In Shelley Shepard Gray’s second book in her Charmed Amish Life series, a young teacher and farmer discover they have much in common, especially when it comes to healing old wounds from the past…and finding love in one another.
Rebecca Kinsinger has always dreamed of being a teacher. But when she’s given the opportunity she’s been waiting for at Charm Amish School, she’s dismayed to discover that teaching is hard work—work she’s afraid she’s not very good at.
That is, until Lilly Yoder joins the class. A thirteen-year old who’s just lost her parents, Lilly is in need of someone like Rebecca. For the first time since starting her new job, Rebecca feels a sense of purpose. But when she meets Lilly’s uncle, Jacob, his good looks and sweet, easy-going temperament are hard to ignore. How can she even entertain romantic thoughts of Jacob when his niece is her student?
Suddenly becoming Lily’s sole caregiver, Jacob Yoder never thought he’d be a single parent—or a farmer. Having been living in Florida as a carpenter, Jacob feels more at home wielding a hammer than a backhoe. The only bright spot in his life is Rebecca Kinsinger. As Lily and Rebecca develop a bond, Jacob’s fondness for the pretty teacher grows, too.
But when a fateful accident brings them together, Rebecca and Jacob must choose between duty and desire. Will they follow the path before them? Or set out to find true happiness…and true love?
Shelley Shepard Gray’s books keep getting better and better. I absolutely love the message of this book: that God gifts us with certain talents or dreams and wants us to serve Him in those ways. That it’s not selfish to seek out the path that He may have for us but is instead a form of worship.
As a busy, homeschooling mom, that’s a hard message to take to heart. It’s hard to sometimes to see past the dishes and the laundry and the chauffeur service to the purpose that lies behind all those chores – because there is one. We don’t have to be famous or popular to be important to God.
Both Rebecca and Jacob need to learn this lesson. I enjoyed the journey with both of these people. Between comic relief and a return to my roots, the classroom, there are many things to recommend this book to others.
While the serious angles are great, the romance is plain fun. Rebecca and Jacob make friendly characters whose romantic interests are exciting. It’s suspenseful enough to keep you turning pages but clean enough for anyone to read.
A Daughter’s Dream is a definite winner.
