Kim Vogel Sawyer's When Grace Sings ~ Reviewed

When Grace Sings: A Novel 
by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Series: The Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (March 17, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307731332


Description:

When trouble roars into quiet Arborville, Alexa and Anna-Grace find themselves the target for discord and exposed secrets. Can they continue to seek the God of all grace amidst the fog of confusion?  
Alexa Zimmerman wonders if the Old Order Mennonite community in Arborville, Kansas will ever fully accept her. Her family roots here aren’t what anyone thought when she first arrived, but she is hopeful that her culinary and hospitality skills will win the skeptics over. The bed-and-breakfast she’s operating needs to succeed so Alexa agrees to allow Briley Forrester, the hotshot reporter from Chicago, to stay as a long-term boarder not knowing his real motives for being amongst the Plain folk.

But when Alexa agrees to host her cousin Anna-Grace Braun, the presence of extended family brings out Alexa’s insecurities and sets Briley on the trail to uncovering a web of hidden truths. 

Plans for a secure future and the sweetness of young romance hang in the balance when Alexa and Anna-Grace have to face that their secrets are interconnected, binding the two in ways they could not have imagined. They must trust in a loving, heavenly Father and His plan for their futures.

Review:

When Grace Sings is about a young woman named Alexa Zimmerman. She recently met her Old Order Mennonite Family for the first time, and now resides with her Grandmother at her house. They have turned the house into a bed-and-breakfast, and Alexa is hoping her new family will accept her. In the meantime, her first longtime boarder, Briley Forrester, a reporter from Chicago, comes to stay at the inn. Little do they know that his purpose there is to learn more about the lives of the Mennonites, to prove that everything is not as “perfect” as what they portray to the world. While Briley worms his way into the hearts of the people of the community, Alexa is working hard to resist his charms. As things begin to settle into a groove, Alexa is asked to set a room aside for her cousin, Anna Grace. However, having Anna Grace in the house may force everyone to face secrets that have remained hidden since both girls were born.

I enjoyed this story, but found myself wishing I had read the first book in the series, as there were a lot of references made to things that happened in book one. I think I would have had a better understanding of this story. However, that being said, I really enjoyed this book, enough that I would like to find the first one so that I can find out the back story.

Reviewed by: Sarah Meyers