A Sister's Secret

Sisters of Holmes County #1

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

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

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

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

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyable Amish fiction.

EDIT: I must have read this book too quickly the first time. Between the relationship drama, the family issues, and all the death and catastrophes, this feels more like a soap opera than an Amish novel. Not only that, but...the person responsible for all the crimes isn't revealed by the end of the story.

Maybe the series gets better after this; I sure hope so.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 5 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 this story doesn't end at this book and will continue with the next (according to the summaries of the other books)

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 oldest 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 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. Very nicely written and as a fan of Beverly Lewis Abram's Daughters series this series by Ms Brunstetter is just as nice! Can't wait to start book two!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A SISTER'S SECRET is a reprint of an older book that was published earlier, so many Amish fiction fans might have read it. I've been delinquent in my reading of books by this author and some have decided to further my Amish reading so they have sent me several of Wanda E. Brunstetter's books.

Grace has a lot of secrets, not the least of it as to who Gary Walker is and what he knows about her--which is more than what even her fiance knows. I kind of wondered how she thought she could keep her secrets past her wedding night, but maybe Cleon is a lot more innocent than Grace.

There are three different sisters, and each has a point of view, plus several male characters and the parents, but the story is primarily about Grace and her secrets. There is also a bit of a mystery as to who might be sabotaging the Amish, and a couple guesses who it might be. I made my decision fairly early on.

Fans of sweet Amish stories will love Wanda E. Brunstetter -- which is probably why she has such a huge following. If you happen to be as delinquent in her books as me, don't wait and grab a copy of A SISTER'S SECRET today.

I was given a copy by a friend. All opinions are my own.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am becoming a real fan of these books by Wanda Brunstetter and Beverly Lewis set in Amish country with Amish characters. They are a quick, relaxing read, but moreover, the characters pray, read the scriptures, talk about God, believe in lasting marriages and strong families and try to solve their problems with gospel principles. What a radical departure from some of today's fiction! I really enjoyed this book, and while it wasn't the best I've ever read, it was very nice and I will seek out more of these books by Brunstetter, Lewis and others whose theme is how to deal with challenges in a Christian way. I commend these authors and will be looking for more of their work!

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I did want to branch out from my normal reading. No dissolute viscounts, no teen girls saving the world, and a lot of awkward pennsylvania dutch words.

[Connie Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace Hostetler has a secret that she's been hiding since she returned to Holmes County, Ohio four years ago, and it's now about to become known. Will her approaching marriage, and her future happiness, be destroyed? Can Grace convince her fiance Cleon and her family that she thought it was best not to reveal her past?

Wanda E. Brunstetter has written a moving tale of Grace's efforts to atone for her mistakes and to create a new life. A Sister's Secret also shares the viewpoints of Grace's two sisters, Ruth and Martha, and I'm hoping to learn their stories in the other books of the Sisters of Holmes County series. Brunstetter once again shows that the Amish aren't exempt from problems and heartaches, but they do rely on faith to see them through, and they also believe in forgiveness and redemption. Fans of suspense will enjoy the mysterious happenings, as they try to solve just who is behind the vandalism in this Amish community. There are no clear answers, so we'll need to read the other books of this series to find out!

If you're looking for an intriguing Amish story, this is the book for you. I received A Sister's Secret as a gift and there was no obligation for a positive review.

[Gladys Drybred · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book in 2 days. So many twists and turns. BUT! even though it is done it isn’t. It is the first of 3. Can’t wait to see what transpires in the next 2 books. Have never read a Wanda E Brunstetter book but will add her name to my list of authors.

[Katie Killingsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amish fiction is not normally my genre of choice, but I really enjoyed this one! I liked the characters and it actually caught me by surprise at certain parts (which I feel like doesn’t happen very often).

There are still questions to be answered, so I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Lori Henrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace has a secret that no one knows about. She is back home amongst the Amish, but for a time she was among the English during her rumschpringe. She had a job and dated. Grace never thought she would ever have to share her secret, even though she felt guilty about keeping the truth from her family. Grace felt that her family would never understand. Things were ok until Gary showed up in town and her past slapped her in the face. With her upcoming wedding Grace is torn between telling all or keeping her secret forever.

