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The Amish Schoolteacher
What will it take for Mary to let go of her pride and see Marcus for who he really is? A swift and heartwarming Amish romance, full of misunderstandings, tragedy, and the sweet satisfaction of young love. Mary Wagler arrives in Adams County, Ohio for the new school term, ready to begin her duties teaching eighteen students at the little one room schoolhouse. Marcus Yoder, who lives next door with his widowed mother and his six younger siblings, is assigned the task of meeting the new arrival at the bus station. He is to transport Mary in his buggy to where she will board at Leon and Lavina Hochstetler’s home. Mary is sure Marcus has volunteered for the task to make an early play on her affections and dreads the nuisance he will be in the coming weeks. Mary opens her first day of school with a firm determination. She will make a solid contribution to this small Amish community nestled on the banks of the Ohio River. When Marcus stops by occasionally to greet his younger siblings after school, Mary is convinced he felt snubbed by her lack of interest in his early affection, and that he's hanging around to critique her every move and make the school term miserable for her. When sickness sweeps through the school, Marcus comes to Mary's aid. Mary blames herself for handling the challenge poorly, and is surprised by Marcus's gentle response. Perhaps he's not quite the nuisance she thought he was. But she's been so rude to him that surely he's no longer interested in her friendship. Or could she be wrong . . . again?
194 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 7, 2020
25 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Jerry S. Eicher
70 books201 followersJerry Eicher’s bestselling Amish fiction (more than 210,000 in combined sales) includes The Adams County Trilogy, the Hannah’s Heart books, and the Little Valley Series. After a traditional Amish childhood, Jerry taught for two terms in Amish and Mennonite schools in Ohio and Illinois. Since then he’s been involved in church renewal, preaching, and teaching Bible studies. Jerry lives with his wife, Tina Eicher, and their four children in Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 12, 2020
An extremely enjoyable story with lovely characters that just shows that there is nothing wrong with slow-burn romance.
I loved the characters: Mary with her energy, and good heart, and strong, thoughtful Marcus, who needed his time to mourn his father and accept that it was time to move on in life.
You might not like Mary straightaway. She seems a bit frivolous and stubborn at the beginning, and gives an awfully hard time to Marcus whose only fault was coming to pick her from the station to bring her to their little community where Mary is to take up a post of a schoolteacher. Mary expects a whole delegation of school board ladies welcoming her, so a bumpy ride with a sulky young man who dares to criticise her luggage is a letdown. As Marcus is single, and Mary is a very pretty young teacher, everybody seems to expect them to have tender feelings for each other, while the reality is a bit more complicated. Marcus knows it is time he started looking for a bride, and he definitely appreciates Mary's beauty, but he is also convinced she would never be interested in him. Mary... to be honest, Mary prays to have her heart open for meeting somebody special she will honour and love, and Marcus is definitely handsome. She is also sure Marcus must have already made his negative opinion of her, and will always find fault with everything she does. It is clear that these two have started off on a wrong foot.
Gradually, Mary wins everybody over. She is an enthusiastic and caring teacher. She cares about her students and about the elderly couple in whose house she lives. Mary is independent and hard-working, and fits really well in this small community. She does want Marcus to see that she is sensible and capable, although she does appreciate his help as a school janitor. Perhaps, the way she treated him at the beginning was a mistake, but she will do everything she can to correct it.
We also see that Marcus has been taking care of his mother and younger siblings since the death of his father, which left him very little time for anything but the farm work and a lot of responsibilities. Now his mother is about to marry again and Marcus will be able to have a life of his own, but is he ready for this change? Is his heart open for somebody new and different?
There is a strong emphasis on the community life and taking care of each other in times of need, as well as prayer for spiritual nourishment, shared hard work, love and understanding as the basis for a successful marriage. This book will be much appreciated by all the readers who prefer a clean romance with a sweet couple and a happy ever after at the end.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher (Good Books) for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
I loved the characters: Mary with her energy, and good heart, and strong, thoughtful Marcus, who needed his time to mourn his father and accept that it was time to move on in life.
