This Passing Hour - (Amish Memories) by Leslie Gould (Paperback)

This Passing Hour is the second book in author Leslie Gould's series Amish Memories. Reading the first book is not necessary but gives further insight into some of the characters in This Passing Hour. Readers are quickly drawn into the story and the interest does not let up. Readers find Brenna, a Mennonite, relocating to her Amish grandparent's farm. Gould does a wonderful job fleshing out her characters so that the reader truly feels like they are real people with very real struggles and heartaches. This book, as is the first book in the series, is a dual-time story. Brenna's great-great aunt, Rosene, reveals the WWII story of another young Mennonite girl as she deals with the POWs who worked on the farm and her desire to work with the Red Cross. Martha's story is just as compelling as Brenna's and the author does a marvelous job of stopping at just the right point in one story to pick up in the other. Gould has researched this story well and gives good historical information on World War II and the contemporary issues of the war in Ukraine. This Passing Hour is a story of courage, of family and friends, and a coming-of-age journey as a young woman yearns to be of service and step into a new beginning for her life. Readers who enjoy historical fiction and dual-time stories will not want to miss reading Leslie Gould's book. I read a complimentary copy of the book and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are my own.

This split time novel has roots in WWII and travels from there to modern time and back through storytelling. Brenna is Mennonite and moves to live with her Amish grandparents after her parents are killed in an auto accident. She meets a neighbor living in her apartment complex after his vehicle won’t crank. Rylan has college classes with Brenna so she offers him a ride. He is an army veteran that loses a leg in Afghanistan. He takes advantage of Brenna through her generous nature. I don’t know how she could be so nice to him when he tried my very patience as I read. He relied on two of his army buddies for help and began also counting on Brenna. Brenna’s relative that was a young girl during WWII, shares the story of their family and the POWs that were brought to their family farm to help work the garden and milk the cows. She shares her story throughout the book between everyday happenings in the present time. The complete story was interesting to read and was enjoyable throughout. I liked all the characters except maybe for Rylan. He was hard to like and so demanding but there were reasons for that as well. I highly recommend this book. It makes for good reading, sitting by the fireplace with a cup of hot coffee. I might even try a recipe for a meat pie that was mentioned, Haitian Beef Patties. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through the author but was not required to write a review.

This Passing Hour by Leslie Gould is the second book in the Amish Memories series. It can be read as a standalone. I thought This Passing Hour was well-written with developed characters. I did not like the main characters, Brenna and Rylan. Brenna is a young woman with numerous issues. She certainly showed more patience than I would have with Rylan. Brenna has a great family. They could be a wonderful support system if she would allow them. There are many times when Brenna pushes them away and does not share her true feelings. I did not understand why she moved into an apartment with her sister if she preferred living on the farm. If the farm made her feel safe, Brenna should have spoken up. Rylan is the type of person that I cannot stand to be around. He is manipulative and cruel. He finds himself in a situation of his own making (I believe Rylan feels he does not have to follow rules). I did not understand why his army friends continued to hang around him. I understand turning the other cheek and showing God’s grace through actions. However, there is only so much abuse one person can take. I found both characters to be depressing. I did feel there were some inaccuracies in the research regarding the VA and the Reserves. I did find the World War II portion of the story more compelling. POWs were needed to work the farms with the men away fighting the warm. However, it could be dangerous especially for those Americans of German descent or who spoke German. The pacing in This Passing Hour was sluggish. There is a good wrap up at the end of the story. While I admire Leslie Gould’s writing skills, I am not a fan of This Passing Hour. I will, though, look forward to reading Leslie Gould’s next book.

Wow! This is an exceptional book! It's modern but filled with glimpses of the past. It's a story of friendship, forgiveness, and courage. Brenna is very relatable! She's been raised to help others, and she struggles with that. She also has anxiety and sees a therapist. Rylan is a difficult guy to like. He's got some scars, both physical and psychological. Once his history is explained, he becomes more likable. I loved the parts of the book that are Rosene's stories! She helps Brenna by telling her about her relatives. I especially enjoyed all of the history in the book. Leslie Gould does such a terrific job with making the past come alive. I never knew about the conscientious objectors being assigned to state medical hospitals. And that their photographs led to reform in mental hospitals. This is a definite must-read! I would recommend also reading "A Brighter Dawn," the first book in this series. It has some of the same characters and is excellent! I was provided a copy of the book from Bethany House through Interviews and Reviews. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an interesting book as Brenna and Rylan become acquainted through a common class they both attend. It's a different type of Amish story as we travel back in time to the World War II days and also a more current time period. Rylan was not a real likeable character in the story and Brenna was a very compassionate person. The characters do show a faith in God as is shown as the family prays. The characters have challenges as they try to work through them. Brenna's relationship with Rylan, is not a relationship that her friend, Johann and her sisters feel is good and hope to see end. The story of the POW's that work the farm which is something I recall from the previous book in the series and is an interesting part of the book and something I this was not aware of prior to reading about it in this series. Amish fans will enjoy this different type of book, and will appreciate the historical events. I recommend this most interesting book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.