Mending Hearts

Mending Hearts by Janice Kay Johnson is the 2nd A Tompkin’s Mill Novel. It can be read as a standalone for those who have not read Turning Home. I thought Mending Hearts was well-written with developed characters. I like that we get to catch up with the characters from Turning Home. David Miller and Miriam Bowman both feel guilt over the death of Levi. Both of them need to come to terms with Levi’s death plus forgive themselves. It is the only way they can move forward with their lives. We see Miriam and David struggle with the guilt and loss of faith. I like that we get to know Miriam and David as well as their families and community. I like how the people in the community help each other. If someone has a need, they are there to assist (whether they want it or not). I thought Mending Hearts was an emotional novel about love, forgiveness, family, faith, and second chances. I like the drama in the second half of the book. It added another level of depth to the story. We get to see Miriam and David struggling with their faith. They are both having difficulty turning their troubles over to God and relying on Him. I did find the pace of Mending Hearts to be a little slow at time plus there is repetition. I also thought the story was a little long. These small issues aside, I enjoyed Mending Hearts. I especially loved the puppies (they sounded adorable) and Copper, the horse David was training. Mending Hearts is a heartwarming Amish tale with buggy rides, barn raising, quality quilts, fixing fences, disquieting guilt, and a special someone.