A Dream of Miracles

A Dream of Miracles by Ruth Reid is the third book in The Amish Wonders series (but you do not need to read the previous books to enjoy this one). Mattie Diener's son, Nathan is ill. He has been plagued by illness since his birth. She takes him to the doctor, but the regular doctor (Dr. Roswell) is on vacation. Dr. Wellington is filling in, but she knows nothing about the Amish (like how long it takes in a buggy to get to the hospital). Nathan has blisters in his mouth and the doctor suspects foul play. She has Mattie take him to the hospital and calls Child Protective Services (since it took her three hours to get to the hospital). Bo Lampbright is the caseworker assigned to the Diener case. Bo is attracted to Mattie from the moment they meet. The hospital, though, does not seem to understand the Amish (their culture). This is just the beginning of trouble for Mattie. Mattie does not understand how the system works (with the police and Child Protective Services) and is overwhelmed. It is hard enough that her husband passed away eighteen months ago and Mattie has two young children. Things go from bad to worse. Bo believes in Mattie and will do anything he can to help her (including risking his career). Join us in A Dream of Miracles to see how Mattie handles her crisis of faith and the system!

A Dream of Miracles is well-written (and easy to read), but I had a hard time liking the main character, Mattie. It is hard to believe in this day and age that anyone her age (she is twenty-eight) can be that ignorant (of the government and its processes, life in general). Ignorance is not bliss especially in this case. I just found the book upsetting (about Mattie, the system, and the secrets) instead of enjoyable. A Dream of Miracles does show how people will put their own agenda ahead of the welfare of others as well as how ignorant people can be of other cultures and their beliefs. I give A Dream of Miracles 3.75 out of 5 stars. I look forward to the next book by Ruth Reid.

I received a complimentary copy of A Dream of Miracles from NetGalley and BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest evaluation of the book.