Little by little Grace's past is revealed. Strange attacks of vandalism and theft occur to the family.

I liked this story and hope to read the other 2 in the series. I did have a problem with some of the conversational language that the Amish characters used. It seemed out of place. Although it made for easier reading it seemed out of place. Curious to see if where the other books will go.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Sister’s Secret is one of Wanda Brunstetter’s earlier books that I reread. Grace kept secrets from her family and future fiancé that came to light after a series of damaging events in their Amish community. Grace struggles were realistic as so many will keep secrets of unpleasant times in their lives. The three Holstettler sisters supported each other but yet disagreed which was typical. Brunstetter wove some mystery into this story that readers might be able to figure out before the end. A story of forgiveness, second chances and finding that secrets need to be shared instead of hidden to live a life of peace, joy, and love with those who truly love and care for you. Now to find the time to read Ruth and Martha stories.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having only read the Amish fiction of Beverly Lewis and Marta Perry, I went into this new series with no expectations and a little bit of fear, that no one could write Amish fiction like Lewis, this book proved to be very close to Lewis, but different.
I found myself understanding both Grace and Cleon's points in this book, she did keep a very important secret from him and that was very wrong of her.
I liked her sisters Martha and Ruth.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Beverly Lewis.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book was great. It had a great story about love, loss, and learning. I enjoyed to read about the growth of the family. What really ticked me off? The end...What the heck, all that stuff going on and the reader is left with no answer as to who is behind them. I couldn't believe it! I spent so much of my time reading this and trying to figure out who was behind it all to be left with nothing!! SERIOUSLY!!!!!!!!!! What a bad way to ruin a great story!

On a sidew note...I will most likely read the other two...simply because I loved the sisters!
Also how does this book have a 4.06 rating?

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic first book of the series. Grace Hostetter has done a lot of things during her rumschpringe including getting married and having a baby. Since her husbands death however, she has decided to move back home. When she arrives, soon after she is caught off guard when her husbands parents return her daughter. She spends the rest of the time in the book making sure Anna feels loved and praying to God to put her on the right path. Simply just lovely. A very easy read and something that is very easy to follow.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boo! This book went nowhere! I actually even read the second one (what was I thinking!?) because I figured that something had to happen! Nope, nothing! Second one still left you hanging and feeling even more stupid for continuing to read!

[Jaymelee Glaspy snyder · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was actually painful to finish. The characters had no personality, the plot was predictable. The writing was plain. The ending was left unfinished to draw you to book number 2, but no thanks, I will pass.

[Esther LeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so great!

[Anna |This Curly Girl Reads| · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t read much Amish fiction for a few reasons but this one I started a few years ago during a vacation in Lancaster. We left before I finished the house’s copy, so I was glad to finish it finally!

This book was ok.

First, what I liked about it: it’s a clean story. I liked Grace—she wasn’t perfect but had a big heart and suffers a lot. My heart went out to her. She was so patient. I liked her sisters. I liked her sisters friend Martin. The sheriff was also likeable.

Second, what I didn’t care for: one of my main qualms with these Amish stories is that the Amish faith and Bible don’t line up…the way one dresses doesn’t determine their salvation. Joining the Amish church doesn’t make one better or worse. Jesus Christ is the Savior and offers grace to all through faith in him—the Bible says so, this isn’t solely my opinion. Having said that a story that is supposedly faith based without Christ falls flat for me.

I also had a hard time with Grace’s father and Cleon. Actually almost all the men in this story (aside from a couple) were proud and arrogant and left a bad taste in my mouth.

Last, the end was too upbrupt. Having more time to see the story close out happily would have been so nice.

