Seasons of an Amish Garden: Four Stories

Written by Amy Clipston

Narrated by C.S.E. Cooney

Spring Is in the Air: As the young people of Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, plant a garden in memory of their friend, Katie Ann begins to worry that her older brother, Ephraim, is dating her best friend. What if she somehow loses them both?



Home by Summer: Clara Hertzler is surprised when Jerry Petersheim, her old friend, comes to the garden to drop off his younger sister—especially because Jerry has been gone for years and now seems to be living as an Englisher. As the friends get to know each other again, Clara pushes Jerry to examine why he abandoned his Amish beliefs. Will Clara help Jerry renew his faith in God?



The Fruits of Fall: Tena Speicher has come to live in Bird-in-Hand after her fiancé left her for an English woman. When an English stranger comes to the fruit stand one day and asks for food, Tena is not sure how to respond—but Wayne intervenes and offers to let him stay in the barn.



Winter Blessings: Ephraim and Mandy have dated for some time and now have plans to marry. But after a series of unexpected events and misunderstandings, they wonder if they should go their separate ways. What will happen when their friends at the Amish garden conspire to bring them back together?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Dec 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9781494546779

Amy Clipston

Amy Clipston is an award-winning bestselling author and has been writing for as long as she can remember. She's sold more than one million books, and her fiction writing "career" began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan University and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. Amy works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC, and lives in North Carolina with her husband, younger son, mother, and seven spoiled rotten cats. Visit her online at AmyClipston.com; Facebook: @AmyClipstonBooks; X: @AmyClipston; Instagram: @amy_clipston; BookBub: @AmyClipston

Reviews for Seasons of an Amish Garden

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The community garden is the thread that holds these four novellas together. The money raised by selling the produce and baked goods is donated to the Bird-in-Hand shelter. These young Amish show some amazing and insightful qualities on one hand, even while exhibiting some truly typical teen-aged behaviors on the other. Sometimes thoughtful, other times selfish, they nevertheless respond with kindness and a forgiving nature – eventually. These four stories are sweet, but can be a bit tedious before they are finally resolved.

[fcplcataloger · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love to garden and to "get my hands dirty" so I was immediately drawn to Seasons of an Amish Garden, a collection of four novellas that are each set during a different season of the year. In hopes of helping a widow through her grieving process and to also help benefit a local shelter in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, a group of Amish youth decide to grow a community garden as a memorial to an Amish gentleman who has recently died. As their garden grows throughout the year we also see how these young people grow in their relationships. None of them are married as the Spring begins but throughout the months ahead, several of them begin to enjoy romances and to learn lessons about each other, their families and about life in general.

Author Amy Clipston shows us that Amish people may live simpler lives than most of us but they are susceptible to many of the same feelings that we have. They can be tempted, they can feel jealousy and envy, they may doubt themselves and the people around them and they experience hurt and anger! And, just like all of us "Englishers", they need to come to the realization that it is their family, their friends and their faith in God that will help them overcome all of it.

Seasons of an Amish Garden made me happy and sad; I laughed and even cried and and I also began to long for the winter to be over so that I could once again enjoy gardening. It is apparent that Amy Clipston has a deep understanding of the Amish lifestyle and I appreciate that she included a glossary to help us understand some of the Amish terms that are scattered throughout the book. Her writing style is easy to read and I believe that this book will appeal to all who like Christian fiction and stories about the Amish people.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and I chose to write this honest review.

[virginia51-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a set of four stories that center around the same group of young Amish adults that are not married. In each story there is romance. Each of these people learn lessons as they fall in love. I got some laughing in and a little bit of crying. I look forward to more books by this author. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

[alekee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An enjoyable read from beginning to end, each story building on the previous.
We have met some of these characters before, and if you miss the previous introductions, don’t worry there is plenty of information offered so you won’t be left out, and you get to meet “Hank”.
These are sweet romance offerings with a spin put in to wonder if these young people will be able to make a life together. From beginning to end you will be pulled into these young adult’s lives.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.

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

Seasons of an Amish Garden takes us through the four seasons of a special vegetable garden in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania. Spring is in the Air has our young people planning the garden in honor of Emma Bontrager’s deceased husband with the proceeds going to the Bird-in-the Hand Shelter. Katie Ann Blank is feeling like a third wheel since her brother, Ephraim started dating her best friend, Mandy. Christian Lantz is new to town and is smitten with Katie Ann. Working on the garden gives him an opportunity to spend time with Katie Ann and maybe it will help Katie Ann understand her brother’s relationship.

Home by Summer forwards us to August when the garden is bursting with fresh produce. Clara Hertzler is surprised to see Jerry Petersheim drop off his sister, Biena. Jerry decided not to become baptized with the rest of the group. He took a job with his uncle and began dressing English. Jerry was protective of Clara when they were children and she misses spending time with him. As Jerry helps with the garden, Clara tries to find out why Jerry left the Amish faith. Jerry lost his connection with God, but with Clara help, hopefully he can find his way back home. Can love and faith bloom along with the vegetables this summer?

Tena Speicher comes to live with Emma Bontrager in Bird-in-Hand in The Fruits of Fall. Tena is suffering from a broken heart after her fiancé left her for an English woman. She is working at the vegetable stand when a homeless veteran comes up looking for food. Tena is nervous around him, but Wayne King offers the man a home cooked dinner plus a place to sleep. Alex McCormack, the veteran, has had a hard time since leaving the armed services. Emma and the group offer him room and board in exchange for help around the farm. Tena is uncomfortable around Alex and other Englishers. Wayne helps Tena to see that all people are Gods children and deserving of benevolence. Can Tena learn to trust Englishers and open her heart to the possibility of a new love?

Mandy and Ephraim have gotten engaged and their wedding is eight weeks away in Winter Blessings. Mandy is overwhelmed with the preparations, but she is eager to marry Ephraim and start their new life together. But when Ephraim’s sister and her husband need a helping hand, it leads to disagreements and misunderstandings between the engaged couple. The pair have doubts and wonder if they are truly meant to be together. Their friends work to bring them back together during this special time of year.

Seasons of an Amish Garden by Amy Clipston contains four heartwarming Amish novellas. The stories feature the characters from The Christmas Cat. Each story takes place during a different season with the same group of people in each story. The four stories are Spring is in the Air, Home by Summer, The Fruits of Fall and Winter Blessings. Emma Bontrager and Hank, Emma’s Christmas cat, are featured in each of the stories. Emma provides needed insight while Hank provides comfort. After spending Christmas with Emma and Hank last year (The Christmas Cat), a group of young people have decided to start a vegetable garden on Emma’s property in honor of her deceased husband, Henry. They will sell the vegetables at a stand with the proceeds going to Bird-in-Hand Shelter for homeless. I found the novellas to be well-written and the stories move along at a nice, steady clip. I like that each tale features relatable characters with realistic problems. While each novella can be purchased individually, I suggest reading the whole book in order. Each story builds upon the previous one. While I suggest reading The Christmas Cat (such a charming tale), it is not necessary. The author summarized what occurred in that novella. The Christian element is woven into each story providing messages that we all need to learn. The stories do play out in an expected manner, they are still enjoyable to read. I found the book to be a pleasant diversion (I devoured the whole book in under three hours). Seasons of an Amish Garden contains four sweet romantic stories with good life lessons and welcoming characters.