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    The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club: The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club, Book 1
    The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club: The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club, Book 1
    The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club: The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club, Book 1
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club: The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club, Book 1

    Written by Wanda E Brunstetter

    Narrated by Renee Ertl

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Lives are transformed...one stitch at a time.

    As Amish widow Emma Yoder contemplates the task ahead, her thoughts center on one: What if she fails? Longing to remove a burden from her family by becoming self-sufficient, Emma has offered to hold quilting classes in her home. But when she sees the patchwork of faces assembled for the first lesson, her confidence dwindles as doubt threatens to take hold.

    There’s Star Stephens, a young woman yearning for stability; Pam and Stuart Johnston, a struggling couple at odds in their marriage; Paul Ramirez, a widowed father hoping to find solace in finishing a quilt; Jan Sweet, a rough and tough biker looking for something creative to do; and Ruby Lee Williams, a preacher’s wife seeking relaxation amid mounting parish problems.

    While Emma grows to realize her ability to share her passion for quilting and her faith, the beginning quilters learn to transform scraps of fabric into beauty. And slowly, their fragmented lives begin to take new shape - some in unexpected ways - with the helping hands of each other and the healing hand of God.

    ©2012 Wanda E. Bunstetter (P)2012 Oasis Audio

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOasis Audio
    Release dateJan 15, 2013
    ISBN9781621881810
    The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club: The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club, Book 1
    Author

    Wanda E Brunstetter

    New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Wanda E. Brunstetter is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. She has written more than 100 books translated in four languages. With over 12 million copies sold, Wanda's stories consistently earn spots on the nation's most prestigious bestseller lists and have received numerous awards. Wanda’s ancestors were part of the Anabaptist faith, and her novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Her books are well-read and trusted by many Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs. When Wanda visits her Amish friends, she finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family ties. Wanda enjoys photography, ventriloquism, gardening, bird-watching, beachcombing, and spending time with her family. She and her husband, Richard, have been blessed with two grown children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. To learn more about Wanda, visit her website at www.wandabrunstetter.com. 

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    Reviews for The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club

    4.5/5

    32 ratings15 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The author did a great job of bringing unlikely folks together to learn how to quilt through an Amish woman named Emma. I liked her story line idea and also enjoyed a bit of a surprise in the story too. All the characters had issues to deal with in their lives and I enjoyed watching them all grow and change for the better. All while learning how to quilt. As the back cover says, "Is this what God had in mind to heal hurting hearts and create beauty from fragments?". Not your usual "amish" story. Looking forward to more stories in this series.
    • 3/5
      It was predictable, but cute without being sappy.
    • 4/5
      It took me a couple of chapters to get into the story but it soon became an interesting and fun read. A varied group of Englisch sign up for a quilting class taught by an Amish widow. At first it looks as if the group will not make it to the end of the six-week class. They are either fighting with each other, complaining because they don't want to be there, or are quiet and sullen. Eventually they reveal more and more about themselves and two members of this group make a discovery that will change their lives forever.
    • 3/5
      An Amish widow decides to earn extra income by teaching quilting classes in her home. The first class has six students, all of whom have problems with relationships. The three women and three men in the class manage to work through their problems and live happily ever after or something like that. The book is a bit preachy and religion (Christian) oriented but not overly so. It includes a recipe for Angel Cream Pie, questions for discussion, and an excellent eight-page insert about Amish quilting which includes nine designs, and descriptions and instructions for seven of them.I found it to be a soap opera in words.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book and read it a little over a day (unfortunately, I had to go to work during this same period or I would have finished it sooner). An Amish grandmother wants to be able to support herself without relying on her children. She decides to teach a quilting class for beginners. Her new students turn out to be a mix-up bunch, each with a heart ache and a story that comes out during the weeks of their classes. Without being preachy or overly evangelistic, this book highlights the spiritual healing each person needs. It also shows that even the most devout person can have a time in their life where they don't have the attitude toward others that they should.
    • 4/5
      Fun, Tender Story of Changing LivesEmma Yudor, an Amish widow determined to keep her children from having to subsidize her life, decides to hold a quilting class that is open to the community. She is totally shocked when the small group of women she expected turns out to be three men, two women, and very young woman. Each participant seems to have some emotional problems that become more apparent as the class continues. Emma prays that God will give her the wisdom and the words to help each student. The story follows each person throu the six weeks of struggles, surprises, and growth to make up the Half Stitched Amish Quilting Club. This lighthearted look at a group of unlikely quilters is fun to read with lots of surprises and an emphasis on their growth in the Lord. I enjoyed meeting the characters and following the surprises in the story. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a light hearted, fun story. Received Galley from NetGalley.comReleased April 6, 2012
    • 5/5
      Emma Yoder is an Amish widow who has decided to supplement her household by giving quilting lessons. Her first group of students is a far flung group, including a young widower with a baby, a biker, a "goth" girl, a minister's wife, and a couple whose marriage is on the rocks. While Emma struggles to teach this bunch to quilt, she also finds herself ministering to her personal issues, while working through some issues of her own. This is the first book I have read by Wanda Brunstetter that was not strictly "Amish Romance," and I am very pleased with it. While some of her descriptions and plot lines don't exactly align with the majority of Old Order Amish beliefs, this story is believeable and entertaining to read. It is a quick, uplifting read that leaves the reader satisfied with the progression and conclusion of the story. I would suggest this book to anyone who enjoys a positive story, not just fans of "Amish" fiction or "Christian" fiction.
    • 4/5
      Light reading, but very interesting. I found myself drawn to almost all the characters.
    • 5/5
      This was such a good story! I had read the 2nd book in the series before this one, but it didn’t detour this books storyline a bit!
    • 5/5
      Emma Yoder is a recently widowed Amish woman who decides to supplement her income by teaching a quilting class. Imagine her surprise when her students turn out to be such a diverse group of people. There's a young widower who wants to finish the quilt his late wife started, a married couple with marital problems, a young woman who feels abandoned by her father, a preacher's wife dealing with problems in the congregation, and there's even a tough biker! How will this soft-spoken Amish woman ever relate to her students? Can they be taught to quilt, or will Emma offer them something more valuable? Will they learn that there's always a positive in every situation, and the ability to forgive and be forgiven is a gift?I've heard so many good things about the play that is based on this book, and I now totally understand all of the great reviews for The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club. This book has everything that you want in a good story: engaging characters, emotional conflict, a wonderful ending, and best of all, an uplifting and encouraging faith message! "We've sure learned some lessons here while gettin' to know and understand each other, and I think we've also learned quite a bit about love."Author Wanda E. Brunstetter is well-known for her Amish fiction, but this book features wonderful interaction between Amish people and their 'English' neighbors. There are several happy surprises and lots of feel-good moments, but the best thing is that there are two more books in this trilogy.  I recommend The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club to all who enjoy Amish and Christian fiction.This book was my personal purchase from Barbour Publishers, and I am voluntarily sharing this review.
    • 5/5
      I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.When we think of quilting classes we think of several things. First, we may think of the Amish who are well known for their beautiful hand-stitched quilts. We may also think of a group of ladies, and occasionally a few men taking a class to learn how to make a quilt. Never, until I read this book would I have thought of a group of quilters like Wanda Brunstetter has assembled in this book. This quilting class is a group of the biggest misfits I’d ever seen.Emma Yoder is a widow and has been receiving financial assistance from her family. She decides to offer a six week quilting class to help pay her own way. What she gets is not necessarily what she was expecting, but what God knew she needed. Star Stephens hides her true self under her gothic look. Her grandmother knew the true her and signed her up for the quilting class a couple of days before she died. Her grandmother had always been there for her. She was the one person in her life she could count on. She decides to attend the paid for class to honor her grandmother.Then we have Jan Sweet a tattooed biker who has lost his license for driving under the influence. He has a lot of issues and it is his probation officer who tells him to find an outlet for his anger. He figures this is the creative outlet that will help him.Next we have Pam and Stuart Johnson. The have signed up for the quilting class as part of their counseling. They’ve been told to find something to do together. Stuart wants to go camping, which Pam hates so she gets him to agree by telling him if he goes to the quilting club with her she will go camping.Ruby Williams is a preacher’s wife. She is trying to find something that doesn’t involve the church to help her de-stress. Yes, those who work for the church need an outside life as much as those who don’t work for the church.Finally we have Paul Ramirez. He is a widower left with a very young baby. His wife had started a quilt for their daughter but never got the opportunity to finish it. She was killed in an accident. He thinks he can go to the class and have someone finish the quilt. He decides that this is something he needs to learn how to do.Emma quickly learns she will have her hands full. But if God wanted them there then she would help them. Through this story we see how God used her to help them stitch the remnants of their own lives back together. Emma also has some issues. She has a pesky neighbor named Lamar who likes her. She does everything she can to discourage him. When she gets sick he takes over her class and she learns that there is more to him than just a pesky neighbor.This was such a fun book to read. Everyone who reads this book can see themselves or part of themselves in at least one of these characters. Definitely going to recommend this book.
    • 5/5
      The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club by Wanda E. BrunstetterEmma hopes to share her love of quilting as she teaches strangers how to quilt.Since her husband had passed away over a year ago, her daughter and all thechildren had sent money back home to help with the finances. Emma hoped to supplementthe income by selling her quilting items. She placed an ad around town and gotone that wanted to learn. She outlined what she'd need to teach them.The way the author introduces the people who will be attending the classes is done makesit easy to keep them straight, as to who they are and what they do for work.Paul is the 2nd grade teacher and his wife has passed away and he takes care of the little girl. Thanks to his sister she invites them for dinner often.Ruby Lee is the pastors wife and she needs something else to do besides choir and things at the church.Beatrice/Star found a letter from her grandmother and it was for quilting class, already paid for.Star was writing song lyrics and had piercings and dyed hair.Pam and Stuarts marriage counselor said they should do something that the other does already. She's been fishing with him 2 times now, so it's now his turn to learn quilting with her.Jan was a biker who got caught speeding, lost his license and now his PO wanted him to take up something to unleash his creative abilities and maybe help him relax. He is a roofer and notices the ad at the store.They all see or hear about the ad for quilting lessons and get signed up.Verses of scripture are throughout the book.The people in the group start talking about losses of their loved ones and many chimed in with their grief.Others spoke to console them and to just listen. Other weeks there are different topics and all talk about their problem and/or how to overcome them.Love the quilting itself, Emma is easy to understand.Recipe for angel cake is included!
    • 4/5
      The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club by Wanda E. Brunstetter is a delightful book about an Amish widow who decides to offer quilting classes in her home to supplement her meager income so that she won’t be a burden to her children. Emma Yoder places ads in the newspaper and around town on bulletin boards advertising her quilting classes to be held on six Saturdays. She finds that her students are a mix of personalities and problems. There is an African American woman who is the wife of a church minister, and a Hispanic man with a baby girl in tow, a mid-thirties couple, a young girl dressed in gothic apparel and a big man with tattoos and a biker’s bandana on his head. These characters each have a story to tell and a problem to solve. Emma’s kind, generous spirit and motherly wisdom, along with a little dose of scripture help each of these strangers to find a sort of peace in their lives. By the end of the teaching sessions they also form a sort of camaraderie. Emma also has a little problem with a certain older gentleman who seems to have a crush on her that is not to her liking. The book was a delight to read. I certainly enjoyed each of the stories within the big story of this group of misfits.
      The story takes place in northern Indiana, near Shipshewana, which is an Amish and Mennonite community with home-style restaurants, quilt shops, and other interesting places to visit. Since I’ve actually been there, this story comes alive for me. I can picture all the places in the story and can imagine each of the characters and their interests and problems. If you are fond of lighthearted, inspirational stories, then this is for you. Be prepared to finish this book quickly because you won’t want to put it down.
    • 5/5
      Amish fiction is a like a tonic to me and The Half Stitched Amish Quilting Club by Wanda E. Brunstetter is no different for me. Now I definitely want to read the rest of her books. This book flew, it was easy to read but full of serious situations to deal with. This book is a little different from most Amish fiction because the majority of the characters are Englishers. We got to see how their lives meshed with the Amish quilt maker and how each grew emotionally, spiritually, and in acceptance.This is set in Northern Indiana and that made me want to read immediately because I am a Hoosier. Emma Yoder is Amish and a widow who had a very caring husband and is not ready to remarry. She wants to be less dependent on her children, financially and for help so she has the idea of proving quilting classes. A very diverse group of people sign up. She has a biker who is on probation for a DUI, a couple who are having serious problems with their marriage, a minister’s wife who is worried about her husband’s future with his church, a Hispanic who recently lost his wife in a tragic car accident and a young woman who is constantly at odd with her mother and feeling the lack of love. The story alternated between the different characters and flows so good.You can feel the love and enjoy the message such as “Don’t borrow Trouble”. The quilting meetings started off with a goat chase and a near fight! As the meeting progressed, they were surprisingly like group therapy. There were so many problems that it helped to Emma and the other parts of the group discuss and react to them.There are no negative things that I can say about this book!I thought that this book is a joy and strongly recommend it to all fans of Amish Fiction.
    • 3/5
      When widowed Emma Yoder thought to earn some money by giving the English quilting lessons, she imagined that older women would be the type who would be attracted to such classes. Emma was in for one big surprise! The first class of six was as varied in kind and type as could be imagined. So fearful were they to Emma’s daughter when she first saw them – some with plentiful piercings and tattoos on both men and women – that she asked her mother if she just wanted to forget the whole thing. But Emma boldly took charge, and soon discovered that each person had needs beyond learning to quilt, and Emma was just the person to help them. An interesting story with surprising plot twists, this novel with its engaging characters is a quick and happy read.