Review: Stitches in Time by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Book Two in The Deacon's Family series

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Detachment had worked well as a life strategy for horse trainer Sam Schrock. Until he met Mollie Graber . . .

New to Stoney Ridge, schoolteacher Mollie has come to town for a fresh start. Aware of how fleeting and fragile life is, she wants to live it boldly and bravely. When Luke Schrock, new to his role as deacon, asks the church to take in foster girls from a group home, she's the first to raise her hand. The power of love, she believes, can pick up the dropped stitches in a child's heart and knit them back together.

Mollie envisions sleepovers and pillow fights. What the 11-year-old twins bring to her home is anything but. Visits from the sheriff at midnight. Phone calls from the school truancy officer. And then the most humiliating moment of all: the girls accuse Mollie of drug addiction.

There's only one thing that breaks through the girls' hard shell--an interest in horses. Reluctantly and skeptically, Sam Schrock gets drawn into Mollie's chaotic life. What he didn't expect was for love to knit together the dropped stitches in his own heart . . . just in time.

My Review

This book isn't quite what I was expecting but it was wonderful just the same. I was surprised by how much of the story is about Luke (from the previous book Mending Fences) and his new and unexpected role as deacon. I didn't realize how involved that calling is, and that it is a lifetime of service. It was interesting to read so much of the story from a (somewhat obtuse) man's perspective, and especially watch his process of growth from a prodigal son to a leader in the community. The bishop is a wonderful source of wisdom and friendship for Luke as he navigates his way with his new marriage and new calling.

Mollie and Sam are just forming a tentative friendship when Mollie eagerly jumps into fostering two girls from the local group home, who turn out to be the most troublesome of the bunch. Sam does his best to support her while also trying to open her eyes to a more effective way of dealing with the girls' misbehavior. Mollie is a naive optimist, but this experience gave her more than she bargained for, providing opportunities for growth and learning and sacrifice. The shenanigans were at times funny, but grew in seriousness. Sam's influence on both Mollie and the girls was steadying, while Mollie brought light and excitement into his life. I enjoy this author's thoughtful writing style and the way she explores difficult themes with grace.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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Don't miss the other books in The Deacon's Family series . . .

Book One

Book Three