A Sister's Hope

Sisters of Holmes County #3

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Lose yourself in Holmes County, where romance, suspense, mystery, and faith-filled Amish ways rule the day! Martha Hostettler is concerned about the continuous attacks being made on her Amish family. With a definite motive and a myriad of methods, Luke Friesen looks like the culprit. Determined to clear his name, Martha decides to play detective. What will the search for truth cost her?

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

297 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2008

About the author

New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, Wanda E. Brunstetter is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. She has written close to 90 books translated in four languages. With over 10 million copies sold, Wanda's stories consistently earn spots on the nations most prestigious bestseller lists and have received numerous awards.

Wanda’s ancestors were part of the Anabaptist faith, and her novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Her books are well-read and trusted by many Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs.

When Wanda visits her Amish friends, she finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family ties. Wanda enjoys photography, ventriloquism, gardening, bird-watching, beachcombing, and spending time with her family. She and her husband, Richard, have been blessed with two grown children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

To learn more about Wanda, visit her website at www.wandabrunstetter.com.

Reviews

[Janne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finally, the last book in the series... still don't think they are really well written, but, I admit, I wanted to find out what happened to everyone and I was surprised by the "who done it." However, the story to get there just kind of dragged on too long...too many "attacks" of vandalism, the reactions of the people seemed less believable to me, as all this went on and on....and really the story of who did it and why, didn't really fit well, to me... I don't think someone that disturbed could have maintained the "normal" life for so long and been committing all the violence at the same time. I really feel as though this series could have been one nice family saga type book. The 'mystery' did keep me interested - it just dragged with three books. I did enjoy the family, their faith and their failings, the simple Amish lifestyle portrayed, (although they sure visit the Chiropractor alot and get rides, in cars - to a lot of places... not sure if that is accurate or not??) So, all in all, if you want a quick, easy read (I did go through them all in less than a week..) with a pretty decent story line and a little mystery thrown in - read away..

[Margaret Chind · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read an ARC version of this book. I just cannot really get excited to review this book, because I hate to be against it. This is the third book in a series, and really I feel that this is one of the worst series that I have ever read. It was really boring, no answers were given to questions raised until the third book, and the answer wasn't even a satisfying one given all the rest of the plot provided. It was a mystery, but it was just an irritating one that made me just more mad the more events that took place as I turned the next page.

The series descriptions on the individual books always says something about coming join and rest in the peaceful lives of the Amish, but this series is anything but peaceful. A character has a nervous breakdown for goodness sake, and I cannot say that I was not far behind with all of the bad coming and piling on top of it all. Reading all of this was like pulling teeth and I really rather enjoy the entire Biblical book of Job better than this. At least with Job, satisfaction follows.

Through this story in three books, there is about a thousand bad things to go wrong, and maybe three good things happen. This series was my first experience with Wanda Brunstetter, and I hope it won't be my last, I had heard such great things about her books before.

[Maria Pierron · Rating 2 out of 5]

It made me laugh out loud several times due to the dramatics. Honestly, Martha wasn't a horrible character and I hope her puppy business worked out in the end because that plot was lost amongst the tumult.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Sister's Hope" is book number three in the Sisters of Holmes County series by Wanda E. Brunstetter. I am really glad I gave this series a chance. This book follows the storyline of the youngest sister - the very lively and spunky Martha.

Martha has fallen in love with Luke despite her father's dislike for the boy. She is determined to clear his name as her dad believes he is the one responsible for the attacks against their family that went as far as to take her older sister's husband from her in a tragic buggy accident.

I will be honest, I did find the attacks to drag on a bit too long. I began to get bored of the attacks and really wanted to skip ahead and just see who the attacker was. However, I did enjoy that the author never really gave away who the attacker was. Though I wasn't very surprised, I found that my own list of suspects was just as large as Martha's and I never could really pinpoint who it was.

All in all I was very pleased with the outcome. I enjoyed the faith and trust the characters found in the Lord and the lessons I could learn from that. I did enjoy the book, I just felt the story was dragged out too long. I will probably read books from this author again and would still recommend the books to those that love the Amish genre.

