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Daughters of Lancaster County #1-3
The Daughters of Lancaster County
Time stands still in Pennsylvania Amish Country where the Fisher family struggles to overcome devastating heartache. Follow three young women who are pivotal to bringing faith, hope, love, and—most importantly—forgiveness back into this Amish family’s lives. The Storekeeper’s Daughter Naomi Fisher’s heart yearns for the love of Caleb Hoffmeir, but her days are plotted for her as surrogate mother to six siblings—until the afternoon her baby brother goes missing from the yard. How can Naomi expect anyone to love and trust her if she couldn’t take care of one small boy? The Quilter’s Daughter Abby Miller leaves her successful quilt shop and patient fiancé in Ohio to help her pregnant mother in Pennsylvania. While she’s away, Abby’s world is shattered in one fell swoop. How can God make anything good come out of such tragedy? The Bishop’s Daughter Leona Weaver’s faith wavers after her father’s tragic accident. When outlander Jimmy Scott comes to Pennsylvania in search of his real family, they find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other. . .but can anything good come from the love between an Amish woman and an Englisher? Enjoy a heartfelt look into the lives of an endearing Amish family novels that inspired the made-for-stage musical, Stolen.
898 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2005
89 people are currently reading
641 people want to read
About the author
Wanda E. Brunstetter
216 books2,333 followersNew 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
August 28, 2009
My faith in God has deeped after reading this book. I've always known that I can lean on God when things are tough. It is so true that when things go wrong God carries us, or walks beside us to help us.
I really enjoyed this book. I recommend it very highly. It gives you an insight of how the Amish live and work and how they come to the aid of everyone Amish or outsider. They are very hard workers and are very honest people, who live what they are taught.
I really enjoyed this book. I recommend it very highly. It gives you an insight of how the Amish live and work and how they come to the aid of everyone Amish or outsider. They are very hard workers and are very honest people, who live what they are taught.
September 4, 2016
I have read this 3-1 book on the Kindle
The first book tells of a Kidnapping of Naomi's Youngest brother while in her care she goes on to leave the Amish community & how she copes in the English World
The 2nd book tells of Abbey & how her future husband dies trying to save her quilts from the fire in her quilting store while she way helping her mother it tells of her healing & how she finally comes to terms with it all
The 3rd book Tells of Leona & she also Grieving after her future husband dies as a result of a horse kicking him, she also has to deal with her father's loss of memory & he behaves like a child yet he the bishop
The last book does tie everything up & your given answers from the books you may have.
There is a follow up series to this which is The Kentucky Brothers series & worth reading
The first book tells of a Kidnapping of Naomi's Youngest brother while in her care she goes on to leave the Amish community & how she copes in the English World
The 2nd book tells of Abbey & how her future husband dies trying to save her quilts from the fire in her quilting store while she way helping her mother it tells of her healing & how she finally comes to terms with it all
The 3rd book Tells of Leona & she also Grieving after her future husband dies as a result of a horse kicking him, she also has to deal with her father's loss of memory & he behaves like a child yet he the bishop
The last book does tie everything up & your given answers from the books you may have.
There is a follow up series to this which is The Kentucky Brothers series & worth reading
December 31, 2018
I loved this book!! Loved all the stories in the book!! Love this author's books!!
October 30, 2018
Stolen was a marvelous reread of The Daughters of Lancaster County by Wanda E. Brunstetter. I read these books when they were released in 2005, but what a pleasure to enjoy them once again, even though I recalled some of the events.
The Storekeeper’s Daughter with Naomi Fisher broke my heart when her young brother, Zachary, was kidnapped. There are unexpected twists and turns in this book that readers will connect with by finding forgiveness, family connectedness, romance and a renewal love for God.
The Quilter’s Daughter brought Abby Miller to Lancaster County to assist her mother, Fannie Fisher. The dream Abby had come to fruition at her Amish Quilt Shop in Ohio, which left her devastated. Abby agree to travel with her elderly aunt to Montana in hopes of finding a renewal meaning in her life. Young Abby returned to Lancaster County with a brighter future and knowing where God wanted her.
The Bishop’s Daughter explored the life of Leona Weaver’s life. Leona was drawn to an Englischer that arrived in Lancaster County searching for his long lost family. There are welcome surprises and testing of faith that brought a lovely conclusion to this magnificent series.
I won a complimentary copy of The Daughters of Lancaster County: The Bestselling Series That Inspired the Musical, Stolen from the publisher in a giveaway. I was not required to write a review, but wanted to leave my own thoughts. Now to attend the musical Stolen produced for Blue Gate Theatres.
The Storekeeper’s Daughter with Naomi Fisher broke my heart when her young brother, Zachary, was kidnapped. There are unexpected twists and turns in this book that readers will connect with by finding forgiveness, family connectedness, romance and a renewal love for God.
The Quilter’s Daughter brought Abby Miller to Lancaster County to assist her mother, Fannie Fisher. The dream Abby had come to fruition at her Amish Quilt Shop in Ohio, which left her devastated. Abby agree to travel with her elderly aunt to Montana in hopes of finding a renewal meaning in her life. Young Abby returned to Lancaster County with a brighter future and knowing where God wanted her.
The Bishop’s Daughter explored the life of Leona Weaver’s life. Leona was drawn to an Englischer that arrived in Lancaster County searching for his long lost family. There are welcome surprises and testing of faith that brought a lovely conclusion to this magnificent series.
I won a complimentary copy of The Daughters of Lancaster County: The Bestselling Series That Inspired the Musical, Stolen from the publisher in a giveaway. I was not required to write a review, but wanted to leave my own thoughts. Now to attend the musical Stolen produced for Blue Gate Theatres.
July 8, 2012
I started reading this trilogy around the 4th of July and have not been able to put it down. I just love how some of the unanswered questions at the end of each book are answered in the next book. The character introduction in each book is wonderful. For example, a character may be mentioned subtly throughout book 1 and then that character would be the main character in book 2 and it all ties together nicely. This author was new to me, but I enjoyed these books as much as I do the Beverly Lewis books.
January 22, 2010
Through the series of 3 novels, I was drawn deeply into the lives of the Fisher, Weaver, and Scott families. I shared in the joys, sorrows, and deep pains they each experienced throughout their lives. I was especially drawn to Jimmy/Zach and the way he drew such strength of character in his deep relationship with the Lord. This is a group of novels I will want to read again at some point.
April 26, 2007
I just finished reading this book about 10 minutes ago, & I have to say that I absolutely loved it!!! The plot was wonderful, & I felt myself completely captivated. This book is a must read for anyone who loves the Amish culture like I do!
September 17, 2008
i learned that not everything in life can go as planned and this book is awesome
June 23, 2009
I love the stories of the amish - I don't know why, but they are so simple and sweet.
May 25, 2011
I LOVE THIS BOOOOOK!!
July 13, 2011
good read
January 7, 2021
I waited until finishing the last book of this series before reviewing it, and reviewing all three in detail would be a huge undertaking (not to mention a huge review plus spoilers for the first book in the last), so I will condense things majorly. Suffice it to say, I was not impressed.
Setting: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, contemporary times; specifically Amish country. But there is a "normal" setting, as well, including Ohio, Washington state, and occasionally Maryland. To keep things simple, I'm going to assume the way Brunstetter portrays Amish people is completely accurate (after all, she does have Amish friends, if one can believe her bio), and ignore other sources from which I've learned about Amish culture. Using that premise, I really don't have much for Amish people. In fact, they seem to have a more complicated life than I do in some ways--reminding me why I dislike reading contemporary novels. We have plenty of mentions of chiropractors, going to the hospital, catching rides in Englishers' vehicles and using other public transportation, family members moving states away, trying to be a mother and running one's own business at the same time, the use of refrigerators and telephones, and more. All this use of modern conveniences makes me wonder about the true Amish convictions. In addition, the "simpler" duties of life are not described enough to evoke a slower, old-fashioned feel. Preparing meals is mentioned, but the details include things like peeling potatoes, which is certainly not limited to those in the Amish community.
Then again, you would think it was, if every non-Amish family is like the Scotts, representing the English perspective in the book. Now there's a major reason I dislike reading contemporary. I won't comment on the realism of it, and just leave it at that.
Characters: Is there anyone to like? In the first book, the only one in whom I was remotely interested is Abraham Fisher, and then his character changes starkly. Then, in the last book, it changes acutely before zigzagging back.
The female main characters are generally annoying, and I didn't consider them having much personality. The men are basically the same way, and I think the last book is the worst of them all (we have cowardice normalized and someone converting to the Amish lifestyle while barely acknowledging their faith).
As for the non-Amish characters, there are occasions where someone sparked my interest briefly, but no one is good enough for me to relate to them.
Plot: I found the overall plot unrealistic and/or extremely simplified. No real complications, either in the beginning or conclusion--just some guilt ("the guilty man flees when no one pursues") and some anger on the part of the characters. All of the little plots feel pretty choppy, and by the end of the series, pretty predictable, because someone has to suffer a life-0r-limb-threatening injury (which, you guessed it, involves some pretty advanced medical technology--but we won't get into that).
