A Patchwork Past - Plain Patterns by Leslie Gould Paperback
$12.29Save $4.71 (28% off)
In Stock
Eligible for registries and wish lists
About this item
Frequently bought together
$18.39
MSRP $19.95
Trending Literary Fiction
$9.85 - $27.48
MSRP $15.99 - $32.99
4.8 out of 5 stars with 159 ratings
Discover more options
Related Categories
4.0 out of 5 stars with 5 reviews
3 out of 5 stars
26 April, 2021
Great tie in with historical fiction
Sophie Deiner left the Amish lifestyle, carrying a heavy secret with her. But as her health declines, she's forced to return home. Once there, she struggles to reconnect with family and finds friendship with the local migrant community. Shop owner, Jane, also welcomes Sophie home and tells her the story of an Amish relative who was in the Great Chicago Fire. Through the story, Sophie learns her relative was heavily invested in helping immigrants rebuild after the fire. Which leads Sophie to wonder.... how can she help in her own community? I haven't read a lot of Leslie Gould's novels prior to this one. Maybe one or two. So the author is still relatively new to me. But I have read a lot of Amish fiction. And while this title had many of those same elements, the book was quite different from anything I've read. The flashback elements of the story were an added bonus, although I didn't identify with those characters as much as the characters of Sophie's timeline. But the added benefit of some historical fiction kept me interested. And both stories are tied together with a focus on immigration, historically and in our current world. Differing from most Amish fiction, Sophie's dilemma is a question of who she will be as she navigates between the English and Amish worlds. Although A Patchwork Past is part of a series, it does work well as a stand alone title. It wasn't my favorite title in this genre, but it did challenge me and kept me engaged throughout the book. I would be interested to see what else happens in this series. *Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
3 out of 5 stars
26 April, 2021
Politics....
Sophie left the Amish community three years ago because of a love affair gone bad, and the sting of her parents blaming her for everything that went wrong. Now suffering with an autoimmune disease, she has to swallow her pride, return home, and ask her parents if she can stay with them. As a result of her leaving, a lot of mean gossip occurred which most of the community, including her parents, believe. She must face that as well. Sophie befriends an immigrant family that came here to seek refuge from certain death in their native land. Their oldest son, a dreamer who was not born here, has been put in jail. Believing the charges are untrue, Sophie works tirelessly with his family to get him released. She also strives to convince everyone that all foreign people that come here will be a boon to the community. It is only prejudice, and nothing more, that causes fear of them. A concurrent story is that of Mary, an Amish woman who finds herself in the great Chicago fire of 1871. Her heart goes out to all the suffering afterward, and she tries to help. She faces evil people, prejudice towards immigrants, and the lack of community help—at first. In the past, I have loved this author and her books. However, I wasn’t expecting a story that is used as a vehicle for a current political hot potato. In today’s climate, a book that is an escape from all the turmoil and political unrest is highly valued. Unfortunately, this tale does not do that, making this a 3-star story. Bethany House Publishers has provided Tickmenot with a complimentary copy of, A Patchwork Past, for the purpose of review.
4 out of 5 stars
21 April, 2021
A unique Amish novel
A Patchwork Past by Leslie Gould is the second novel in the Plain Patterns series. A Patchwork Past can be read as a standalone. I found A Patchwork Past to be a unique Amish novel. It is not like other Amish novels. I like how it tells two stories and ties them together. Sophie Deiner needs rest from a Lupus flare-up and returns home to the family farm. She never felt that she fit into her Amish community. Jane, the owner of Plain Patterns, is kind to Sophie. While working on Jane’s garden and quilting, Jane tells her the story about Mary, a woman who traveled to Chicago with her father and ends up in the middle of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. While at home, Sophie becomes involved in the lives of migrant family who work on the farm next to her family. I was quickly drawn into the historical part of the tale. I wanted these sections to be longer. I thought A Patchwork Past was well-written with developed characters. The story moved along at a good pace. I could tell the author did her research for this book. I like how she incorporated the information into the story and wove parallels to Mary’s story. Both Sophie and Mary want to help people and do the right thing. Faith, friends, and family are woven throughout the story. I thought Sophie’s story will give people a better understanding of autoimmune diseases like Lupus and Fibromyalgia. Many people do not understand these diseases and, unfortunately, believe the person is faking it. I appreciated that we are given an epilogue that nicely wraps up the story. The author blended the various storylines together into one inspiring tale.
5 out of 5 stars
12 April, 2021
I love this book!
Sophie is sick... should she go back home to Nappanee, Indiana to her Amish childhood home? Through her own personal struggles, she helps others and learns while being with quilt shop owner Jane Berger. Jane tells her of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. This is the second book in a series by Leslie Gould. This was one of the best books that I have read in my life! I cannot wait until I read the third one.
5 out of 5 stars
30 March, 2021
Very nice book!
I really loved this book. I enjoyed the present and past scenarios that were portrayed as Jane, the quilt shop owner tells Sophie the story of an ancestor who helped many during the time of the Chicago fire. I loved the story and the historical aspects were a highlight for me. I loved Sophie as she also has the goal to help the migrant workers she comes to know. It's a very good book and there are some surprises at the ending. It was a great book and I am so happy that I read it. I received a copy of this book from BethanyHouse Publishing. All thoughts are my own.