You can read my reviews of "A Sister's Secret" and "A Sisters Test" here.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't enjoy it. This is the third and last in a series that involves an Amish family being vandalized multiple times over the course of a few years. This author's writing style already leaves much to be desired; it's even worse when she's trying to weave mystery and suspense into her story. I thought the ending was pretty lame and too abrupt (everything was wrapped up in the last 20 pages) especially considering that the whole story took place over three books.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

You don't find out "who did it" until almost the last page which drove me crazy. Overall, I liked the series and though it wasn't amazing, the story was captivating enough to keep me reading through all three books. It's a fun mix of family interactions, a little romance, and some mystery to keep you wondering who did it.

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author has a divine way with combining a sensible plot and believable characters, and thoughful enough to include Bible verses to reflect their faith. Each book has its own story line that captivates the audience.

Each book is able to stand on its own and concludes with an HEA. These are important attributes for me.

[Sam Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can not believe it was John the entire time!! Ahhh! I was reading as fast as I could towards the end of the so I could find out who it was. I was so happy when Martha and Luke were finally able to get married! Over all it was a very good book and a very good series.

[S1990 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't see that ending coming at all!

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Martha Hostettler is the youngest sister in Sisters of Holmes County series that had spunk and determination to breed dogs throughout the series. A Sister’s Hope is Martha’s story with some unexpected happenings and the mystery surrounding the Hostettler family continuing. The story did drag on some with the attacks happening only to the Hostettler’s without any evidence or clues to who was doing the attacks against them. Martha’s attraction to Luke, the young man her father had fired from his woodworking shop, only added suspicion to him. Martha’s character and wanting to be her own person did shine through with secretive times of speaking with Luke, despite being warn to stay away from him. This is one of Brustetter’s earlier books that I had read when it first came out in 2008. I wanted to complete the series, but can say this is not my favorite series by this author.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The trilogy ends with the revelation of who was conducting the horrible attacks on the Amish family. Martha's father has always assumed Luke was guilty and he is determined to prove his innocence. He and Martha decided to join together as detectives to discover the truth for themselves. In the end, the culprit is revealed, shocking everyone. What will that mean to Luke and Martha? A good read.

[LaShunda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am still a fan of Wanda E. Brunstetter though this was NOT my favorite book. This is the only book I read in this series (I have no intention of reading the rest. The story dragged on and the characters seemed to continuously make decisions to force this to happen. I will not spoil the story for those who wish to read it and so I will end this review now

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather predictable, but ok. At least it had a happy ending, which is rather important to me in most cases. The dialog still seemed stiff and too full of planted information. For example, one of the bits right at the end, Martha thanks Luke for making her dog runs, etc, because now, not only can she breed her dogs, but she can groom and board dogs, too. Obviously, he would have already known what she would be able to do if he built the runs for her, especially since in the sentence before that, he mentions that he enjoys helping her with her business. The only purpose of that dialog is to feed the information to the reader that Martha has expanded her business to grooming and boarding, which she had wanted to do. But there are better ways to give that information than planting it in unnatural feeling dialog. She could have had someone making an appointment for grooming, or someone else ask how the boarding and grooming is going. Someone could tell her they recently heard she had expanded her business. There is no need for the forced dialog, but it happens over and over throughout the whole series. I could forgive an instance or two, but it happened so often that it really detracted from the story, which is a shame.

Overall, the series was a bit disappointing. I liked the plot, but I didn't like the writing. It was very repetitive and simple, almost to the point of being a children's book. It's much too long for a children's book, nor is it a story that would appeal to children, but I felt like I was being told a story by a kindergarten teacher. What I DID like is that it is clean. There is nothing dirty, no innuendos, no swearing, no sex, so if you are someone who likes romance, but not all the borderline pornographic scenes, this is a sweet story. If you can get past the style, or you are someone who LIKES having everything spelled out in a book, then this is a great fit for you.

