Softly Blows the Bugle (The Amish of Weaver's Creek #3) by Jan Drexler

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Elizabeth Kaufman received the news of her husband's death at the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, she felt only relief. She determined that she would never be at the mercy of any man again, even if it meant she would never have a family of her own. Then Aaron Zook comes home with her brother when the war ends two years later.

Despite the severity of his injuries, Aaron resolves to move West and leave the pain of the past behind him. He never imagined that the Amish way of life his grandfather had rejected long ago would be so enticing. That, and a certain widow he can't get out of his mind.

Yet, even in a simple community, life has a way of getting complicated. Aaron soon finds that while he may have left the battlefield behind, there is another fight he must win--the one for the heart of the woman he loves.
Welcome back to the Amish community at Weaver's Creek, where the bonds of family and faith bind up the brokenhearted.

BOOK REVIEW

This is book number 3 in Jan Drexler's series called The Amish of Weaver's Creek.  I didn't read the first two books but still able to follow along.  What I love about this Amish series is it takes place during the Civil War. I am a huge history person. The story is set after the Civil War and the Amish settling in Lancaster County, PA. Aaron fought with Elizabeth's brother in the war and came back home to the Amish settlement crippled.  Elizabeth, a Civil War widow, returns home to her Amish family. Her brother served as a medic in the war. He brings a wounded Confederate soldier, Aaron, who he met in the hospital. Solomon Mast moves into the nearby farm. He is determined to rush Elizabeth to marry him so he can get the land her late husband left. Aaron steps in and exposes the truth about Solomon.  Will Elizabeth listen to Aaron and open her eyes? Lots of things happen throughout the story. Some of the storylines is predictable but there is a couple of twists and turns. 

Drexler put a lot of detail into the story to transport the reader to Jonas, Katie, Elizebeth's life during a time of unrest. She did her research.  Her characters are realistic. We saw Aaron going from a broken wounded hero with no hope then we see him learning to be confident again. I love how gentle and kind he is. Elizabeth is determined to not have an abusive marriage again. 

You can see God helping them through their struggles and happiness. I highly recommend reading this series. So many heartfelt messages in Drexler's writings. 

"I was given a free copy from Revell for an honest opinion. "

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jan grew up surrounded by books and storytellers. With pastors and Teachers populating both sides of her extended family, we aren't surprised that she has always desired to be a first-class storyteller herself. 

Born and raised in Michigan, Jan is the descendant of Amish Mennonite and Brethren immigrants who settled in Berks, Somerset, and Lancaster Counties in Pennsylvania in the mid-1700s. The descendants of these immigrants pioneered in Maryland, Ohio, and finally Elkhart and LaGrange Counties in Northern Indiana in the 1850s. It is their stories, the "what might have happened, " that inspires Jan to write Historical Fiction with Amish characters. Jan lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and their two dogs, Jack and Sam, where she enjoys hiking, reading, and needlework. 

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