The Harvest of Grace

Ada's House #3

by Cindy Woodsmall

Reeling from an unexpected betrayal, can Sylvia find relief from the echoes of her past…or will they shape her future forever? 

Although Sylvia Fisher recognizes that most Old Order Amish women her age spend their hours managing a household and raising babies, she has just one focus—tending and nurturing the herd on her family’s dairy farm. But when a dangerous connection with an old beau forces her to move far from home, she decides to concentrate on a new start and pour her energy into reviving another family’s debt-ridden farm.

After months in rehab, Aaron Blank returns home to sell his Daed’s failing farm and move his parents into an easier lifestyle. Two things stand in his way: the father who stubbornly refuses to recognize that Aaron has changed and the determined new farmhand his parents love like a daughter. Her influence on Aaron’s parents could ruin his plans to escape the burdens of farming and build a new life.

Can Aaron and Sylvia find common ground? Or will their unflinching efforts toward opposite goals blur the bigger picture— a path to forgiveness, glimpses of grace, and the promise of love.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Amish, Christian Fiction, Amish Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Christian, Audiobook

337 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

CINDY WOODSMALL is an award-winning, New York Times, and CBA best-selling author of twenty-five works of fiction and one nonfiction book. Coverage of Cindy’s Amish connections and her novels has been featured on ABC Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal. She lives in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains.

Reviews

[Jenny Proctor]

I loved this book. Having not read the first two books in the series, I wasn't sure how jumping right into book 3 would feel. Right from the start, I felt perfectly at home. While characters from previous novels are present, even vital in this third installment, the main characters and the main love story are unique to this book and thus easily read without feeling lost.

Here's the thing about romance novels. The point is for two people to fall in love. Most of the time, you know which two people are supposed to wind up together. You know there will be some sort of conflict that threatens to keep them apart forever and ever. You know that in the end, love will conquer all and everything will end with a great big happily ever after. You don't read a romance novel because you expect something different. You read because the process of falling in love is fun--because the journey is worth reading about. Well wait. Not in all romance novels. In many romance novels the journey is never, ever, ever worth reading. But in this book? It's totally worth it.

The Harvest of Grace is full of engaging characters that are easy to love, and easy to feel invested in. There is a wonderful contrast between the simplicity of Amish life and the complexity of human experience, no matter your religion or family background.

If you like a good romance, without the smut that so frequently fills the pages of most mainstream romance novels, based on The Harvest of Grace, I would most heartily recommend Cindy Woodsmall's entire series.

[Sheila Metcalf · Rating 5 out of 5]

ATY 2025 Week 46.
★★★★★
What a delightfully sweet story! The Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall transported me right into the heart of an Amish community, with its peaceful farms, hard work, and deep faith. The characters feel so real as they navigate forgiveness, family struggles, and unexpected romance amid the rhythms of dairy farming and harvest season. It’s wholesome, heartwarming, and kept me thoroughly entertained from start to finish—more than just a quick read, it left me smiling and reflective. Perfect cozy escape, especially fitting for the traditional “Harvest Moon” prompt in my ATY 2025 challenge (Week 46). Cindy Woodsmall nails Amish fiction yet again—highly recommend for anyone craving a clean, uplifting tale!

[Jan Drexler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Harvest of Grace is Cindy Woodsmall’s third book in her “Ada’s House” series. In this book we meet Sylvia Fisher, a young Amish woman whose skills encompass tending and nurturing a dairy herd more than the homemaking skills that her friends excel in. A heartbreaking development sends her away from home, where she finds employment on another farm, becoming a trusted friend of the arthritic Amish farmer and his wife.

But when Aaron Blank, the farmer’s son, returns home after months in rehab, his desire to move his parents into town and an easier life clash with Sylvia’s, and his father’s, determination to bring the dairy farm back from the brink of bankruptcy.

In spite of their opposing goals, Sylvia and Aaron form a bond based on their mutual love of Aaron’s parents and find a way to work together toward a solution for them. But will love give an added blessing to their lives?