Plot: Book 3 in the trilogy. The attacks on Martha's family are still happening and the sheriff doesn't seem to be doing much about it. Luke and Martha are growing closer, but Martha's father still believes Luke is the one attacking them. Luke and Martha can't possibly be together until Luke's name is cleared, so they set out to investigate each attack themselves. After the latest attack, Martha's mother is bordering on a nervous breakdown and it is decided that she should go stay with family in a neighboring county where she will be safe and not have to worry about being attacked again. Various people have plans to stake out what they believe will be empty property with the family gone, to see if they can catch the culprit red-handed. It's an ideal time for the perpetrator to attack, believing that everyone is gone for a few days, but everything comes to a head when no one is where they are supposed to be.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the unabridged edition of this on CD; With a mixture of Ms Brunstetter's good writing and Ms Nielsen's good narration this book grabs your attention and you don't want to not listen to it until your done. BUT make sure you have the next book on hand because they do go from book to book finishing with book 3.

As you read-listen to this book you fall in love with and become a part of each character; and that will take you on a journey through all three books. This one the 'main' character was the last daughter of an Amish family and then each of the other books lets each of the other daughters be 'main' characters. Although as I said even the 'minor' characters are major characters in these books. This book took you back to your 'friends' from the first book; you 'could' read this one as an independent book BUT I wouldn't recommend it. As it is a continuation from the first book and one of the mysteries is still unsolved and finished in this third book.

This was a Christian mystery-romance book. Having just enough reference to God and scripture that you are aware it's there and sweet reminders to things maybe you, yourself are encountering in your life as the characters are in their lives. But it's not a 'slap you in your face' Biblical scripture quoting overwhelming the storyline book. Book three has more reference to Biblical things than the other two but it was nice (in my opinion) but if you don't believe in God and prayer then you may take offense to this series. But in my opinion it's very nicely written and as a fan of Beverly Lewis Abram's Daughters series this series by Ms Brunstetter is just as nice! This series is written where you don't figure out 'who did it' until near the end of this book. I had a 'feeling' of three different people at the first book but didn't lean toward the 'right' one until it was revealed. This book did seem to stretch out quite a bit from time to time, but it was all worth it... you won't feel your time was lost by reading this series

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Out of all the Sisters of Holmes County books A Sister’s Hope (Sisters of Holmes County, Book 3) is my favorite. I enjoyed the youngest sistern270531, Martha, probably more than either of the older sisters. Her spunk and determination to not simply sit back while her family continues to be attacked and receive threats, as well as her persistence to not just settle down and get married but pursue her own business set her apart from the other sisters.

The author, Wanda Brunstetter, never really tells the reader why Martha falls in love with Luke. She doesn’t really have any interactions with him in the previous books and he’s been painted as a “bad boy” up until this book. So, that aspect didn’t really make sense. Although once they begin working together and seeing more of each other you can see how their relationship and affection develops.

Like I said, this was my favorite in the series but it still had its faults in my opinion. Grace was still whiny and a worry-wart although less so than in A Sister’s Test (Book 2). The dialogue often feels unnatural, very scripted as if the characters (usually the more minor characters) were reading lines rather than being themselves. A few times the Martha’s actions seemed a little too “wild,” I guess is the way to put it, to be Amish–but, hey, what do I know!

I did enjoy seeing Ruth’s story develop and the resolution with the attacks on the family. In the final chapter where the attacks are resolved I felt there was some good depth to the characters and their conversation about God followed naturally, rather than feeling like an obligatory insert as is often the case in Christian fiction.

Overall, I enjoyed the series and recommend it if you’re interested in Amish fiction and looking for a quick read.

[Blue North · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected pain arrives in the Hostettler family home. It is shocking to read about a family experiencing cruelty in an Amish community. These attacks are very cruel. So awful that the family must call in the sheriff. Each member of the family worries and tries in one way or another to sniff out the person who would hurt Martha's pups and who would recklessly drive a man and his buggy from the road. The novel, "A Sister's Hope" by Wanda E. Brunstetter kept my attention because I did not think neighbor abuse could happen in an Amish community. I feel grateful to Wanda E. Brunstetter for writing so honestly. There is a doubt in my mind whether any community is completely safe from some sort of harm.

The author also writes truthfully about the characters. Although the Amish people deeply respect Christian growth in character, it is an accepted fact all of us make mistakes and need God's forgiveness. There is no way to obey God perfectly at every moment of the day.

