with an impossible decision. Leisel needs to decide what she wants for her future and a found letter may help her get on the right path.

A Faithful Gathering is a compelling novel. While A Faithful Gathering can be read alone, I suggest you read the books in The Sisters of Lancaster County series in order. It will help you to understand the family dynamics. I thought A Faithful Gathering was well-written with relatable, yet complex characters and set in beautiful Lancaster County. We get Leisel’s story in A Faithful Gathering. She is on the cusp of fulfilling her dreams when her sister, Marie is diagnosed with cancer. When a series of events leave Leisel feeling discouraged and doubting her choices, her aunt shares the story of Leisel’s grandfather, Joe Bachmann. Joe’s draft number comes up in 1944 and, as a conscientious objector, enlisted in CPS (Civilian Public Service). It was interesting to learn about CPS plus AFS (American Field Service). I was not aware of these two divisions previously. The historical elements were beautifully incorporated into the story. I liked how the past and present flowed together. We see how fear comes in many different forms and it can hinder (even cripple) an individual. Prayer, faith and listening to God’s guidance are Christian elements in the story. We must pray to God for Him to lead us down the right path. If you have faith, you know God will provide. The Sisters of Lancaster County has a heartwarming ending. One of my favorite sayings in the book relates back to a woman who has one thing after another go wrong in her life and she believes God is punishing her. The phrase is “sometimes we’re tested, but that doesn’t mean we’ve done anything wrong”. We must remember that God will not give us more than we can handle. Leisel was being tested in A Faithful Gathering. It was nice to see Leisel develop as an individual and in her faith. A Faithful Gathering is clean, Christian novel with realistic characters and situations that will touch your heart.

This book was a good, clean read. It’s a light book with a nice romance and plot. The characters go through some difficult times but overall a nice, easy read. Somewhat predictable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by author Leslie Gould. Not a typical Amish story it is still a compelling novel that is book three in The sisters of Lancaster County, I read it as a stand alone as I haven’t read the first two books in the series. I had no trouble following what was going on.

The characters were well developed, life wasn’t all peaches and cream, and God was faithful. Even when questioning why things were happening, the main characters had strong faith during struggles while trying to stay true to who God made them to be.

Sweet and clean, I highly recommend it.

Once I got into this book I was unable to put it down. This is also one of my favorite genre to read. Leslie Gould has a flair of putting a current story along with a historical story all put in one. This made it very interesting, but at the same time, I had to keep alert, as I had to know which era I was in.

This is about Leisel, an aspiring nurse, and her Aenti Suz telling the story of her Grandfather Joe back during WWII. There are many trials in this book. Leisel’s boyfriend, who also is a nurse, decides to go into the Air Force. She is definitely against this. Then she meets her sister’s surgeon, whom she begins to date. Which man will she choose? Will she go on being single? You will have to read the book to find out!

Leisel Bachmann left her Amish roots and beloved sisters to pursue a career in medicine without a second thought. She has an Englisch boyfriend, Nick Jordan, and dreams of a new life–but those dreams come crashing down when her sister Marie is diagnosed with cancer.

Soon nothing is going as she planned–not her state boards, not her first nursing job, and certainly not her relationship with Nick. As she becomes increasingly discouraged, her aunt shares the story of Leisel’s grandfather during World War II and the struggle he faced between returning to Lancaster or being with the woman he loved.

Peace and a vision for the future are difficult to find, and when Nick leaves Pennsylvania for a completely new life, Leisel is faced with impossible choices. Will she stay in Lancaster, close to her family and the traditions of her past? Or learn from her grandfather’s story and embrace a life of love and service in an uncertain future?

Leslie Gould is an award-winning author. Leslie received her master of fine arts in creative writing from Portland State University in 2009 and has taught fiction as an adjunct professor at Multnomah University. She also teaches workshops at public and private schools and at writers’ conferences.

A varied work history, from curating a historical museum to editing a bridal magazine, preceded her fiction-writing career. She is also an Army Reserve wife who has supported her husband, Peter, through many years of service, including a deployment to Afghanistan as the commander of a field hospital. Leslie and her husband live in Oregon with their four children.

A Faithful Gathering became available for sale February 5, 2019.

I received a complimentary ebook from NetGalley for this review.

This story warmed my heart it is about a woman going on to pursue her dreams and being everything she wanted to be, but her faith is little stronger then she thought and going home may be the best thing for her.