Overall, I gave it a 3 star because it’s a clean read but I won’t likely be revisiting this story.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Amish story. Grace is about to be married but she is nervous and anxious because she has a big secret that she is keeping from everyone. During her running around time before she joined the church she had left home and became involved in the English world. During those two years, she made some poor decisions that were to hound her when she returned home. When those secrets were revealed she was devastated. Then there was an unexpected twist that threatened her new marriage. It is a good start to a trilogy. A must read for those who enjoyed Amish books.

[Priscilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book of faith, hope and love. I am looking forward to the rest of the books in the series.

[Aviana Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

so i was…not the target audience for this

[Megan Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was AWESOME!!! I LOVE Wanda Brunstetter's books. She does a great job with them.

[Maria Pierron · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ha! The attacks, the rowdy English fellows just out for a good time, and Grace’s all-consuming fear of Gary made this a great book.

[Katherine Bartlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for any amish fan! This series takes you through the lives of 3 sisters but the story continues throughout each book. I've been waiting until the 3rd one to find out just who is behind all the vandalizing so I can't wait!

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

What can I say about this book? It's not bad, but the writing feels very basic to me, and very innocent, as though it was written by a teenage girl who hasn't really had much experience in the world or with love, etc. The dialog often doesn't sound like people really talk and I don't know if that's because the author is trying to portray Amish speech patterns, but I don't think most of them speak as though they are children, either. It just feels more geared to middle-grade with the writing, but the subject matter is not. I think part of that is that, as with most Christian literature I have encountered, it's trying too hard to teach morals instead of just telling the story. It tends to get preachy, where the characters are constantly spelling out their moral thoughts rather than SHOWING us what their thoughts are. For example, an author might have the character thinking to himself "I feel so guilty that I can not forgive like I should do as a Christian." instead of "A niggle of guilt found its way in. Forgiveness was something he needed to work on". I suppose it's a style choice, but I think an adult reader is generally able to make the inference there. You don't need to spell things out the way you do for children, so this particular style feels very childlike.
That being said, I liked the characters and I feel like the events are plausible. I'm glad I already have the other 2 books in the trilogy because it ends with little resolution and after reading the other 2 cover summaries, it doesn't seem like there will be full resolution until the last book. As a stand alone book, I wouldn't recommend it, but if you have access to all three...well, we'll have to see after I've actually read the other two.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Sister’s Secret by Wanda E. Brunstetter is the first novel in the Sisters of Holmes County series (recently reprinted). I thought the story was well-written with realistic characters. Grace Hostettler is a woman who is keeping secrets from her family, fiancé, and community. When a man from her past shows up in Holmes County, Grace wonders if now is the time to unburden herself. The story is told from Grace’s point-of-view as well as Cleon’s, Grace’s fiancé, and Grace’s two sisters, Ruth and Martha. Each one has a different voice, so it was easy to go from one individual to the next. There is also a mystery in A Sister’s Secret. It started out with overturned outhouses and cows being tipped over. It soon escalated into breaking into the Hostettler home and destroying property. The violence escalates when someone breaks into Roman Hostettler’s carpentry workshop stealing tools and wreaking havoc. It is hard to turn the other check when the violence keeps intensifying. There are several individuals who could have done the malicious deeds. I enjoyed solving the whodunit. There are good life lessons in the story including how we learn with my favorite being that we learn from our errors. One of my favorite quotes is, “That’s how life goes—we learn and grow from our mistakes. And hope we don’t make them again.” The other quote that lingered with me is, “We need to remember that nothing we own is really ours. It’s all on loan from God.” I am glad that I had the other two books from the Sisters of Holmes County series on hand. This is a series that needs to be read from beginning to end. A Sister’s Secret is a story about forgiveness, family, secrets, second chances, love, and faith.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

My least favorite characters were Roman (Grace's father) and Cleon (Grace's husband). Their inability to forgive Grace for keeping her secret for so long. I can really understand why Cleon was initially upset. That wasn't fair of Grace to withhold the fact that she'd been married and had a child while out in the English world. On the flip side, her fears about their reactions to her past were not lacking any foundation. Their disgust for her past (based on their prejudices against the English) was proof that if she had admitted her secret that they would have most likely rebuffed her. Cleon even admitted to himself that he would not have married Grace if he had known prior to the wedding. Still, that was wrong for Grace to steal the right to choose away Him. When Cleon let Grace know that he was only going to be her husband "in name only" I was too through with him. Regardless of what she did, that's no way to treat your spouse. The commitment made by the marriage vows aren't just to sound pretty. They're said because one knows that things aren't always going to be perfect but you pledge to work through and FORGIVE and have COMPASSION. He came around at the end which matters but his attitude was a real eye opener as to what it means to be in a relationship, what to expect and how to react.

