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Jolina’s Year In Books

Jolina’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Jolina’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

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Jolina Petersheim’s Followers (564)

Jolina’s Bookshelves

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3,512 books | 403 friends

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582 books | 1,546 friends

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5,949 books | 512 friends

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484 books | 523 friends

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621 books | 62 friends

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Jolina Petersheim

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

http://www.jolinapetersheim.com/

Twitter

Modern_Marmee

Genre

Fiction

Influences

Donna Tartt, Paulette Jiles, Elizabeth Strout, Marilynne Robinson, Kat ...more

Member Since

August 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/jolina_joy

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Jolina Petersheim is a best-selling author pursuing beauty and truth, one word at a time. Her five published novels have received wide critical acclaim as well as numerous accolades including wins and nominations for prestigious industry awards, starred reviews, spots on year-end “Best Of” and on seasonal “Top 10” lists. In addition, her non-fiction writing has been featured by many print and online outlets. Jolina and her husband share the same unique Amish and Mennonite heritage that originated in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, though they now hobby homestead in the mountains of Tennessee with their four young daughters. Visit her at ModernMarmee/Substack.

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Popular Answered Questions

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Jolina Petersheim I guess you could say I had a slightly different childhood. When I was six and my brother ten, our family stood in a field on the camp where my parent…moreI guess you could say I had a slightly different childhood. When I was six and my brother ten, our family stood in a field on the camp where my parents were caretakers, and my parents told us that this was where we would meet if we were separated when the world “blew up.” From this field, our family would travel by foot to our friends’ elaborate, fairytale home and live in the blue room hidden behind their bookshelves.

My parents in no way meant to instill fear in us. Now that I’m a parent, I see that they were trying to assuage their own fears by coming up with a plan. But I was born with an overactive imagination, and therefore this plan planted in me the seed of fear—and, subsequently, a driving need to control my environment.

I wish I could say I uprooted this fear once I became an adult, but after I had my firstborn daughter, my fear grew worse, for not only did I have to control my environment; I also had to control hers.

When my eldest was six months old, an unnerving exchange with a logger caused my fear to deepen its roots and for me to ask myself whether I would ever use lethal force to protect myself and my family. I believed I would, even though, growing up, I sensed that my own father would adhere to his pacifist heritage if placed in such a situation.

The final puzzle piece for my book, The Alliance, slid into place when my father told us that we needed heirloom seeds to last us until the next harvest season. I remember standing in my darkened kitchen and repeating that phrase to myself—The Harvest Season.

Initially, I believed this would be the title of the book, but over time, I knew a community having enough food to last until the next harvest season was only a small element of the story. The larger element came from the protagonist, Leora Ebersole’s driving need to control her environment, even after society crumbles around her, because if she controls her environment, she believes she will be able to keep her orphaned family safe.

With every one of my books, God’s been faithful to allow me to experience some portion of whatever topic I’m addressing. The Alliance is no exception. My family and I moved from Tennessee to Wisconsin shortly before I finished the rough draft. Eight weeks later, my husband went in for a CAT scan, which revealed a tumor near his brain stem. He had surgery the next morning, and all through that night next to his hospital bed, I feared for my family.

I feared for our two young daughters—two-and-a-half and four months at the time. I feared that I would be a widow, living on a grid-tie solar-powered farm six-hundred miles away from our immediate families. In a matter of hours, one of my worst fears had come true, and I didn’t know how to handle it.

However, all through my Garden of Gethsemane night, during the hours my husband was in surgery, and the critical weeks that followed the craniotomy, I felt God’s presence as if he was sitting beside me. I then understood that God had allowed me to face one of my greatest fears so that I would learn that inner peace can never be acquired through my futile attempts to control my environment—and therefore keep my family safe. Moreover, I can only achieve inner peace if I continually surrender my life and the lives of my family to the One who called us into being.

So I pray, dear reader, that you will discover the author of the peace that passes all understanding and daily surrender your life—and the lives of your family—to him.

“Finally, an apocalyptic novel ablaze with hope. Just the kind of story I champion. A must-read.” ~ Sarah McCoy, New York Times and international bestselling author of The Mapmaker’s Children and The Baker’s Daughter

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Hi Jolina, I'm not sure if you remember but you were so lovely to speak via Skype to my Senior Book Group in Mead, Colorado. I look forward to your new book next summer! What are you reading now and do you have any recommendations on books you have loved that I could pass onto my book group? Thanks so much, Beth Ann Goodwill p.s. They still speak about your visit with us as their favorite book club of the year!!

Jolina Petersheim Hi, Beth Ann!

So good to hear from you. I also loved getting to chat with your wonderful book club, and I hope we can repeat that conversation after T…moreHi, Beth Ann!

So good to hear from you. I also loved getting to chat with your wonderful book club, and I hope we can repeat that conversation after The Alliance's June release! I have recently really enjoyed The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, and I feel it would make for a great book club discussion, as it revolves around two sisters who are struggling to survive during WWII in Nazi-occupied France. I also recommend Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. It's a little bit of a slower read, but the imagery is beautiful! Hope this helps. Thanks for connecting.

