Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa

So this is Brian's wife Becca leaving this comment, just in case the account name scared you... anyway, Love Finds You In Homestead was a marvelous read, I was truly transported back in history... I really felt the allegiance that Liesel had toward her community but also her inner wrestling and curiosity towards Jacob... this book was a page turner for sure! I am one sadly of those people who try to figure out the way the book is going to go before I finish, but this one totally surprised me at the end! I won't spoil it by saying what, but it was unexpected. (wink) This book definitely needs a part 2!! I am glad she included the Author's Note at the end about what happened to the Amanas.

Just finished reading this book - probably one of my favorite Melanie books yet - I had never heard of the Amana Colonies before, and loved being introduced to them and their way of life. I loved seeing their kindness in caring for others, and working together. I am definitely a bit of a romantic, and I loved that side of the story too. For those of you who love Beverly Lewis stories about the Amish, you will LOVE this book. Melanie is like the Beverly Lewis for the Amana people in this book :) Thank you Melanie for sharing your gift with us!

I have always enjoyed Melanie Dobson's storytelling and so far I have read every book she has written. Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa was just as amazing as all of her other books. She knows how to capture my attention from the first page and her stories always have excellent pacing. While tender and sweet, this novel was still enthralling for me and compelling, probably because I learned something new as I read. I have never heard of the Amana Colonies before reading this book, but thought they might be tied into the brand of appliances. I was surprised to discover there was a relationship between them. I loved how the author brought out information about the Amana colonies in an educational and yet entertaining manner. She did an excellent job showing their way of life and the beauty of living a simple life in harmony with others as opposed to living for your own interests. My heart went out to Liesel because of her desire to feel loved and wanted and yet her fiance was not emotionally there for her. I also hurt for Jacob and his daughter as they tried to make it through so many difficult circumstances. I was totally immersed in this story because the plot was emotionally evocative for me. These characters could say so much with just a tender glance at each other. That's very good storytelling when I will yearn for the characters to be happy and share just one more loving gaze, or a tender embrace. This love story was more than satisfying. I can't wait to read Melanie's next book! "

Melanie Dobson is a gifted storyteller and she doesn't disappoint in her latest book, Love Finds You In Homestead, Iowa. Dobson artfully weaves history, romance, and suspense together to create a story you won't want to put down. From the first paragraph to the final sentence, you'll be transported to the peaceful Amana colonies of 1894 where life for Liesel is comfortable and predictable until a fateful day in July when a handsome outsider turns her life upside down. You won't want to miss this wonderful story of faith and love.

This was a very good story, and my first experience with author Melanie Dobson. It was also my first time reading a story that shared some history about the Amana Society. As with all the books in the Love Finds You series, this story focuses on a real town in the US as well as some of the history of that town. I loved the gradual relationship that formed between Jacob and Liesel. At the beginning of the book, Liesel is engaged to another man, and is advised several times that she must guard her heart and not become to attached to Jacob and his precious daughter, Cassie. Jacob and Cassie first arrive in the town of Homestead with Cassie sick with diphtheria. The three of them are quarantined at the local doctor's house for several weeks while Cassie recovers, and they gradually get to know each other. Liesel is confused at first as to why Cassie's mother is not there to care for her sick child, but Jacob has not shared with her yet that he lost his wife in childbirth the year before. The more Liesel gets to know Jacob, the more she realizes that no one is giving him a fair chance. All he wants to do is to find work and care for his daughter. When the Elders first learn that Jacob knows how to swim, they realize that maybe they should give him a chance after all because he can be a huge help to the rest of the community. Once Jacob is cleared from the quarantine, he begins to work on a dredge boat with some of the other locals, and Liesel continues to care for Cassie while he is away. During this time, Liesel becomes very attached to Cassie, and wonders what the future holds in her relationship with Cassie's father. The Amana Society seemed very similar to the Amish lifestyle, which was one of the reasons I was intrigued to read this book. The Amanas have Elders that oversee the entire community and make sure that everyone is contributing and following the rules, whereas the Amish have Bishops that lead the church services and make sure that their community is following the guidelines of their Ordnung. In both communities, everyone looks out for each other, and they all do their best to maintain a lifestyle that is set apart from the outside world. The biggest difference between the two was that theAmanas lived in a communal society with everyone contributing to the community. The members do not have to worry with money because all of their resources are shared with one another. The only thing that I would've liked to have seen more of was the history of the Amana people and their Society. I wished there had been more of it sprinkled throughout the story because there were a couple of scenes where certain things didn't make sense. To give the author credit, there was a footnote at the end that explained what happened to their Society in the years following 1894 (the year this story took place). All in all, I think Ms. Dobson is a very good storyteller, and is very good at invoking emotions in her stories. If you haven't had