You might not like Mary straightaway. She seems a bit frivolous and stubborn at the beginning, and gives an awfully hard time to Marcus whose only fault was coming to pick her from the station to bring her to their little community where Mary is to take up a post of a schoolteacher. Mary expects a whole delegation of school board ladies welcoming her, so a bumpy ride with a sulky young man who dares to criticise her luggage is a letdown. As Marcus is single, and Mary is a very pretty young teacher, everybody seems to expect them to have tender feelings for each other, while the reality is a bit more complicated. Marcus knows it is time he started looking for a bride, and he definitely appreciates Mary's beauty, but he is also convinced she would never be interested in him. Mary... to be honest, Mary prays to have her heart open for meeting somebody special she will honour and love, and Marcus is definitely handsome. She is also sure Marcus must have already made his negative opinion of her, and will always find fault with everything she does. It is clear that these two have started off on a wrong foot.
Gradually, Mary wins everybody over. She is an enthusiastic and caring teacher. She cares about her students and about the elderly couple in whose house she lives. Mary is independent and hard-working, and fits really well in this small community. She does want Marcus to see that she is sensible and capable, although she does appreciate his help as a school janitor. Perhaps, the way she treated him at the beginning was a mistake, but she will do everything she can to correct it.
We also see that Marcus has been taking care of his mother and younger siblings since the death of his father, which left him very little time for anything but the farm work and a lot of responsibilities. Now his mother is about to marry again and Marcus will be able to have a life of his own, but is he ready for this change? Is his heart open for somebody new and different?
There is a strong emphasis on the community life and taking care of each other in times of need, as well as prayer for spiritual nourishment, shared hard work, love and understanding as the basis for a successful marriage. This book will be much appreciated by all the readers who prefer a clean romance with a sweet couple and a happy ever after at the end.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher (Good Books) for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
June 27, 2020
Well maybe I am just difficult to please, but when it comes time to my Amish/Mennonite romance books I expect more than this. I have been reading Amish books for years and have never found a sect that acts as this one does. The language is very modern and so are many of the ideas and traits of the two main characters. This is not a 'fluffy' Amish romance as many of them are-this is way more solemn, the characters are very prideful which I had thought was against their teachings, there is a lot of pseudo-psychology used as part of the story-line.
I felt that it would be interesting to read one of my favorite genres written by a man this time, and not a female. It was not interesting although the story could have been. The male author seems to have invested a lot of time in trying to over flesh the female protagonist and lets the male protagonist flounder.
To add to this, there are a lot of grammatical errors, spelling errors, filler, run-on sentences, and endless paragraphs to be found.
*ARC supplied by the publisher and author.
I felt that it would be interesting to read one of my favorite genres written by a man this time, and not a female. It was not interesting although the story could have been. The male author seems to have invested a lot of time in trying to over flesh the female protagonist and lets the male protagonist flounder.
To add to this, there are a lot of grammatical errors, spelling errors, filler, run-on sentences, and endless paragraphs to be found.
*ARC supplied by the publisher and author.
October 14, 2025
somehow not the worst book i’ve read this year
September 27, 2025
hell yeah! thank u kim for giving me the honor of reading this masterpiece. i WILL be getting my hands on some more amish books
July 20, 2020
The Amish School Teacher by Jerry Eicher has Mary Wagler accepting a position to teach in West Union, Ohio. She sees it as an opportunity to get away from her three well-meaning but interfering sisters. Mary sisters are encouraging her to marry like they did after teaching for two years. Mary has yet to meet a man in her hometown with whom she would want to wed. Marcus Yoder is asked by Elmer Miller, the head of the school board, to pick up Mary from the bus station. Mary is expecting the wives of the school board members to pick her up and is surprised to see Marcus. She thinks he is trying to get a leg up on the other men in the community. Marcus has been told that it is time for him to find a wife. He has been running the family farm since he was sixteen which leaves little time for socializing. Unfortunately, Marcus and Mary get off on the wrong foot. Marcus finds Mary beautiful and everything he says comes out wrong especially his comments about her shiny blue suitcase. This first meeting sets the tone for their future encounters. It is soon apparent to Mary that the community feels she is the perfect match for Marcus and Mary’s protests fall on deaf ears. Marcus has kept feelings of grief bottled up since his father’s death. Mary wants to help him, but Marcus is resistant. When a crisis hits the school, Mary gets to see a different side of Marcus. She begins to wonder if maybe there is a future for them.