Cindy Woodsmall’s intimate knowledge of the stresses that our modern culture places on the Old Order Amish brings an authentic touch to her novels. They are always a pleasure to read!

And Ada’s House fans won’t be disappointed. The Harvest of Grace holds more than Sylvia and Aaron’s story – we’re also treated to the continuing sagas of favorite characters from the earlier books.

I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook/Multnomah Press for my impartial review.

[Kaitlyn Huff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Amish fiction books just hit different sometimes🥹😂😂

Loved this series—the characters, the life lessons weaved throughout, the romances, and even the suspense mixed in.

However even with the cast of characters listed, I could NOT keep everyone straight with all the POV switches and mentioning the side characters multiple times, I was constantly like “wait, who’s that? How are they related???” lol I just felt like the POV switches were unnecessary when the story was supposed to be about two specific characters.. anyways that’s why it wasn’t quite a 5 star read from me 🤷‍♀️

Christian fiction lovers who love Amish stories, check out the Ada’s House series!!🫶🏻

[Charmaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third and final book in this series nicely wraps up the stories of the previous characters as well as introducing a few new characters into the mix. The theme of acceptance and forgiveness is strong and well played out. I found this to be a satisfying ending to an overall enjoyable series that does not shy away from some very pithy life issues.

Clean Readers: this entire series is, admirably, clean!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I stuck with this series. While I really didn't care much for the first book, the rest of them grew on me. I appreciated the way the author pulled all the stories of the characters together at the end. These characters really struggled with problems - like sin and unforgiveness, alcoholism, abandonment, lust, and dashed hopes and expectations. This was not an easy, cheerful read, but there was certainly some well-written suspense, bits of humor, and some reminders that our faith in God and faithfulness to his word and his ways will bear fruit in our lives.

You definitely need to read/listen to this series in order as they will not make as much sense otherwise. I listened on audio and the narrator was pretty good, although she still had some different pronunciations and inflections from the way I might have read the book myself. But it didn't interfere with the meaning of the words or interrupt the story.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. The characters are interesting, plot is engaging and I found it inspirational.

[Kristy Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this last book in this series. It's too bad it is the last one. I was drawn to each character and very happy that love found a way into each of their hearts.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot of this book revolves around Sylvia Fisher, a twenty-two year old Amish girl who is different than most. She's a girl who isn't afraid to get out in the dairy barns and work, actually the love of dairy farming was instilled in her by her grandfather, who actually left her his home when he died.When she hesitates to give her boyfriend an answer to his marriage proposal he does the unthinkable and marries her sister, life becomes difficult on the farm, but when something unthinkable happens between her and her old beau she decides its time to find another home and winds up going to work for Michael Blank an Amish farmer whose dairy farm is struggling. When the Blank's renegade son Aaron returns home, he has one thing on his mind and that's selling the family farm so that his family can have an easier life but there is one thing standing in his way and that's Sylvia. When feelings start to develop between Aaron and Sylvia will he change his plans, and what about Sylvia will she ever be able to forgive herself and go home again?


Sylvia isn't your typical Amish woman, she would much rather be working out in the barn than inside cooking and cleaning, and actually there were only a few mentions of her doing "inside" chores instead she was all about the workings of a dairy farm. The reason Sylvia had to leave the family farm was tough, in my eyes she did nothing wrong instead Elam, her former beau was to blame but of course Sylvia struggled with finding forgiveness for herself. I did like how her sister finally confessed to her part in all that happened. I was so glad to read Aaron's story, having read about him in previous novels I wondered how things would work out for him.


This is the third book in the Ada House series by Cindy Woodsmall. While there is a brief summary at the beginning of this book to remind us of what happened in the previous books as well as a cast of characters that introduces us to the cast in this book, it would have been difficult for me to have followed the secondary stories without having read the first two first books in the series simply because those stories are continuations of previous books. That said if your a fan of Amish fiction,that isn't just your typical Amish love story then you really should check out Cindy Woodsmall's Ada House Series because each of the books have characters that are dealing with real life issues and struggles that are easy to relate to even if your not Amish.


A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Patricia Kemp Blackmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sylvia Fisher is an Amish woman who wants more than anything to run her family dairy farm. She just needs to learn about the business end of the farm. But her father and her fiance have other plans. Everything backfires and she is betrayed in more than one way. She leaves the comfort of her parents home and farm to work for an Amish family that desperately need help getting back on their feet. Sylvia thinks she is the person that can help them get their dairy farm more productive. Then here comes the prodigal son, Aaron Blank, returning to take over everything. She fells confused about who is running things now her or the son. She tries to keep her distance so she can focus on her work and not what a handsome and kind person Aaron seems to be.
This book has love, loss, betrayal, forgiveness, peace, hope and amazing grace.
The author brings characters from the first two books in the series so the story hops from one couple to another keeping you on edge hoping everyone will have a happy ending.
The author did a great job intermingling all the characters like pieces in a quilt. It was a real work of art. I ached a little after the book ended because I wasn't ready to leave the characters behind.

I would highly recommend this book to my family and friends.
I give this book 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:
I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah/Blogging for Books. This review is my very own opinion. I did not receive any compensation for this reveiw.

[Teri Pre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice series.

[Joanne Compton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story really enjoyed it.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall is the third book of a three book series: Ada's House.This trilogy reminded me how much I enjoy books by this author. Ms. Woodsmall creates tales with emotional dynamics that pulls me in, keeps me reading intently without wanting to put down the book, and connect with the well-developed characters so that I feel I have a vested interest in the outcomes.

The author begins this book with a new character, Sylvia. She is an Amish woman from a community further away from the communities this series focuses on. In her household, there are all daughters, with Sylvia being the oldest. She alone loves the dairy farming, and with the knowledge she gained from her grandfather, has built up her father's herds over the many years. She has been engaged to be married for awhile, but suddenly her fiance declares his love for her sister and marries her. Living in the same household has become unbearable both because of her heartbreak and the deception of her closest friend and sister. She insists on moving to another community. She begins working for Michael Blank and his wife in Dry Lake.

There, she meets Aaron Blank after he has come home from rehab. Aaron's purpose is to help his aging parents sell their dairy farm and move to his new community and work with him at a hardware store he is buying. He wants to take care of them. Sylvia's at cross purposes with Aaron, because she wants to make the Blank dairy farm profitable again and build up the herd as she had done at home. This conflict is the core of the book.

But as the third book in the series, other storylines that had begun in books one and two continue as well. So we find Deborah and Jonathan in a relationship, Cara and Ephraim continue their courtship and Cara makes progress toward joining the Amish faith, while Lena recovers from her emotional and physical injuries from the events of the previous book.

Again, like all the other books in this series, this is not a stand alone book. It is integral to the entire storyline and you need to read the first two books in order to understand the direction and scope. Saying this, I found this book hard to put down. It very effectively wraps up all the loose ends of all the relationship dynamics covered in the three books. There are even new dynamics for Cara when her birth father shows up and the Amish leaders decide she must develop a relationship with him in spite of her feelings about him. This struggle so touched my heart. How can Cara overcome a lifetime of neglect and abandonment?

If you enjoy living, breathing characters, especially relationship struggles and their resolutions, then you'll love this story. This author does not do pie-in-the-sky-by-and-by type story telling. Her characters deal with real issues you and I can relate to. I was left feeling like I was part of the community, knowing the hearts of people I care about. The author writes this development so well, that I am compelled to read other books by her. I want more of this type of dynamic writing. And you can be sure I will be reading this trilogy over and over again, without feeling as if it were growing old. I highly recommend this series, and this author.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Bethany House (a division of Baker Publishing). I was not required to write a review, positive or otherwise. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

[Laura Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know I know-
there are cobwebs and dust on the ceiling fans. I know, I know-
I need to get back to decluttering.
I know, I know-
I need to peg more laundry up on the line;
but...
just one more chapter...
please?

Don't you just love the books that just draw you in? The ones where you feel like you're part of the story not just an invisible observer? The Harvest of Grace was like that for me. I felt like I was part of the family just looking on.