I liked Roman who bravely announces his apprehension about calling the sheriff. He wonders whether a call for the sheriff's help means a lack of faith on his part. Luke worries about his friendship with Toby. There seems a kind of competition is going on between the two. Martha worries about showing her romantic feelings for Luke in front of her father. There is much anxiety in all the hearts of the characters. The author, Wanda E. Brunstetter, kindly gives the reader a chance to think more about faith and God's power to take care of all matters that touch our hearts.

[Victoria (TheMennomilistReads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Martha is the sister I can relate to the most. She loves animals and has her own dog breeding company (Shelties are my favorite to own as she owns) and hopes to board and groom dogs one day if her dad will let her. She is a bit of a tomboy and has had a liking for Luke for a long time, her sister Ruth's ex-boyfriend. She'll never be able to be with Luke because he sees her as a friend and has been blamed for the attacks her family has endured for the past two years.

This story was good, but the whole "Who-done-it" that extended for three books without much being done to find out who the culprit of the attacks was, started to drive me crazy last book. Seriously, two full years of terrible events from a house burning down to someone being murdered and barely an investigation made over it drives me nutty. I guess it drove Martha nutty too, so she started to investigate things herself and Luke was out to clear his name. The two of them become Amish sleuths!

I will say that the whole time in reading this series, you might think you know who actually worked towards doing these crimes, but it wasn't until near the second half of this book that I started to question one person and thankfully I got it right, but I didn't know for sure if it would be that person anyway. It was and the ending is lovely.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be labeled suspenseful, this final book in the series focuses on Martha, while still telling the stories of Grace and Ruth. One thing I felt the book should have pointed out was that the Amish rarely seek police help, one reason is they don't believe in the law of the land, they believe in God's law. You will rarely hear of a Amish person being a criminal, for this exact reason. Now besides the romance between Martha and Luke, this story tells a vivid picture of how the Amish often end of victims of crimes.

The first book in this series, had a dedication to the sweet and innocent Amish children lost in 2006 to a school shooting. If everyone remembers that and I am sure they do, the one thing about the Amish that stood out to me was them forgiving the shooter and asking to be left alone to mourn the lives lost.

The first book of this series, focused on secrets and how they can hurt when kept from those who love us
The second book focuses on loss and finding God path again
This book focuses on truth, discovery and faith; faith in one's convictions, faith in a friend's innocence and faith in God

[TheReadingKnitter/ Kasey]

Lose yourself in Holmes County, where romance, suspense, mystery, and faith-filled Amish ways rule the day! Martha Hostettler is concerned about the continuous attacks being made on her Amish family. With a definite motive and a myriad of methods, Luke Friesen looks like the culprit. Determined to clear his name, Martha decides to play detective. What will the search for truth cost her?

My Review - I loved this book! Finally finding out who was behind all the attacks and then watching Martha fall in love was so good. I loved how Wanda E. Brunstetter didn't give away who the culprit was until the very end. And I was guessing until the moment it said who it was. I hadn't even suspected who the culprit was either. I thought for sure it was someone else. Boy was I fooled, but in a good way! :) Overall, a great read. I gave it 4 stars.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martha is the only sister now unwed. She developed feelings long ago for Luke but kept them secret as he was suspected of fowl play in neighborhood episodes of vandalism and eventually death of a brother-in-law. She and Luke both played detective to solve who was really involved in the crimes, but it was still a shock when the real person was revealed. Once that took place, Luke was able to ask for her hand in marriage! Martha's father had to learn to humble himself she he realized he was sooo wrong about who was committing the pranks. Ruth settled nicely into her new marriage, but there was more pain to come in that family. You will enjoy these people who all live close together in Holmes County and how Grace gets over her fear of losing Ana. Another of the original family comes back to flock and is eventually loved dearly.

[Frances Cavallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the third book in the series...Sisters of Holmes County...I really enjoyed the whole series...it kept me wanting more!!! I love all of Wanda's books...they are very real...well planned and they just leave me with such a good feeling in my heart!!! I love the Amish...most of the time...I should say...because sometimes you don't like everything about someone or something!!! I would recommend her books to anyone!!! I had never done reviews until recently...and I am trying to catch up on books that I have read...because Authors...just like other professions...should be recognized for their great efforts...and Wanda should be one of them...she is a great writer...and I can't wait to read her next one!!! Especially since now...she partners up with Jean!!! They are both really good writers!!!

