The Captive Heart
BY: Dale Cramer
PUBLISHED BY: Bethany House
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0839-3
RELEASED: 2012
Pages: 352




 In their second year in Mexico, the Bender family has been through tough times, ravaged disease, and ruthless bandits. The Bender’s daughter, Miriam, is falling in love with a local native, Domingo, who is naturally a gentle person, until someone he loves is in jeopardy. He cares for Miriam and likes to calls her Culnezqui, which is the Nahuatl word for Beautiful one. Miriam is confused as she doesn’t know if they relationship is romantic or are they just friends.

    The Captive Heart got piled under a few other books, before I grabbed it the other night. This is my first read with author Dale Cramer, and my first read of an Amish book by a male author. What makes this novel spark is that it is based on actually events, and is set in Mexico, instead of Ohio or Kansas. The characters are well written and plot is top notched. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Captive Heart, and I recommend it to all readers.

The Wonder of Your Love
BY: Beth Wiseman
PUBLISHED BY: Thomas Nelson
PUBLISHED IN: 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59554-886-3
Pages: 294
Reviewed by Billy Burgess


Set in the small Amish community of Canaan, Colorado, a recent widow Katie Ann Stoltzfus struggles to raise her baby, Jonas. Prior to her husband, Ivan, death, Ivan had left Katie for an English woman, Lucy Turner. Katie receives a letter from Lucy, just before Katie meets Eli Detweiler at a wedding. Eli is also a widower, has been several years. He’s come to Colorado for a long, much-needed vacation. All of his children are now grown, and a few even have children of their own. Eli is enjoying the simple life, but that changes when he meets Katie. There is an instant attraction between the two. Katie is still grieving over her husbands affair, and now has a wonderful baby to raise, while Eli is done with raising a family. As their friendship gets closer, they both wonder if God has other plans for them.

The Wonder of Your Love is a fast, clean-cut, romantic tale. I was instantly emotionally connect to Katie Anne by the end of the first chapter. Amish people live in a small religious community, but they have problems just like everyone else. In this case, Katie’s husband was having affair with an English woman and eventually left Katie for Lucy.  I’m a fan of Amish fiction and I was surprised by this little twist, but the plot kept me flipping through the pages. I recommend the book to all readers.

*I would like to thank Thomas Nelson for sending me a copy to review.