The Amish School Teacher by Jerry Eicher is a sweet Amish romance. I thought this story contained good writing and the story moved along steadily. I liked the variety of characters. Mary who is a woman of deep faith. She is not afraid to express her feelings about God in public or share them with others. Mary loves being a schoolteacher. She is a warm and friendly woman as well unless you get her dander up. Marcus made the mistake of criticizing her new pretty blue suitcase right after meeting Mary. Marcus has been responsible for his family and the farm since his father died when he was sixteen. That is a lot of responsibility for a teenager. Marcus had to step into his father’s shoes which never gave him the opportunity to grieve or have rumspringa. Marcus had hope that Mary might be the one for him until he saw her suitcase (too flighty). As you can see, misunderstandings and miscommunication abound in this story. There are also some warm, tender moments. I liked the Amish community in Adams County, Ohio. They are there for each through the good times and the bad. There are work parties to help provide wood for the schoolhouse, make food for weddings, and even to move the new bride to her home. The people are friendly and welcoming. I liked Lavina and Leon Hochstetler with whom Mary boarded. They were a loving couple with strong faith. I liked how God was celebrated in this story. There are good scripture passages along with prayer. My one complaint is that the story is unsurprising. The relationship of Marcus and Mary moves along an expected path. The Amish School Teacher is a charming Amish romance that is a nice break from reality.
The Amish School Teacher by Jerry Eicher is a sweet Amish romance. I thought this story contained good writing and the story moved along steadily. I liked the variety of characters. Mary who is a woman of deep faith. She is not afraid to express her feelings about God in public or share them with others. Mary loves being a schoolteacher. She is a warm and friendly woman as well unless you get her dander up. Marcus made the mistake of criticizing her new pretty blue suitcase right after meeting Mary. Marcus has been responsible for his family and the farm since his father died when he was sixteen. That is a lot of responsibility for a teenager. Marcus had to step into his father’s shoes which never gave him the opportunity to grieve or have rumspringa. Marcus had hope that Mary might be the one for him until he saw her suitcase (too flighty). As you can see, misunderstandings and miscommunication abound in this story. There are also some warm, tender moments. I liked the Amish community in Adams County, Ohio. They are there for each through the good times and the bad. There are work parties to help provide wood for the schoolhouse, make food for weddings, and even to move the new bride to her home. The people are friendly and welcoming. I liked Lavina and Leon Hochstetler with whom Mary boarded. They were a loving couple with strong faith. I liked how God was celebrated in this story. There are good scripture passages along with prayer. My one complaint is that the story is unsurprising. The relationship of Marcus and Mary moves along an expected path. The Amish School Teacher is a charming Amish romance that is a nice break from reality.
March 7, 2021
This is a sweet and poignant romance. Marcus and Mary misjudge each other. They are each other’s toughest critics. Marcus thinks Mary is vain and materialistic based on a blue glittery suitcase she uses to travel to their town to teach school. Mary thinks Marcus is arrogant and has a very low opinion of her. I love the character growth and watching the young couple fall in love as they learn who the other really is. I gave the story 4/5 stars because I wanted more! It is well worth a read on quiet Saturday or Sunday but without giving anything away, you know that Marcus and Mary find their way to each other but I was craving a few more details at the end rather than have these left to the imagination. Enjoy!
October 3, 2022
Mary, after teaching two years in her home district, was ready for a new start away from her sisters advise, who taught before het. She accepted a job in southern Ohio, several hours from her home. She is met by Marcus Yoder, a young man who picked up the reins for his family's support after the untimely death of his father. While I liked the story, Mary came across to me as rather haughty in her attitudes; she was a teacher and therefore always right in her assumptions. She felt it was her job to "fix" Marcus and make him face things she knew nothing about. And while the ending is what the community had hoped for, she never seemed to me to drop her attitudes and admit just maybe she didn't know it all.