[Bethie Eaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martha is the youngest of the Hostettler Sisters. Even though a young woman, she has yet to meet her parents expectations of looking for a suitable mate. She spends her time trying to get her dog breeding business off the ground. A young Amish fellow (Luke) has caught her eye- but he is not a suitable mate since he is still in his rumschpringe years and has yet to commit to the church. Her relationship with this young man is forbidden by her father. Martha and Luke develop a friendship while trying to find out who is terrorizing Ruth's family with ruthless and a deadly attack. She hopes desperately to show her father what kind of man Luke is and hopes Luke will join the church and become a proper suitor.

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great story. It was beautiful to see their relationship develop. They practically courted (unofficially) while they were playing detectives investigating what was happening to her family and trying to solve the mystery of whoever was responsible for terrorizing her family, and trying to clear Luke's name so that they COULD go on to court each other - officially. It was also good to see the continuation of the other stories and lives of the other family members in this series. Through it all, you saw their deep faith, their love for the Lord and their community. I was totally surprised at 'who dun it' - although did have my suspicions, none were who it turned out to be. We were kept in suspence and the dark till the very end.

[joyce lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!! even better than the previous 2 in the series!

amazing how a fiction book, tho, can still stomp on your toes and convict you about something, no?!

this family is down to earth, and yet, w/ a faith SSOOO strong still.

this book is another example, too, of how as different as we can be, we (different races, cultures, religions, nationalities, etc.) are still SO similar and alike. why can't we just get along then???

because we do NOT try hard enough at it, like we don't try hard enough at SO many other positive things. unfortunately, we sure do put a LOT of effort into negative things, tho, don't we?!?!?!

[Paula-O · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book #3 was the story of Martha the youngest sister, It concludes with answer to why there were so many "accidents" happening at the parents and other family members homes. I was surprised to see who had done all this stuff and why. this mystery was weaved tru all 3 books. I was little dissappointed in story of Martha though. I felt like she did not get the attention the other 2 sisters had. Her love of life also seemed short changed in the depth of his character and they did not have a normal courtship to my way of thinking. all in all though I enjoyed the series of these sisters. I always like to read about amish families and see a different type of life that they live.

[Tasha enderby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good series that could be read as one book at a time or all toghether like I did. You learn enough about each charector that is doesn't really matter. However the mystery spans all three books to keep you hanging on. I loved learning about each of the sisters tales and how they relate to their family and Martha was the youngest in this book but very much involved in her family. Her keen detective skills seeks out the person who is torturing their family over the span of years. Each attack is worse then the next I can't believe no one is hurt. The Stunning end of the culprit will amaze you and you see just how devious hate really is.

[Mayda · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this concluding novel of the Sisters of Homes County trilogy, we finally discover who has been tormenting Grace and her family. It is a tale of revenge and hate. But it not the Amish way to seek retribution or to punish. However, when the situation sends her mother to the breaking point, Martha is determined to find and stop the culprit. Luke, wishing to clear his name, is equally determined. If you have read the previous two novels, you will want to see this saga to its surprising end. The Amish may not seek to press charges against the guilty, but the sheriff sees it differently. Fans of author Wanda Brunstetter will enjoy this somewhat unusual Amish story.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 3 in the Sister's of Holmes County Series. I waited impatiently for this book to arrive. And it didn't let me down. By the time I got to the end of the first chapter, I had made up my mind about who was causing trouble for the family. I got so caught up in the story, I was not able to set the book aside. The author wove the mystery so convincingly through-out the series. Just when it seemed the solution was in sight, she'd veer off on another jaunt. I doubted my answer many times, before coming to the last page. This book was so easy to read. I finished it in just over a day. Definitely a have to read series!

[patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace is about to marry Cleon. She has a secret about her rumspringa years. When Gary shows up in town she is upset. Grace has never told her family or Cleon her secret. As we all know secrets can come home to roost. When hers is revealed in quite an unexpected way it disrupts her new marriage and her family. He family is attacked by what could be nothing more than pranks but is it? Wand E. Brunstetter always tells a good story and A Sister's Hope is no exception. There are three books in this series.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like this series of books as well as some of her others.
There were too many bad things going on for peaceful Amish people.