The Heart’s Bidding

by Kelly Irvin

Although this book is an Amish romance, its strongest theme is the acceptance and education of children who are labelled as  different, educationally challenged, developmentally delayed, disabled, mentally or physically handicapped, or as the Amish prefer to call them “special.” They see these children as gifts from God. In The Heart’s Bidding, Rachelle is a dedicated teacher, but as a Plain (Amish) woman she knows that although she loves teaching and has a talent in that area, her future will be to get married and have children. When the governing educational committee in her community decide that the special children should be transported daily to a town that offers more specialized services than the little community has available and at no cost to the Amish, Rachelle finds her last day of teaching coming more quickly than she could have imagined or desired.

Toby is a handsome bachelor who has been hurt in a past experience in courting and is haunted by the thought that no woman would want to be married to an auctioneer who spends many days and months on the road crisscrossing 5 states. Could an attraction between Toby and Rachelle come to anything? Both of their mothers would like to see it happen and have to be reminded to rein in their matchmaking. Both Toby and Rachelle have special siblings and common love and understanding for them.

There are other plot threads within this book about the large Amish families, the head of a family business stepping down, and an adult with dyslexia that has never been addressed.  If you are interested in the Amish way of life and how both education and technology are addressed on an everyday level, this would be a good book to read. It gives the reader a different point of view from an author who is sensitive to both Amish and English cultures. The many children in the book provide both humor and excitement. In particular Jonah, Rachelle’s little brother, and Sadie, Toby’s little sister, both of whom will need lifelong support, will make you smile and tug on your heartstrings.

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: Religion, Romance,

Notes: 1. The author includes a listing of characters by family and a glossary of Amish/Pennsylvania Dutch words at the beginning.  She ends with author’s notes and discussion questions.

  2. This is #1 in the series The Amish Calling. There are two in the series available now and one more that will be published in January 2025. All have characters who deal with disabilities of various types.

Publication:  August 1, 2023—Zondervan Publishing

Memorable Lines:

Plain women liked their appliances the way some English women loved their jewelry or a roomy SUV for carting around their children—all two of them.

Their education was intended to help them be successful in their Plain communities, to be hard workers and good people, with the skills they would need to sustain to work with their families, to thrive, but to do so in a godly way.

“Sadie’s soul is innocent. It always will be.” Rachelle sought out the little girl. She found her on a swing, her legs pumping, her head thrown back, laughter spilling from her lips. “She knows what is gut and right and fair. Nothing will change that.”  “Do you really believe that?”  “Gott made her special. I believe His plan is for us to learn as much from her as she learns from us—more really.”