Sylvia is the eldest in a string of daughters unbroken by sons born to her Old Order Amish parents. They are dairy farmers; and, Silvia tends and nurtures the herd with diligence and confidence. She's in line to inherit the farm; but, a moment of weakness with an old boyfriend causes her to flee temptation and leave home. She moves far away and helps to revive a struggling dairy farm.

Aaron Blank is a recovering alcoholic who returns from rehab to try to convince his parents to sell the very farm that Silvia is trying to revive and move to town. Sparks fly as the two strong willed characters pursue opposite goals. Throw in a few sparks between Aaron and his father, Michael, and you've got tension that mounts throughout the book.

There is an array of characters that are deeply developed and who live in community. These are characters who have been cental to the earlier books in the Ada House series. The Harvest of Grace is the third in the Ada's House series. It is terrific story as a stand alone; but, I'm tempted to go back and read the first two books- The Hope of Refuge and The Bridge of Peace.


I reviewed the book Plain Wisdom by Cindy Woodsmall with Miriam Flaud recently also.

Five stars because I didn't want it to end.

Blogging for Books gave me this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah Hope · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sylvia Fisher hides her troubled past with this huge mistake from three years ago by exhausting herself in work from sunrise to sundown on the Blank family dairy farm; when only son Aaron Blank returns out-of-the-blue to help his parents out of the massive debt they’ve accrued over the years, she questions his motives while questioning her growing attraction to him. Cindy Woodsmall’s devoted readers of the Ada’s House trilogy will delight in seeing the continuing stories of the two heroines and heroes from the first two books told in tandem with that of Sylvia and Aaron. A couple of allusions to previous events are not seamlessly explained for a causal reader picking up the third instalment unawares to know exactly what is being referenced. However, the opening recap of the first two novels, called “The Ada’s House Novels: The story so far…” is helpful to introducing readers to the main plots featured in The Hope of Refuge [#1] and The Bridge of Peace [#2], as well as the brief overview descriptions of characters in the back of the book.

Bouncing between multiple points of view, from this novel’s two central characters to the well-developed secondary characters and back again somewhat seamlessly, the author’s unhurried writing handles heavy topics thought taboo within the Amish community with gentleness and tact – adultery, alcoholism, rehabilitation, complex father-child relationships. Sylvia and Aaron are portrayed as realistic and flawed individuals grappling with past mistakes and whether those will overshadow their future, in light of both their families’ expectations, attitudes, and devotion to the Amish faith. Particularly pleasant is the introduction of Sylvia’s character as an Amish woman with a talent for dairy farming, as the narrative is peppered with details regarding milk production and cattle herd maintenance, which seems atypical for the genre, as well as lengthy explanations of general farm specifics in which Sylvia participates, like hay mowing and bailing. Without having read the two previous installments, readers will feel at home in Ada’s house and will quickly take to heart the lives and loves of Cara and Ephraim and Lena and Grey, both couples who had their own previous novels to flesh out more completely their stories and romances, while somewhat impatiently wanting to return to continuing the story of Sylvia and Aaron, as they are learning to trust each other and face the obstacles in their way of differing goals and methods of farm care. An epilogue at the end of the novel with an event featuring a couple other than Sylvia and Aaron wraps up any loose ends readers may feel need tying up in regards to the four couples towards which The Harvest of Grace was alternating its attention.

[CaliNativeBalboa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This year I challenged myself to read at least seven books in two new genres, Romance and Inspirational. I thought Romance would be a breeze but after agonizing through seven diverse but, to me, excruciatingly boring titles, I turned with dread to Inspirational. Not a church goer, I approached my task with reluctance but to my amazement, am becoming a fan!
I wanted to include an Amish title in my reading selection since it seems to be a prolific sub-genre and had very low expectations. "The Harvest of Grace" was highly recommended and I found it an easy, interesting read. An added bonus for me is learning something new and in "Harvest" I not only learned about the Amish, but also dairy farming, and substance abuse in the Amish community. Overall, this was a pleasant surprise and a relaxing novel for a family road trip. My only issue was keeping up with the long list of characters, but the author added a super helpful synopsis at the beginning and a list of character appendix to which I often found myself referring. Once I've made my circuit of titles in the Inspirational genre, I plan to return to this series to read the first two installments.

[Rosemarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the final book of the series, a new character is introduced. Sylvia Fisher isn't your typical Amish young woman. She's a farmer, having inherited her love for the land from her grandfather. When her sister and fiance betray her, she knows she has to leave home. She finds a job as a farm hand 20 miles from her home, at the dairy farm of the parents of Aaron Blank. Aaron's sister was killed in an accident, and his drinking problem got so bad he ran away to get help (at the Plain counseling center introduced in Woodsmall's Sisters of the Quilt series). When Aaron returns home to make things right with his parents, he intends to convince them to sell the failing farm and move away with him and help him run an Amish (non electric) appliance store. He didn't expect to come nose to nose with a feisty Amish female farm hand who loves the land more than he thought he did.

This book is the final novel in the series, and it also wraps up the events in the other characters' lives very well. You won't be disappointed in this series.

[Raquel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was ok. It started out slow moving in my opinion but it got better as the story got going.
It's about a young girl, Sylvia who leaves home to get away from an old boyfriend. To get over the shock and hurt over a broken engagement, she goes to work on another Amish ranch. The ranch is failing miserably but Sylvia thinks there's still hope for it....
Aaron is the son that went to go get help from his alcohol addiction. Thirty days sober, he returns home to find Sylvia helping his parents work the farm.
Now that he's sober, he tries to regain the trust of his parents. Aaron's dream is to own a local store and wants his parents to sell the farm and move to town with him.
Can they come together for the good of the farm?

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good, but I had two things that upset me in the reading of this story. The first was a statement that Amish get vaccines and the ones that don't get sick. This is simply not true. Vaccines are toxic and Amish don't get vaccinated. The second was a referral to a girl shaking as if having seizures while she was walking around. That is very offensive to me with a child who has epilepsy. You do not walk around while having a seizure and apparently this author has never witnessed a person with this condition. Okay. Other that those things, the story was interesting.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and the whole Ada's House Amish Romance series. This is the last book in the series and the author did an amazing job of wrapping up all the loose ends for several of the couples who have been dating and now find their HEA. Cara and Ephraim who met in the first book of the series finally get their HEA. It took hard work in learning and forgiving for Cara to become Amish so she and Ephraim can marry. The characters are great and I highly recommend this book and the whole series for those who enjoy Amish clean romance.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read with lots of twists and turns

The thing I love about Cindy Woodsmall’s writing is that it’s not always what you expect to happen. She incorporates lots of mystery in the relationships and how they work through difficult issues. Everything doesn’t always go perfectly and the situations and conversations between the characters bring up some excellent perspectives even to my own life. I really enjoy her books.

[Sheila Samuelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 Stars!! (Wish i could rate it 10 Stars!!)
Review:
I started this series many years ago but never got to finishing it which i wish i would of cause the ending to this series was so sweet and phenomenal!!

The Characters were interesting to read about. The Setting was beautifully told which was easy to picture all the scenery while reading.

Overall a sweet Amish Fiction Story about a woman's house and her family growing inside it.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrid part of Trilogy

First I must say that I enjoyed this and all 3 of these books. The author brought together all the characters from the previous to to wonderful endings for all. It is best to read these books in order.

[Larisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book #3 in the series, and these words from the book say it well... “she’d asked God to forgive her, and he had... Today, as she reaped a harvest of grace, she felt forgiven.... her heart cried Thank you to God time and again.”

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good Amish book. Sylvia is a wonderful character. I loved the plot. Aaron is a recovering alcoholic and his parents are dealing with the loss of their daughter and the many children who died at birth.

[Cynthia Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best story in the series bringing all the stories together.
Of course, you'll need to read the first two.

[Megan Rang · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book!!!

[Kathie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars - It grew on me a little, but the dialogue and character development left a lot to be desired.

[Emily Ste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a fantastic series! Sorry to see it end.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. A fitting conclusion to the other 2 books in this series. Light Christian fiction, but with good theme of repentance and forgiveness.