The Amish Quiltmaker's Unconventional Niece

August 22, 2022
In the fun third entry in Beckstrand’s Amish Quiltmaker series (after The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unruly In-Law), a young Amish woman riles up the Amish community of Byler, Colo., by running for town council. Headstrong Mattie Zook resents her father for making her move from Pennsylvania to Colorado in hopes that her aunt, a quilter, might be a good influence on her. Twin sisters try to set up Mattie with their strong-willed brother, Freeman Sensenig, but Mattie, miserable and suffering from altitude sickness, ends up insulting the community as small and provincial, and he declares Mattie a snob. Meanwhile, the town council passes an ordinance forbidding buggies from main streets, and Mattie decides to break with Amish tradition and run for town council against the anti-Amish councilman behind the ordinance, Bill Isom. Freeman risks punishment from the elders to become Mattie’s campaign manager and the two develop feelings for each other, but their strong personalities repeatedly threaten their chances at love. After Bill’s campaign turns dirty, Mattie struggles to determine God’s plan for her. The lighthearted tone and witty banter amuse, and the entertaining cast of supporting characters—including Freeman’s meddlesome sisters, thuggish Isom, and Englischer Cathy Larsen, who helps organize Mattie’s campaign—add color. Fans of Wanda Brunstetter will want to check this out.