Hugs,
Jolina(less)

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Combine Editions
Jolina Petersheim’s books

Average rating: 3.95 · 7,436 ratings · 1,452 reviews · 11 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Outcast: A Modern Retelling of The Scarlet Letter 3.93 avg rating — 2,282 ratings — published 2013 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Midwife 3.92 avg rating — 1,889 ratings — published 2014 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How the Light Gets In 4.10 avg rating — 1,657 ratings — published 2019 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Alliance (The Alliance #1) 3.69 avg rating — 1,057 ratings — published 2016 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Divide (The Alliance #2) 4.12 avg rating — 494 ratings — published 2017 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How the Light Gets In, SAMPLE 4.05 avg rating — 20 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Jolina Petersheim 2-in-1 Collection: The Outcast / The Midwife 4.18 avg rating — 11 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Alliance #1-2 3.75 avg rating — 4 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Outcast really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Licht sucht sich seinen Weg 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Jolina Petersheim's Blog

What Kind of Eighty-Year-Old Do You Want to Be?

This week, a family member went through a traumatic medical event that hit very close to home. My husband and I talked in the kitchen after the girls were in bed, and I asked how we can possibly keep our hearts open and alive when faced with such pain, for the older we get, the more we lose, and the pain of such loss only compounds with the years.

On Wednesday, I was writing at a bistro table acros

Series by Jolina Petersheim

The Alliance (2 books)
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Jolina Petersheim (Goodreads Author)

3.83 avg rating — 1,555 ratings

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Jolina’s Recent Updates

Jolina Petersheim wants to read Where He Left Me by Nicole Baart (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 27, 2025 10:50AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Where He Left Me by Nicole Baart. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Where He Left Me by Nicole Baart <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jolina Petersheim rated a book it was amazing Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I loved this deceptively simple story so much that as soon as I had finished, I started listening to it again. Powerful prose.
Jan 23, 2025 09:51AM · 5 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jolina Petersheim answered Beth's question: When will you be writing another book? I've read them all! Thank you for reaching out! I am always writing, but time will tell when the story makes it to the page.
Jan 15, 2025 01:56PM · like
Jolina Petersheim rated a book it was amazing Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 15, 2025 01:44PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jolina Petersheim rated a book it was amazing Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Paulette Jiles is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. This was my second novel of hers to finish, and though it didn't entrance me like News of the World, I did find myself savoring the language and being in awe of the level of research such ...more
Jan 15, 2025 01:43PM · 3 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Jolina Petersheim (?)

“I encourage anyone who has gone through hardships to look back through their life’s chapters and see what can be turned into a book. For you never know what heartache God, one day, can turn into a redemptive story.”
― Jolina Petersheim

tags: biography, god, hardships, heartache, inspirational, memoir, redemption, shunning

16 likes

“Sometimes it is necessary to celebrate life, despite being faced with defeat and death.”
― Jolina Petersheim, The Alliance

tags: celebrate, death, defeat, life

2 likes

“For, yes, absence did make the heart grow fonder, but then, after a while, that shield of self-preservation grew thicker, and the heart forsook fondness for survival and all-consuming love for getting by.”
― Jolina Petersheim, How the Light Gets In

0 likes

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Polls

This is the poll for September's Book of the Month - the book with the most votes will be the Group Read, and the book with the second most votes will be the Group Buddy Read.

Engaged in Trouble by Jenny B. Jones

Engaged in Trouble (Enchanted Events, #1) by Jenny B. Jones

7 votes 30.4%

The Lost Heiress by Roseanna M. White

The Lost Heiress (Ladies of the Manor, #1) by Roseanna M. White

6 votes 26.1%

Blue Moon Bay by Lisa Wingate

Blue Moon Bay (Moses Lake, #2) by Lisa Wingate

3 votes 13.0%

Stones for Bread by Christa Parrish

3 votes 13.0%

Ready or Not by Chautona Havig

Ready or Not (Aggie's Inheritance, #1) by Chautona Havig

2 votes 8.7%

The Midwife by Jolina Petersheim

1 vote 4.3%

The Promise of Jesse Woods by Chris Fabry

1 vote 4.3%

Sweet Tea and Southern Grace by Glenda C. Manus

Sweet Tea and Southern Grace (Southern Grace, #1) by Glenda C. Manus

0 votes 0.0%

23 total votes

2 comments

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Christian Fiction...: **January Additional group read title chosen	27	105	Jan 21, 2014 01:48PM
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Jolina’s Quotes

“A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.”
― Madeleine L'Engle

tags: books, fire, star, universe

4492 likes

“If you are lazy, and accept your lot, you may live in it. If you are willing to work, you can write your name anywhere you choose.”
― Gene Stratton-Porter, A Girl of the Limberlost

tags: industriousness, inspirational

1182 likes

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

tags: books, magic, reading

17574 likes

“Sometiimes when you look at a person all you see is the tangle and you miss the weave”
― Jonathan Odell, The Healing

17 likes

“A Robin said: The Spring will never come,
And I shall never care to build again.
A Rosebush said: These frosts are wearisome,
My sap will never stir for sun or rain.
The half Moon said: These nights are fogged and slow,
I neither care to wax nor care to wane.
The Ocean said: I thirst from long ago,
Because earth's rivers cannot fill the main. —
When Springtime came, red Robin built a nest,
And trilled a lover's song in sheer delight.
Grey hoarfrost vanished, and the Rose with might
Clothed her in leaves and buds of crimson core.
The dim Moon brightened. Ocean sunned his crest,
Dimpled his blue, yet thirsted evermore.”
― Christina Rossetti

tags: spring

53 likes

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