Guest Review: Sarah’s Gift by Marta Perry

Posted March 10, 2011 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 2 Comments

Judith‘s review of Sarah’s Gift by Marta Perry.

After years in a disappointing, childless marriage and now widowed at only twenty-six, Amish midwife Sarah Mast moves to Pleasant Valley for a fresh start. But unpleasant surprises beset Sarah when she joins her aging aunt’s dwindling midwife practice. Signs of her aunt’s decline suggest that she may no longer be capable of meeting the rigorous demands of her work. With Sarah’s last dollar now invested in the birthing center, can she help her aunt face the truth and run the practice alone?

Aaron Miller, Sarah’s neighbor, counts himself among the skeptics until he witnesses the dedication and love Sarah has for her patients. But when an English doctor files a complaint against Sarah and she is ordered not to deliver any more babies until a court hearing, Aaron’s misgivings resurface . . . just as his own sister faces a birthing crisis and only Sarah is available to help. In the midst of such difficulties, Sarah prays for the strength to defend her practice, care for her patients, and win the hearts of the community she has grown to love.

This is the fourth novel in the Pleasant Valley series and it is another fine offering by author Marta Perry. Drawing on her own first-hand knowledge of the Amish culture and ways, the story of Sarah is told with grace and sensitivity. The gentle persona that Sarah is comes through as the reader walks with her as she hopes and prays and even invests her savings to make the midwife practice successful and to give quality care to the expectant mothers who opt for care by the midwife rather than go to the local hospital to have their babies. Midwives have long been a part of the Amish community. In fact, there was a time when Amish women had little if anything to do with the “English” medical community. As Sarah found out, not all doctors accept and support the work of the Amish midwife. The doctor closest to Pleasant Valley certainly gave evidence that he would rather see the midwife practice closed. What most people don’t know is that Amish midwives are very well trained, recognize difficulties and signs that the expectant mother needs care beyond the midwife’s capabilities. Their success rate is quite phenomenal.

In Sarah’s case, she had always wanted to practice with her aunt who had served the Pleasant Valley Amish community for years. It did not take long to recognize that Aunt Emma was in trouble–mood swings, vacant stares, and ultimately, an episode right in the middle of a delivery. Thankfully Sarah was able to step in and prevent disaster. Almost from the first, Sarah encountered resistance to her expanding her aunt’s practice. Her neighbor, Aaron Miller, was totally opposed to her practice as Aaron’s mother was the only mother Aunt Emma lost for decades. Little did Aaron realize that for years Aunt Emma and the few others who knew the truth of what happened that fateful night had kept the truth from him, thinking to protect his relationship with his now-dead father.

This novel is a wonderful glimpse into this aspect of Amish life and the surprising relationship many have with the “English” on a number of levels. As always, Ms Perry brings her characters to life so that the reader can so easily be a part of the story. It is a story of old hurt and wounds, of the unwillingness to forgive, anger over the loss of a mother, resentment that a young teen had to carry the responsibility for siblings, romantic attraction that takes a beating in the face of all those negative feeling. Aaron failed to realize that Sarah believed that her empathy with the mothers-to-be, her skill in time of crisis, her patience and desire to be of service was God’s gift to be used for the community. There are several occasions in the story that Sarah’s calm and sure presence made significant difference, especially for first-time parents.

I found this story to be very inspirational. Certainly everyone realizes that the Amish way of life is based on their faith and their manner of living is intended to reflect the strength of their faith. Even in real life the gentle strength of the Amish has been seen when crisis has intruded on their way of life. The biggest mistake most non-Amish people can make is to assume that their non-violent ways is an indication of their inept approach to living. If anything it is the opposite. We see this in Sarah’s response to the complaint filed against her, in her willingness to brave any kind of difficulty if it will mean that she has an opportunity to carry on what she believes to be the Lord’s work. The great sadness in Sarah’s heart is that no matter the strength of her and Aaron’s attraction, he just can’t seem to accept her as she is and to support her work as a ministry to her community.

Readers will find much to like in this novel. Those who have read the first three novels will recognize some of the participants in this novel which moves those background stories along. Leah, Rachel, and Anna, all subjects of the first three novels are present to welcome Sarah to her now home. There is the whole matter of how a person responds to circumstances that are completely out of one’s control. Sarah’s response was based in her faith, her life of prayer, her conviction that ultimately God’s will prevails. And whether or not the reader is a person of faith, there is still an admiration for the quality of her belief that supports her in a tough situation. Readers will once again encounter the strength of the community as they stand in the gap for one another. It is one of the Amish qualities that never seems to get sidetracked. This fourth novel is every bit as good as the first three, and that is just not always the case. Perry evidently has the moxie to make that happen. So I hope if you are just a little curious about these wonderful people and Sarah in particular, you will manage to read this book.

I give this novel a rating of 4.5 out of 5.

The series: