An Amish Schoolroom: Three Stories

An Amish Schoolroom contains three heartwarming novellas by Amy Clipston, Kathleen Fuller, and Shelley Shepard Gray. Each Amish tale is about a woman whose desire to become a teacher is finally fulfilled. As they embark on their new adventure, each lady meets a handsome, friendly man. I liked that each story was set in a different Amish community. We get a glimpse of what it is like to teach school in a one-room schoolhouse with students from six to fourteen. I thought each of the stories were well-written with realistic characters and beautiful settings. A Class for Laurel takes us to Monte Vista, Colorado where Laurel Weaver meets Glen Troyer. They become friends, and then begin dating. Glen's family, though, worries that he will move away or get his heart broken. Can love triumph? This was such a sweet story. I was drawn in right away. I liked the characters especially Glen's grandmother. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of Monte Vista, Colorado. It sounds like a beautiful area (the word imagery makes me want to visit). The romance was sweet and progressed nicely. I appreciated the epilogue that nicely wrapped up the story. I hope we get to revisit this community again (hint, hint Amy Clipston). A Lesson on Love by Kathleen Fuller has Priscilla Helmuth returning to the Amish after pursuing her dream in Nashville. Priscilla is hired as the teacher in Marigold, Ohio. When she goes to purchase a buggy, Priscilla meets buggy maker Micah Wagler. There is an instant attraction between them, but Priscilla worries about their age difference. A maedel in the community feels she has dibs on Micah which causes conflict. Just when Micah and Priscilla become close, Priscilla receives some surprising news. A Lesson on Love was an easy-to-read story. I liked that there was an age difference between Micah and Priscilla. It gives us something different along with Priscilla's dream of being a country music singer. This is a charming story. Wendy's Twenty Reasons by Shelley Shepard Gray has Wendy Schwartz realizing her dream of becoming a teacher. Wendy intends to prove she can handle the job despite her young age. It is proving difficult as her students miss their former teacher and a nosy mother questions her abilities. Wendy finds her landlord's son, Lewis to be friendly and helpful. She enjoys spending time with him and finds herself wanting more than friendship. Wendy does not want to pick between teaching and love. If things do not improve at school, though, Wendy could find herself returning home and her teaching dream over. This was an engaging story that was over far too soon. It has good characters and a thought-out plot. I liked the humor sprinkled throughout the story. I like how it all came together. I liked that we get to see things from the male and female perspective in each novella. An Amish Schoolroom is a charming collection of stories. They are great individually and work wonderfully together. Each novella has special characters, a beautiful setting, unexpected love, and a pesky problem. My favorite line came from A Class for Laurel which is, "With God all things are possible." An Amish Schoolroom is an irresistible trio of Amish tales that was the perfect way so spend a rainy Saturday afternoon.