Letters of Trust
by Wanda E. Brunstetter
When Eleanor and Vic get married, they move to Paradise, Pennsylvania, where, given the name of the town, they should expect a happily ever after. Eleanor is a very sweet Amish young lady with a strong faith. Despite her mother’s hesitation about Vic based on reports of his rumspringe experiences before he joined the church, Eleanor is in love with Vic, a carpenter, and is determined to be a good wife to him. For the most part, their first year of marriage is a happy one. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes Vic’s family, and Vic is overcome with guilt over what happened. Unable to handle his feelings and unwilling to ask for help, Vic seeks survival through an addiction which threatens his marriage, his job, his future child, and his relationship with family, friends, and church. Most importantly, the addiction stands between Vic and God. Eleanor learns that Vic will need to hit rock bottom before he stops denying his need for help.
I have read several Amish themed books by Wanda E. Brunstetter. Letters of Trust has a more serious focus than the others I have read. My heart went out to the fictional Eleanor as she tries to be a good wife and hold her marriage together. She shares her trouble first with her long time friend Doretta in letters, knowing she can trust her not to discuss her problem with others as gossip. The two young ladies pray for and encourage each other. Eleanor sees the dangers in Vic’s addiction and shows her own strength when she stands up to and for Vic as he struggles in his own personal mire of guilt and depression.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Romance
Notes: 1. #1 in The Friendship Letters Series
2. At the end of the book, the reader will find Discussion Questions and notes from the author about why she chose to write about such a sensitive subject.
3. Also included is a recipe for Chocolate Chip Pie, a favorite of one of the characters.
Publication: March 1, 2023—Barbour Publishing
Memorable Lines:
Evening light poured into the room, but no one wanted to eat a thing. Their world had stopped, and they’d been left hanging over a cliff filled with the darkness of grief.
When Vic entered the house behind Eleanor, a wave of exhaustion settled over him like a dark cloud about to dump rain.
People should realize that we’re all human, and sometimes we do things we shouldn’t, Vic thought. Just because we get baptized, join the church, and go to worship services regularly doesn’t mean we’re perfect, by any stretch of the imagination.
education pathways 
I appreciate when authors can write about sensitive subjects from a Christian perspective. It always help me understand situations better. Sounds like Wanda Brunstetter handles this well.
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She did handle it well and shows it is not always easy to decide what to do when your spouse is hurting and makes bad choices. It is so easy to be critical of others when we don’t know the whole story.
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I’ve read all of her books besides the two in this series. She writes such wonderful books and handles sensitive subjects so compassionately.
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The first book I read by her was the first in a series. Now that I know more about the types of books being currently published, I think it was a novella written to entice the reader into the series. I was disappointed in the lack of character and plot development. All the books I have read by her since then have been good and keep me coming back for more.
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I think her publisher put out two novella length series for her with about 6 books in each series. I don’t think the novella length ones were as good. Give me a full length book any day.
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I’m sure this is a good read, but it doesn’t appeal to me, thank you Linda~
Jenna
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No problem, Jenna. If the same things appealed to everyone, we would have a boring world! Thanks for reading the review.
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Wow, this is definitely not a topic you see often in an Amish story. Having dealt with this issue with my daughter and her partner, who is now a recovering addict (hooked on pain meds after a work injury), I am very sensitive to this. I definitely want to read this one.
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I am sorry to hear they are experiencing this problem, but isn’t it good we can talk more openly about it? It’s hard to juggle between enduring pain and mediating it without addiction. That was not this character’s problem, but addictions are addictions, and they can ruin lives despite the original cause. I wish them the best in the recovery journey.
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Thanks, Linda. He is 15 months clean which is wonderful.
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