A Patchwork Past

Written by Leslie Gould

Narrated by Stina Nielsen

Could the past be a patchwork for mending the present?

When wild child Sophie Deiner—the daughter of an Amish bishop—is forced to return to Nappanee, Indiana, quilt-shop owner Jane Berger is one of only a few who welcome her back. It’s the last place she wants to be, but Sophie’s recent
illness requires that she lay low for a while.

As Sophie recovers, she befriends a group of migrant workers and is appalled when one of them is detained and threatened with deportation. Sophie begins advocating on their behalf but soon finds herself opposed by an ex-boyfriend,
who is the farm foreman.

As Sophie finds respite from the world in the quilt shop, Jane begins to tell her the story of her Amish ancestors who rescued survivors of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, many of whom were Irish immigrants. And Sophie is more convinced
than ever that she needs to fight for the powerless. But when digging deeper makes conditions even worse, has she chosen a fight she can’t win?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781980087120

Leslie Gould

Leslie Gould (LeslieGould.com) is a Christy Award-winning and #1 bestselling author of over forty-five novels, including four Lancaster County Amish series. She holds a bachelor's degree in history and an MFA in creative writing. She enjoys church history, research trips, and hiking in the Pacific Northwest. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon, and have four adult children and two grandchildren.

Reviews for A Patchwork Past

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Patchwork Past by Leslie Gould is the second novel in the Plain Patterns series. A Patchwork Past can be read as a standalone. I found A Patchwork Past to be a unique Amish novel. It is not like other Amish novels. I like how it tells two stories and ties them together. Sophie Deiner needs rest from a Lupus flare-up and returns home to the family farm. She never felt that she fit into her Amish community. Jane, the owner of Plain Patterns, is kind to Sophie. While working on Jane’s garden and quilting, Jane tells her the story about Mary, a woman who traveled to Chicago with her father and ends up in the middle of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. While at home, Sophie becomes involved in the lives of migrant family who work on the farm next to her family. I was quickly drawn into the historical part of the tale. I wanted these sections to be longer. I thought A Patchwork Past was well-written with developed characters. The story moved along at a good pace. I could tell the author did her research for this book. I like how she incorporated the information into the story and wove parallels to Mary’s story. Both Sophie and Mary want to help people and do the right thing. Faith, friends, and family are woven throughout the story. I thought Sophie’s story will give people a better understanding of autoimmune diseases like Lupus and Fibromyalgia. Many people do not understand these diseases and, unfortunately, believe the person is faking it. I appreciated that we are given an epilogue that nicely wraps up the story. The author blended the various storylines together into one inspiring tale.

[anne_rightler-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Patchwork Past is the second book in the Plain Patterns series by Leslie Gould. I enjoy the Amish genre, love Gould's books, and when I realized the book had a timeslip element to it as well, it was a win, win, and win! I'll admit I was up till the wee hours of the morning finishing the book. Gould writes such a great story, making her characters real and likable with strong emotions and convictions as they deal with real-life issues and mend and strengthen relationships. As Sofie returns home after three years of very little contact with her family she is quickly drawn back into the Amish culture. She also becomes immersed in the controversial issues of illegal immigrants and their precarious situation in the community. Shedding light on this issue was thought-provoking for me. Will this time of respite not only be a time of physical restoration but a time to heal relationships and resolve past hurts and misunderstandings? The dual-time story is told by the owner of a local quilt shop and relates the life of Mary, a young Amish girl, who experiences the drama and tragedy of the great Chicago fire. I enjoyed this historical aspect of the book as I was easily drawn into the scenes of the fire and its aftermath. As always with this author's stories, there are strong themes of family, friends, and faith woven throughout. Readers who enjoy stories about family and friends set in the Amish community will not want to miss A Patchwork Past. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a review and the opinions are my own.