WAITING FOR SUMMER'S RETURN

Author: Kim Vogel Sawyer ISBN: 0764201824 6/2006 HISTORICAL Publisher: BETHANY HOUSE
Time Period: Kansas 1894

All alone on the Kansas prairie, Summer Steadman has few options. With her husband and children lost to illness, she has no desire to continue on farther west to where she and her husband planned to build their future. Instead, she seeks employment in a small Mennonite community in order to be near the graves of her family. Widower Peter Ollenburger, the local gristmill owner, needs someone to teach his young son. When he hears of a "learned woman" in town, he believes she is the answer to his prayers. He soon discovers, however, that helping this outsider may have troublesome consequences. There is little this father will not do for his son, but as the boy begins to look at Summer as more than a teacher, Peter must make a choice. Does he marry this woman to give his son a new mother, or does he marry only for love? Will Summer's broken heart ever be able to love again?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

WAITING FOR SUMMER'S RETURN is an inspirational novel from debut author Kim Vogel Sawyer. It's a poignant story about a woman who has lost everything, and her journey to reclaim all that she's lost.

WAITING FOR SUMMER'S RETURN brings together Summer Steadman, who has lost her family to typhoid fever, and Peter Ollenberger, newly widowed himself. Summer is staying in the Kansas community of Gaeddert to be close to her family's graves. With little money and no prospects, she hesitantly takes the job of tutoring Peter's son while he is recovering from an accident. What neither of them is prepared for is that they each desperately need each other to be whole again.

Peter is able to reignite Summer's belief and faith in God, and Summer is able to penetrate the wall Peter has built around him and show him it's his time to love again. I found their relationship to be more of a friendship than a romance; however, Peter and Summer still had a special bond together.

What's different about this story is that it takes place in a Mennonite community where the residents speak German. Miss Sawyer adds German words to the dialogue to give the reader a real feel for the setting of her book. I found that made the story rather unique. She also wrote in great detail about how the residents of the community lived and worked together.

WAITING FOR SUMMER'S RETURN is more of an inspirational book than a romance book, in my opinion, but it's still a good story with a strong message woven throughout it.

Julie Kornhausl