Wendy H. (donkeycheese) - , reviewed on 11/7/2010 + 1255 more book reviews

Lydia King is a recent widow and is about flat broke. She doesn't know what else to do but to move to Charm, Ohio to live with her mom and grandfather. Her mom lives with him because he is very ill, and Lydia hopes that with the move closer to her family, she can re-build her and her young son Josh's life.

But when she arrives, her mom, glad to see her kin, is harsh with Josh and demanding of Lydia. Also, there isn't much money to take care of the bills and everyday needs. Lydia applies for a job as a waitress in a local restaurant and that helps.

There are several eligible men in town but Lydia doesn't know if she will ever re-marry. But she takes a shine to the Stutzman family right away. Levi isn't handicapped by dwarfism like the rest of his family, and thinks it is is duty to take care of them. Although his family wants to him to start a family and make a life of his own, he is afraid to. But he finds Lydia very captivating.

Menno is a recent widower with four young and rowdy boys. He needs a mother for his boys desperately and thinks Lydia would make a fine wife and mother, so he sets to courting her, much to Levi's dismay. But when tragedy strikes not once, but twice close together, Lydia sinks down into a well of depression. Thankfully, Reuben is around to help out now and again. He has taken a shine to Lydia's mom, but she won't have none of it.

The community tries to take care of one another, so firewood and baskets of food seem to make their way to Lydia's doorstep. She doesn't know who, but is blessed. But her feelings for Levi deepen and her mother has a fit. She feels Menno would make a much better husband and when questioned on it, her hypocrisy comes shining through. Will Lydia find the right man to restart her life? Can she move past all of the tragedy to find love again?

Lydia's Charm is a quick look into the Amish way of life. Their devout beliefs, their way of living day to day, and the trials and tribulations that they go through. Splashes of romance, hearty recipes, heart-wrenching decisions, compelling and realistic characters, Lydia's Charm will capture your heart. Ms. Brunstetter is a superb storyteller.

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