The Memory Jar by Tricia Goyer

The Memory Jar by Tricia Goyer. Zondervan, 2012. 352p. (9780310335108) Series: Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors, #1

I don’t often read Amish stories but when I saw this one it caught my eye. Plus the series name is very much like one of my favorite musicals. Not that the book is anything really like that movie.

Goodreads Summary:

Every year, 30--40 young Amish men descend on the cozy little town of West Kootenai, Montana, arriving in the spring to live there for six months and receive 'resident' status for the hunting season in the fall. They arrive as bachelors, but go home with brides.

Sarah Shelter has lived in West Kootenai for the last ten years and wonders if she will ever fall in love.  Since the tragic death of her best friend, she carries her memories in a jar along with the small items connected to them. For just as long, she's also been carrying around her emotions instead of allowing them to penetrate deep into her heart.

Now she's met a kind and gentle man who may be able to break down the wall. But can Sarah risk her heart to finally achieve her dreams?

Purcell Mountains in the West Kootenai Montana
Photo credit: Kinsey Barnard

My Review:

This was a fun read. Usually Amish stories take place in the Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana area but this one started out in Montana and stayed there for a good portion of the story. Part way through Sarah does indeed head east to visit her aunt and be closer to Jathan but she is still from Montana and her mindset is a bit different from the Amish she meets in Ohio.

I enjoyed learning about the different Amish communities and realized that they aren’t all the same, they have their own tendencies based on where they live just like everyone else.

The friendship between Sarah and Patty is lively and the flashback memories of childhood don’t interrupt the story in my opinion. Their friendship is a good reminder of how much one person can affect and shape the life of another and that we should strive to be a positive influence on our friends.

Go read it! 

Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.

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