Book Review: Goodbye to Yesterday & The Silence of Winter by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Goodbye to Yesterday (book #1)

The Silence of Winter (book #2)

Series: Discovery Series

Author: Wanda E. Brunstetter

Genre: Realistic Fiction/ Amish Fiction/Christian Fiction

Review Source: NetGalley

Purchase Links: Goodbye to Yesterday • The Silence of Winter

  

Goodbye to Yesterday Summary: Join Meredith and Luke Stoltzfus, an Amish couple who are faced with the greatest challenge of their young lives. Financial struggles. Arguments. A suspected pregnancy. A last-minute trip to Middlebury, Indiana. A drug addict on the run. A deadly encounter at a Philadelphia bus station. Will their love and faith be enough to bring them back together again, against all odds?

The Silence of Winter Summary: Book 2 of an exclusive 6-consecutive-month release Amish serial novel. In The Silence of Winter, part two of New York Times Bestselling author, Wanda E. Brunstetter's The Discovery--A Lancaster County Saga, Meredith anxiously waits to hear that Luke has arrived safely in Indiana for a new job opportunity. . .but Luke’s call never comes. Instead, Meredith receives news that tears her heart to shreds and leaves her just barely living—and only for the sake of the little one growing within her. How will Meredith ever go on without Luke?

I love novels that are centered around the Amish way of living. I've stated over and over again that one day I would love to visit an Amish community and experience the simple way of life. In browsing NetGalley I came across a series that truly peaked my interest. It's the story of newlyweds Luke and Meredith Stoltzfus. It's a story of their struggles and a story of their love. Luke finds himself searching for a job that will provide for his family. Meredith finds herself searching for the right time to tell Luke that she is pregnant. When the opportunity to start a new trade developes and requires Luke to travel and leave their home for several weeks, Meredith has deep reservations about Luke leaving. However, she trust her husband to make the right decisions for their family and supports his efforts.

I must say that the delivery of this series in segments is very troubling. Each segment is approx. 150 pages. For me this represents a novella. Each month a new segment will be introduced to readers until July of 2013. The first two books truly are cliffhangers and make the reader want to read the next book. I feel that due to the length, it may be easier on my behalf to wait until all of the books are published. It almost seems as if it is a tease each month. However, Luke and Meredith's story is one of great interest, 2 to 3 books at the most, not 6. So this series would be 4 trees, but due to the publication schedule and possible cost in the long run for readers, it gets 3. If I have the opportunity to t read the others through NetGalley I will. However, if not, I'll most likely wait until July to read them all in one constant seating.