I have a pretty firm "no Amish books" policy (I read a ton of Amish fiction about a decade ago and got burned out on the genre) ... except when it comes to Suzanne Woods Fisher's books! I love every return trip to Stoney Ridge, and A Season on the Wind is no exception!
Ben Zook had only two loves in his life: books and birds. In a stroke of good fortune, he'd stumbled onto a way to cobble together those two loves into a career, writing books about rare birds. He was as free as a bird--until a chase for a rare White-winged Tern takes him to the one place on earth he planned to never return: his Amish home in Stoney Ridge.
Desperate for photographs of the elusive tern, Ben hires a local field guide, Micah Weaver, and boards at Micah's farm, planning to "bag the bird" and leave Stoney Ridge before anyone recognizes him. But he neglected to plan for Micah's sister, Penny. One long-ago summer, Penny had introduced Ben to birding, even sharing with him a hidden eagle aerie. That eagle became his spark bird--the one that inspired his lifelong love.
Ben. He was Penny's spark bird. That was when she knew true love. She'd always hoped Ben would come back to Stoney Ridge. Back to his Amish roots. Back to her. The only problem? Ben has absolutely no memory of Penny.
Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher welcomes her readers to the Amish community at Stoney Ridge in this engaging story of discovering just who the rare birds are in life.
A book about birds could be boring ... after all, I'm more like Ben's cousin Natalie with the opinion that "birds are birds." Maybe I just haven't found my spark bird yet! Anyway, I actually enjoyed the bird-centric aspect of this novel, and I especially liked the glimpse into Micah's bird-watching log - each entry connected into the story and showed his somewhat buried sense of humor.
The main plot is the story of Ben Zook, famous bird book author and former member of the Stoney Ridge church, who hires Micah as a guide as he searches for the elusive White-winged Tern. He stays at the Lost Creek Farm guesthouse, run by Micah's sister Penny. Ben and Penny have history from adolescence, though Ben has no memory of this. (The reason for this lack of memory is so intriguing and provides a twist I didn't see coming.) Ben's journey is one of forgiveness, faith, and finding home, and I found it to be so satisfying.
Though there are actually two romances in this book (between Ben and Penny and Natalie and local veterinarian Boyd), I was far more interested in each person's individual stories than in the romances. Also, Bishop David Stoltzfus (a character who has recurred in many of Fisher's novels) proves once again that he's the best; I loved how he encouraged both Penny and Micah to follow their giftings and opened a path for each of them to do so. And, of course, beloved HANK LAPP is instrumental in the story.
A Season on the Wind is a stand-alone novel that can be enjoyed by those who haven't yet entered Fisher's Stoney Ridge universe (and it may spark a desire to go back to the beginning and read all of the stories centered around this community), but it will also be loved by those who have been following these characters through multiple novels. It's a slow and gentle story that I somehow couldn't put down. 4 stars.
Read my reviews of other Suzanne Woods Fisher novels.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
I’d like to read this book. Thank you for sharing.
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You're welcome! Thanks for stopping by!
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