A Place at Our Table by Amy Clipston

A Place at Our Table by Amy Clipston is the first book in the Amish Homestead series.  In this Amish love story Kayla and James meet at Kayla's family's burning barn.  James is an Amish fire fighter volunteer.  Kayla's little brother Nathan is 14 and wants to start volunteering with the firefighters group but Kayla is against it since she is grieving the loss of her firefighter brother, Simeon, in a fire.  Nathan is grieving that loss also but feels closer to his brother when he is around a fire trying to help.  Unbeknownst to James he starts to tell Nathan how to train as a firefighter greatly angering Kayla. 

Nathan is very busy working the family farm as well as volunteering at the local fire department.  Nathan says he has no time for dating but this extremely mad and beautiful Kayla has him interested.  Kayla Dienner's brother died a year ago at the same time that her fiancé dumped her and so not only distrusts the firefighter, James, but distrusts all men---but Jamie's good looks do hold her interest longer than she would like.  Then James who had been putting off fixing that railing guarding the basement steps hears the tones go off for his address and recognizing the description of his mother knows that his mother is gravely injured even before he sees her.  His mother has died all because of him and his sister will never forgive him nor will he.

This novel introduces that reader to the Riehl and Dienner families and walks us through how these 2 families cope with death and tragedy within the Amish faith.  This books tells how their must forgive everyone who wrongs them both comfort as well as challenges them as they go through life.  Read this book if your love Amish love stories, read this book if you just love love stories.  This is well written as all of Amy Clipston books are and this one is the beginning of a new series which is always more enjoyable when you start at the beginning reading them.  Usually her books are stand alone novels and this one is no different but still leaves the reader anxious to read the next installment.
I received this book from Booklook for this review.