[Pamela Pavkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Sister's Secret is the first book written by Wanda Brunstetter in her Sisters of Holmes County series. As usual Wanda starts her series out with a band. This story has a lot going on in it and the mystery that unfolds will definetly keep you turning pages.

The characters really bring this story to life. Grace Hostlettler is a young Amish lady who has recently returned to her community determined to put her rumspringa behind her and settle into the Amish way of life. When Grace runs into someone from her past she is worried whether he will tell things from her past. Cleon Schrock is a strong, loving Amishman who has fallen for Grace. When things appear from Graces past will he still remain with her? The author has done an excellent job of telling this story thru all her characters. This is an amazing start to another fantastic series.

I was not given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I was not approached by anyone to post a favorable review. I have rated this book with five stars for meeting my expectations of a wonderful story that I can highly recommend to others. I am excited to read the next book.

Congratulations to Wanda Brunstetter for writing another fantastic story for her readers to enjoy.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a very slow start which is why I'm giving it the 3 star rating. If you can force yourself to continue reading, the story DOES get better. After finally picking up the pace, the story abruptly ended without any resolve whatsoever. I felt as if the author ran out of time after dragging on chapters worth of unforgiving attitutes from one of the characters. Suddenly at the end that particular character pulls a 180 and decides to show forgiveness which felt completely forced and sudden.The continual need to describe the Amish words is redundant and elementary. A glossary of words at the beginning or end would have been sufficient. Perhaps for a first time reader of Amish fiction it would have been okay but as an avid reader of the genre, it threw off the feel of the characters. There were a lot of inconsistencies with characters using "mama" one second and "mamm" the next which also threw authenticity of the characters for me. All in all, it was a decent read. Not the worst but not the best either. I will probably pick up the second installment in the series just to satisfy the want to know how things turn out.

[Laura]

A SISTER'S SECRET is a reprint of an older book that was published earlier, so many Amish fiction fans might have read it. I've been delinquent in my reading of books by this author and some have decided to further my Amish reading so they have sent me several of Wanda E. Brunstetter's books.

Grace has a lot of secrets, not the least of it as to who Gary Walker is and what he knows about her--which is more than what even her fiance knows. I kind of wondered how she thought she could keep her secrets past her wedding night, but maybe Cleon is a lot more innocent than Grace.

There are three different sisters, and each has a point of view, plus several male characters and the parents, but the story is primarily about Grace and her secrets. There is also a bit of a mystery as to who might be sabotaging the Amish, and a couple guesses who it might be. I made my decision fairly early on.

Fans of sweet Amish stories will love Wanda E. Brunstetter -- which is probably why she has such a huge following. If you happen to be as delinquent in her books as me, don't wait and grab a copy of A SISTER'S SECRET today.

I was given a copy by a friend. All opinions are my own.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first time I've read anything by Wanda Brunstetter. Overall, I liked the story, but it didn't seem to close at the end of the book. Maybe that's Brunstetter's style? I've looked at the descriptions of the other books in the series, and it looks like I'll know who committed the attacks by the end of book three. I plan to read the whole series because the book kept my interest, and I want to know who is guilty.

I enjoyed the sisters and the love they showed to each other and those in their community. The dad's attitude toward the English and his sister wasn't resolved as I had hoped to see, but that's how life is sometimes. Not all issues are resolved. Cleon's reaction to Grace's secret was believable, and I'm glad to see his faith helped him sort out the issues he was facing. Now, what happened to Luke? Gary? the English neighbors? the real estate developer? I look forward to finding out!