August 26, 2020
The Amish School Teacher is your typical Amish story written by Jerry Richer. I enjoyed this story but wasn't blown away by it. The characters are well written but could use a little more spunk. I have all of this authors Amish books and enjoyed them a lot but with this one I had a hard time with. I didn't feel drawn to any particular character in this story.
I was not given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I was not approached to post a favorable response. I have rated this story with four stars.
I was not given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I was not approached to post a favorable response. I have rated this story with four stars.
April 3, 2023
Captivating
I loved everything about this story. Jerry Eicher is a very talented author. I have read so many of his books. I'm reading "The Men of Amish Fiction A Christmas Collection". This was a short story in the book. At the end it suggested reading the whole story, so of course I had to buy the book immediately. I think you will love this story of doubt, struggles, and love.
I loved everything about this story. Jerry Eicher is a very talented author. I have read so many of his books. I'm reading "The Men of Amish Fiction A Christmas Collection". This was a short story in the book. At the end it suggested reading the whole story, so of course I had to buy the book immediately. I think you will love this story of doubt, struggles, and love.
January 10, 2021
An interesting read
This was actually different from a lot of other books in this genre because when the “couple” met each of them was thinking that they each had faults which would prevent them from even considering each other as friends, but way before they realized how wrong they were, we knew they were exactly what the other needed. I enjoyed this book.
This was actually different from a lot of other books in this genre because when the “couple” met each of them was thinking that they each had faults which would prevent them from even considering each other as friends, but way before they realized how wrong they were, we knew they were exactly what the other needed. I enjoyed this book.
August 18, 2020
I loved this book. I really felt the frustration coming across in the story and the need for approval and to prove could be a good teacher. And going to a new place and taking on responsibilities especially when faced with the problems, Wow! A another must read!
September 28, 2020
Love takes root in West Union, Adams County Ohio
I loved the characters, I loved watching them verbally challenge one and other. I loved the spirit of the Amish community. Best of all, based upon where my family resides.
I loved the characters, I loved watching them verbally challenge one and other. I loved the spirit of the Amish community. Best of all, based upon where my family resides.
November 30, 2023
Good
I liked the premise of the story, but there were parts that dragged and parts were rushed through. I feel like I missed so much of the courtship because it seemed to be rushed through. Its worth reading though. It felt more of a regular book than an Amish one.
I liked the premise of the story, but there were parts that dragged and parts were rushed through. I feel like I missed so much of the courtship because it seemed to be rushed through. Its worth reading though. It felt more of a regular book than an Amish one.
August 13, 2020
I loved this book. It was a great story I haven't read very many from this author so far I am liking his books and can't wait to read more.
August 21, 2020
I loved this book!! Great story!! Too short!! 1st book I have read by this author will read more of his books!!
September 13, 2020
Entertaining.
Love helps us learn when to speak and when to accept. An entertaining read. Love learns to appreciate our differences.
Love helps us learn when to speak and when to accept. An entertaining read. Love learns to appreciate our differences.
September 16, 2020
Till death do us part.
A very good Amish love story.Two lost souls who found each other.God showed them that they belonged together.I would recommend this for any age.
A very good Amish love story.Two lost souls who found each other.God showed them that they belonged together.I would recommend this for any age.
February 27, 2021
Would of gave it 5 stars but author could of done a better job on Amish authenticity. An opinionated teacher moves to a new school where the whole community is pushing for them to be a couple.
September 10, 2021
Good book.
Two young people with very different personalities, ideas and
and plans for their futures learn to adjust to each other.
Two young people with very different personalities, ideas and
and plans for their futures learn to adjust to each other.
May 18, 2022
Fantastic book, started reading and did not want to put it down
February 26, 2023
Very good. I’m surprised she only fainted! New topics in this book with Amish teachers!
January 20, 2024
Too predictable.
November 10, 2024
very good book
March 10, 2020
A beautiful, emotional story of a young Amish teacher who moves away to a new Amish community to teach. Mary meets Marcus Yoder, a handsome, brooding farmer who is so sure that Mary is not someone that he could ever have a relationship with. This is one of the sweetest, most heart-felt story of healing hearts and precious first love. I loved this book and look forward to reading more of Jerry Eicher.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews