Waiting for Summer's Return

This past week I finished reading Waiting for Summer's Return by Kim Vogel Sawyer. This book ended up on my reading list because my mom told me when it was free on Amazon for Kindle. I have the Kindle App on my phone and it seems to be the only way I read a book these days, because it is always with me. My Kindle App is one of my favorites on my phone, it saves me from feeling awkward when I'm eating somewhere by myself and since I am perpetually early for everything it makes those waiting periods easier as well, but enough about the app let's get back to this awesome book.

My mother has been friends with this author since she was in college, so I have grown up knowing about her books, but never picked one up, and I'm pretty sure they are all on shelves at my parent's house. She mentioned that word free, so I went ahead and downloaded it, figuring I would read it eventually. I mean my Kindle is full of books just waiting for me to read them. I started it and then got busy and forgot I was reading it until about a week ago. I must have been in a reading mood, it helps that it is summer time and all of my favorite TV shows are taking a break for the summer and my best friend is currently on a cruise with her family, so reading it is.

This book takes place in the prairie days here in Kansas. The main character who's name is Summer, finds herself in a German Mennonite town called Gaeddert. Now I had never heard of this town but I am familiar with Hillsboro and the Cottonwood River, which are also mentioned. I also happen to live in a Mennonite Dominate town so I was intrigued from the beginning. Summer had talked her husband into traveling to Oklahoma from Boston in their covered wagon to make their own claim in the developing land. On their journey the family all dies from Typhoid Fever. Summer finds herself alone in a this prairie land full of German speakers that look at her as an outsider.

She finds a friend in Peter Ollenburger he needs a teacher for his son Thomas who broke his ribs falling from a tree. She is a sad, hard, woman who wanted to give up on life. Peter is a strong man of God and he meets Summer consistently with love and grace. The community has a problem with an outsider living in the community, especially because she ends up living in Peter's house. He moves himself to the barn and allows her to have his room while she teaches his son.

This story is a story of true love. The kind of love that comes from the soul and then becomes a story of love from the heart as well. I love how pieces of German were included in this story, and Peter's broken English was fun to read as well, I sometimes thought it was like reading something Yoda would say.

This was definitely a good hearted book with nothing but pure, innocent, beautiful words. If you are looking for a good Christian fiction story to read, I highly recommend this one!