Faith content: Amidst all the bad writing, contemporary setting, and inclusion of all the wrong details, the portrayal of the Amish faith--or lack thereof--is what disappointed me possibly the most. With the exception of a couple of dialogue scenes, discussions of Amish practices are basically just that--practices, not actions based on a belief of what God says in His Word. And I, reading that, just see a bunch of hypocrites with no rhyme or reason to why they live life in a particular way. Now, maybe that is how it is in real life. But I would imagine that is not the message Brunstetter wants to convey. So I think it is a great disservice to ignore--almost completely--the religious views of the Plain people. And I mean more than referencing the Scripture verse (once) that conveniently has the word "plain" in it. I think it would be better to show how and why the Amish aren't just another "sect of Christianity." But Brunstetter doesn't accomplish that in the least--at least to my satisfaction.
Setting: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, contemporary times; specifically Amish country. But there is a "normal" setting, as well, including Ohio, Washington state, and occasionally Maryland. To keep things simple, I'm going to assume the way Brunstetter portrays Amish people is completely accurate (after all, she does have Amish friends, if one can believe her bio), and ignore other sources from which I've learned about Amish culture. Using that premise, I really don't have much for Amish people. In fact, they seem to have a more complicated life than I do in some ways--reminding me why I dislike reading contemporary novels. We have plenty of mentions of chiropractors, going to the hospital, catching rides in Englishers' vehicles and using other public transportation, family members moving states away, trying to be a mother and running one's own business at the same time, the use of refrigerators and telephones, and more. All this use of modern conveniences makes me wonder about the true Amish convictions. In addition, the "simpler" duties of life are not described enough to evoke a slower, old-fashioned feel. Preparing meals is mentioned, but the details include things like peeling potatoes, which is certainly not limited to those in the Amish community.
Then again, you would think it was, if every non-Amish family is like the Scotts, representing the English perspective in the book. Now there's a major reason I dislike reading contemporary. I won't comment on the realism of it, and just leave it at that.
Characters: Is there anyone to like? In the first book, the only one in whom I was remotely interested is Abraham Fisher, and then his character changes starkly. Then, in the last book, it changes acutely before zigzagging back.
The female main characters are generally annoying, and I didn't consider them having much personality. The men are basically the same way, and I think the last book is the worst of them all (we have cowardice normalized and someone converting to the Amish lifestyle while barely acknowledging their faith).
As for the non-Amish characters, there are occasions where someone sparked my interest briefly, but no one is good enough for me to relate to them.
Plot: I found the overall plot unrealistic and/or extremely simplified. No real complications, either in the beginning or conclusion--just some guilt ("the guilty man flees when no one pursues") and some anger on the part of the characters. All of the little plots feel pretty choppy, and by the end of the series, pretty predictable, because someone has to suffer a life-0r-limb-threatening injury (which, you guessed it, involves some pretty advanced medical technology--but we won't get into that).
Faith content: Amidst all the bad writing, contemporary setting, and inclusion of all the wrong details, the portrayal of the Amish faith--or lack thereof--is what disappointed me possibly the most. With the exception of a couple of dialogue scenes, discussions of Amish practices are basically just that--practices, not actions based on a belief of what God says in His Word. And I, reading that, just see a bunch of hypocrites with no rhyme or reason to why they live life in a particular way. Now, maybe that is how it is in real life. But I would imagine that is not the message Brunstetter wants to convey. So I think it is a great disservice to ignore--almost completely--the religious views of the Plain people. And I mean more than referencing the Scripture verse (once) that conveniently has the word "plain" in it. I think it would be better to show how and why the Amish aren't just another "sect of Christianity." But Brunstetter doesn't accomplish that in the least--at least to my satisfaction.
August 25, 2020
Loved loved this story. It showed true emotions and it was so inviting with the characters being so real and working out their own stubborn nature. I was really worried Naomi would not end up marrying Caleb. How wonderful of her Dad to take it upon himself to make this happen since Caleb's only reasoning for not wanting to marry his one an only true love Naomi, was because he just had to provide for his wife and family. What a wonderful quality to have. I would not have been able to withhold myself from someone I loved just because I could not provide and became disable in my own career. It is wonderful that the Amish have found solutions to changing what they do in life in regard to unfortunate circumstances. It was such a joy to experience this book and all of the turns and twists that worked out for the characters in this book. We did not get any information on what would happen to there younger brother who was taken. I hope the author will continue with story with a book 2.
October 31, 2018
This book is also a musical from what I read. This book tells about a family and extended family over a 20 year period. It centers around one of Abraham Fisher's young children being stolen. I cannot believe that I read a book with 900 pages, but, I simply could not put it down. It is how the Amish live their lives in Lancaster Pennsylvania. It is about the daughters and their families from the Abraham Fisher family, but, it also about Abraham Fisher and his loses and gains. I loved it. I though it was thrilling, interesting, kind, good people that have problems like all of us do.
September 16, 2018
This was chosen for the 2018 Community Read and my Book Club always supports that.It was a book none of us would have picked up on our own. I do not understand the whole phenomena of books about the Amish. Having said that, I tried to go in with an open mind but.......
894 pages of writing and 125 pages of plot. Cliched writing, poor dialogue, predictable lot lines.
We always rate the books on a scale of 1-10 after our discussion. I'm giving it a 2.
894 pages of writing and 125 pages of plot. Cliched writing, poor dialogue, predictable lot lines.
We always rate the books on a scale of 1-10 after our discussion. I'm giving it a 2.
June 25, 2022
How Does God Restore Lives Displayed Through 3📚?
"The Daughters of Lancaster County", by Wanda E. Brunstetter, is an Outstanding, Engrossing, Poignant, Amish, Romantic Suspense Series! How does God use a kidnapped baby/child, an Amish quilted baby blanket, tragic accidents, and the "truth", to bring restoration, and Lifetime 💞s , into this one Amish Family? I Highly Recommend You📖 These 3 📚s, to find out! ❤📖 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"The Daughters of Lancaster County", by Wanda E. Brunstetter, is an Outstanding, Engrossing, Poignant, Amish, Romantic Suspense Series! How does God use a kidnapped baby/child, an Amish quilted baby blanket, tragic accidents, and the "truth", to bring restoration, and Lifetime 💞s , into this one Amish Family? I Highly Recommend You📖 These 3 📚s, to find out! ❤📖 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
November 20, 2017
Three books of three live struggles ...kidnapping, fires, death but Gods love and the love and support within the Amish community shines.
These books will be reread in the future, they show true faith in our Lord and fellow man. How thru struggles we grow. I cried, laughed, rejoiced like I was truly there...a part of the lives of those in the story,
These books will be reread in the future, they show true faith in our Lord and fellow man. How thru struggles we grow. I cried, laughed, rejoiced like I was truly there...a part of the lives of those in the story,
May 31, 2021
This book has three separate stories of Amish women who are trying to find love and their Faith. The one story was made into a musical called Stolen. You will want to read all three books. It’s one of Wanda’s earlier series.
December 3, 2021
I grew up near Lancaster county in a very conservative family. I appreciated the realness of the content of these books and only gave this 3 stars because of the 3rd book. I felt like it dragged a bit and did not carry the story as well as the first two.
October 11, 2023
I enjoyed all three books of this trilogy. It’s wonderful to read stories that look for the good in others, for strong family relationships and faith. These are stories that give us courage to seek the good in life and know that a relationship with God is our ultimate goal and need.
July 12, 2024
Truly loved this book! What an amazing read! Transitioned well from section to section. Got the feeling I was there for the entire book. Wow, how bizarre. I could not believe how close he came to learning everything on so many occasions and yet missed it by centimeters. it was a page Turner
April 11, 2019
A feel good series of stories beautifully tied together to make one.
September 28, 2020
Great read
October 7, 2022
Loved it great Amish love stories of love, heart aches, forgiveness and God
Read
January 16, 2023i love this book always something happening
October 8, 2023
Enjoyed the story but was not resolved by end of the book. Hopefully the next book will have a resolution.
January 31, 2024
It is a good book. Some chapters were long-winded. Seemed to drag.
July 27, 2024
Loved this series! I have read each one multiple times!
Brunstetter weaves a mystery story into each of the lives of the characters.
Brunstetter weaves a mystery story into each of the lives of the characters.
December 26, 2024
I read this probably 15 years ago.
I remember I couldn't wait to get to the next book.
I remember I couldn't wait to get to the next book.
September 19, 2021
Amazing
I loved each chapter and couldn't wait to get to the next one. I sometimes stayed up to 2:00 AM reading until I could get to the next chapter. This is an amazing and interesting book that every woman should read. Riveting.
I loved each chapter and couldn't wait to get to the next one. I sometimes stayed up to 2:00 AM reading until I could get to the next chapter. This is an amazing and interesting book that every woman should read. Riveting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews