Christian Fiction Devourers discussion

July's Group Read is Kate's Song by Jennifer Beckstrand!

Goodreads Summary: Kate Weaver was raised in an Amish home and has always been expected to choose baptism and strict observance of the Ordnung. But Kate is blessed with a beautiful singing voice, and when another path leads her to the academy for vocal training, she struggles to understand God's will for her life. She returns to Apple Lake, haunted by a violent encounter with a fellow student, and finds herself drawn to the peace and devotion of her Amish home. But can she give up her dreams? Or will her calling forever separate her from the people and the way of life she holds so dear? Nathaniel King has never wavered in his commitment to the community and the Old Order Amish Church into which he is baptized. He has been in love with Kate for as long as he can remember, and he is devastated when she leaves Apple Lake to attend the academy. When Kate returns, will she make his most profound hopes a reality--or will she break his heart all over again?

Finished this last night. Had mixed feelings about it and gave it a 4. Looking forward to discussing it. Beth thanks for loaning it!

Loraine, I had mixed feelings as well! On one hand, I liked the uniqueness of Kate being a singer & her decision she had to make, but on the other hand, the plot was somewhat predictable.

I'm not sure that anyone else is going to be participating in this one, so I'm glad you did so we can discuss :)

Here are some general discussion questions if anyone is interested in answering them or just thinking them over:

(from litlovers.com)

1. Did you enjoy the book? Why? Why not?

2. How did the book compare to other books by the author (or other books in the same genre)?

3. What about the plot? Did it pull you in; or did you feel you had to force yourself to read the book?

4. If one (or more) of the characters made a choice that had moral implications, would you have made the same decision? Why? Why not?

5. Is the ending satisfying? If so, why? If not, why not...and how would you change it?

I have a copy of this book! Hopefully I'll be able to start reading it soon. My husband started his new job today, so I should have more time for reading now that he's out of the house ;)

Hopefully you can get to it, Rachel! :)

I enjoyed the book; but having read a lot of Amish books throughout the years, I am discovering that I am getting burned out on Amish books. It seems the majority of the plots are all the same and other than an added twist or two all seem very formulaic. I am wondering if perhaps the market is now getting oversaturated with Amish books.

I did really like the theme song of Be Still My Soul that floated throughout the storyline as it is one of my favorite hymns.

I am going to start this book tonight!! I've been wanting to start it, just had to finish another first :)

Yay! Glad to hear that, Ta! :)

Ta wrote: "I am going to start this book tonight!! I've been wanting to start it, just had to finish another first :)"

Glad you got it and hope you enjoy it.

I read this book earlier. Enjoyed!

Jackie wrote: "I read this book earlier. Enjoyed!"

Glad you liked it, Jackie!

I'm going to go ahead and answer the questions, since I don't think that anyone else is going to join in on this one & it's past the halfway mark of the month :)

POSSIBLE SPOILERS**

1. Did you enjoy the book? Why? Why not?

I did enjoy this one. Amish-set books are sometimes a hit or miss for. I think I primarily liked this one because I thought the idea of Kate having to choose between a promising career in music and her life in the Amish community. I found it very compelling.

2. How did the book compare to other books by the author (or other books in the same genre)?

This is the first book that I've read by this author, so I can't compare there, but one of the more recent Amish books I've read, Lillys Wedding Quilt by Kelly Long, became one of my overall favorites. As for the sub-genre of Amish-set fiction, I'm not a good judge on that because I haven't read many in this category.

3. What about the plot? Did it pull you in; or did you feel you had to force yourself to read the book?

At times the plot pulled me in, but at times I found it a bit tedious and not quite original. I don't care for the whole "big misunderstanding" relationship between characters.

4. If one (or more) of the characters made a choice that had moral implications, would you have made the same decision? Why? Why not?

Kate's decision to defend her friend and her friend's baby is the same one I would have made. She kept them from being hurt, so although it constituted as being violent as far as her Amish background was concerned, it was the right choice.

5. Is the ending satisfying? If so, why? If not, why not...and how would you change it?

The ending was satisfying for me. It was happily-ever-after but not without heartache to get there.

Beth - I too agreed with Kate's decision to defend a friend. I know they are Pacifists; but at the same time, they follow God's word which says that we are to defend the weak and the helpless. It was definitely the right choice for Kate.

Well said! :)

I felt impatient with Nathaniel's guilty reaction to defending Kate when they were in the city. I understand an aversion to fighting just for the sake of fighting, but I didn't think that he should have felt that way given the situation.

Nathaniel frustrated me no end many times LOL:)

Glad it wasn't just me!! I was a little thrown off by his tendency to sob, etc...he would seem so tough & manly, then weep. Not saying men can't cry...lol

Loved it. I feel like Kate grew a lot by the end of the book.

I'm still reading. I saw this push s I was reading so I took a look. I hope to be done this weekend.

I read this one in May; 5 stars
After a slow buildup, this novel really takes you for a fun and somewhat suspenseful ride. I kept wondering if things would actually work out in the end and was so glad when they did. The novel is written very well and is now a favorite. I will definitely be seeking out the rest of the series. For an Amish novel, this one had a more complex plot than I'm used to seeing, and I really enjoyed the intricacy of this author's writing style.

I just picked up the second one in the series at the library, which I will likely get to in August. :)

I've just started this one, so I'll do my best not to read the spoilers ;)

Rachel - anxious to see what you think of this one. I always enjoy reading what you have to say about books.

Thanks, Loraine!

Ditto to what Loraine said! :)

I am on chapter 39 and on pins and needles. I want to skip forward just to see what is going to happen, but wont of course!!! I just want to shake the characters of the book!!

Did you all feel that her older brother's action were realistic?

I really wanted to know more about his motivations and really disliked him & his wife!

realistic how? I felt that they were both highly judgmental and that he was an abuser.

I felt her older brother was very manipulative and verbally abusive and that his wife was cut from the same cloth.

Right, I'm not questioning whether or not he was judgmental, an abuser, etc, but did the reasoning for those qualities come across as realistic? He seemed determined to make everyone think the worst of Kate & yet he wanted a position of leadership in the community? I guess i just felt like it didn't add up, and it seemed like there should have been something else behind his actions other than that. Why would he be that way when Kate & her other siblings were kind people?

Just trying to spark a bit more conversation since it's almost the end of the month :)

I am done, and I loved it. I was scared for a while minute there and then B00M! It was all great for me :)

Aaron, it was like her father said, "He does not despise you as much as he loves himself." He loved himself so much he didn't care who he stepped on or destroyed to get what or where he wanted. It is terrible, but I have known a few to have just that. In the end, when they are found out, some really feel bad, or others just don't see their wrong doing like Aaron.

I look forward to reading her other books, and hope to be able to read long with more books of the month :)

Beth wrote: "Right, I'm not questioning whether or not he was judgmental, an abuser, etc, but did the reasoning for those qualities come across as realistic? He seemed determined to make everyone think the wors..."

That is an interesting thought Beth. There was no background for why he was so harsh to his sister unless he thought by putting her down he was building himself up. Perhaps he thought she was the easiest one to pick on as the others seemed to follow what he thought they should be like.

Just finished Kate's Song. I loved it! I haven't read more than two or three Amish books, so I can honestly say much of it was educational and informative to me (which I understand might get old after reading a dozen or more of them). I enjoyed stepping into a world and lifestyle that I have only visited once (in PA).

My heart broke for Kate, for the decision she had to make, yet I loved how God brought her to a place of enlightenment - - and then the hammer came down. What a great test of her faith. And though somewhat predictable, I enjoyed watching Kate and Nathaniel struggle and ultimately find lasting love.

I just finished Kate's Song. I really enjoyed it. I found myself really feeling bad for Nathaniel. He is just a loveable character. I really like how Kate would always seek God for her answers. Even though she was thinking of leaving the Amish to pursue her singing, she still looked to God for answers.

I'm nearly halfway through this book right now and I'm getting really frustrated by how judgemental everyone is towards Kate, simply because they think they know what is best for her. I've been on the receiving end of this sort of judgement before, and it is not fun! I guess it's kind of natural in a such a strict community for such judgement to emerge whenever anyone strays from the prescribed path, but it's still difficult to read about. I got particularly annoyed when Nathaniel defended Kate from the men in the alleyway and everyone got angry at her for forcing him to use violence. What was he meant to do, let her get beaten and possibly even raped? The way people reacted, particularly Ada, Aaron and Nathaniel's mother, stunk of victim-blaming. Urgh.

Rachel, that happens a lot throughout the book - in the instance you're talking about, Nathaniel even felt guilty for the "violence" he used to protect Kate from those jerks...that was frustrating to me.

On the other hand, I loved Kate's younger brother! He is so loyal to her throughout the story.

Beth wrote: "On the other hand, I loved Kate's younger brother! He is so loyal to her throughout the story."

I did too - no matter what she was going through he stood by her.

I'm nearly done with this book! I got so much reading today. Agreed, I really like Elmer, he was loyal and not scared to show his true emotions, which isn't typical of men in Amish novels.

This might be a potential spoiler for people who haven't finished the book, but I've got to the section where Kate goes back to help Maria and Aaron misrepresents the situation to Nathaniel. Aaron's jerkishness aside, I'm actually quite annoyed at Nathaniel. If he really knew her and loved her, would he believe in her betrayal so quickly? He seems to turn on her far too fast. I almost don't want her to go back to him. I got especially annoyed when he started to believe she'd been sleeping with Carlos and had a child with him and how this had "cheapened her". I really don't like it when men talk about women that way. I know Nathaniel talks to Kate on the phone and says that he forgives her, but the way he thinks about her in the scene when he smashes the rocking chair...that's a lot of unforgiveness and judgement for a faith known for its forgiving nature.

I'll probably finish this tonight, so maybe my thoughts will have straightened out by then...but right now I'm rather frustrated with the characters!

I liked how the characters weren't all typically good and wonderful examples. They had some serious faults and flaws like real people do.

Rachel wrote: "I'm nearly done with this book! I got so much reading today. Agreed, I really like Elmer, he was loyal and not scared to show his true emotions, which isn't typical of men in Amish novels.

This mi..."

I'm not sure if you happened to see my review when i posted it, but this was one of the things that bothered me! The whole misunderstanding could have been avoided if he had simply asked Kate about the guy that was seen with her. He took Aaron's word - the one that clearly had it out for Kate from the get go. I didn't find it realistic at all. While it may have been fine for him to be upset, to me it didn't make sense that he decided not to listen to her at all. He just went along with what Aaron and his wife said believing something about Kate that wasn't based on any of her characteristics at all.

I love how there's a lot of different opinions of the book - makes for diverse discussions :)

Rachel, you're completely right--it's nice to have Amish characters with flaws who aren't portrayed as being completely perfect.

Beth, I did see your review! I'm also not a big fan of the "big misunderstanding" plot device, mainly because I'm proactive about addressing problems and talking things through before they escalate, rather than brooding and avoiding talking to people. But considering how often misunderstandings ruin relationships in fiction, it probably must reflect real life to some extent, or authors wouldn't use it so often. I guess a lot of readers must be able to relate to those sorts of conflicts, even if we can't!

I could kind of see the innocent, immature state of Nathaniel and Kate's relationship making him be so emotional and broody when she left, but I didn't totally buy him believing Aaron and his wife. Hadn't he got angry at Aaron earlier in the novel for how he treated Kate?

I kind of wished Aaron and his wife had more character development, so we could see the motivations behind the way they acted. I wanted to know why they were so judgemental and conniving.

Ultimately, this was a compelling read, even when I was annoyed with the characters. The ending was mostly satisfying, but my biggest struggle is probably just that I couldn't relate to the way the characters acted, and the victim-blaming to do with Kate and the violence left a bad taste in my mouth.

I enjoyed reading Kate's Song. I have not read many Amish fiction books so I feel that the plot, conflict and resolution were appropriate for an Amish community. Like many others have stated, I was frustrated with Nathaniel's stubborness and willingness to listen to Aaron and Ada rather than the object of his affection, Kate. I do think that there are probably a good many "Aaron's" in an Amish community, especially given that he is the oldest male child of a large family. He probably was expected to take on some of the "fathering" as the children got into things. He represented a strict adherence to the community rules. Unfortunately, he had a selfish angle to him and rather than being strict with Kate for her own good, it was more for protecting his own reputation so that he might one day take his father-in-laws coveted position.

I loved Kate's innocent views on life. Her sense of what is right and wrong was well developed yet she had to decide weather to further her God given talents as a singer or become baptised and a permanant member of the church. I loved her loyalty to her friend and felt the conflict created was believable. I didn't buy Nathaniel's stubborness in not actually asking Kate about the situation and his unwillingness to listen to her when she tried to explain. I think if he was in love with her as much as he said then he would have given her the benefit of the doubt and at least asked her who the child and man were instead of assuming the worst. Kate had never deceived him or anything so she didn't deserve his reaction in my opinion.

I found the ending very satisfying and overall I loved the book. I look forward to reading Jennifer Beckstrand again. I gave the book 4 stars.