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I’ve said before that I typically enjoy an Amish novel set in the past, and Jan Drexler’s first Amish of Weaver’s Creek novel, The Sound of Distant Thunder, is no exception.

Katie Stuckey is young and in love, ready to marry Jonas Weaver. Her parents want her to wait until she turns eighteen, however. In the meantime, Jonas is ready to defend his beliefs in the Civil War and takes his drafted brother’s place on the front lines. War has a way of changing plans and challenging convictions—will the love between Katie and Jonas survive?

As I read, the action and emotions of this story certainly kept me on my figurative toes. I enjoyed how it’s a little different from other Amish fiction I have read and am looking forward to seeing how the series continues.

Thanks to Revell Reads, I received a complimentary copy of The Sound of Distant Thunder and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. ( )

This book is a very unusual historical fiction. Many of the Amish steadfast beliefs are well known and one of those is non-resistance concerning military service. Any form of violence even self-defense is avoided. The story is centered around the time of the Civil War. When men in Jonas’s community were drafted the elders received permission to pay $200 per man to excuse them from fighting. Twenty year old Jonas has been hearing a lot about the war on slavery, even sneaking newspapers to learn more. His heart becomes conflicted between the principles his faith holds dear and what he believes God would have him do. His brother, Samuel, boasts that if he were drafted he would not pay the fine because it would be contributing to the war. You guessed it, his name is drawn. His bravado turns to fear. Not only would he have to leave his wife and children, but if he went to fight he would be shunned. Jonas having settled what he should do tells his brother he will take his place.
Jonas has no doubt he is doing the right thing, but his sweetheart Katie is heartbroken. All that stood between them being married is her 18th birthday and him finishing their home he is building. As with any man going to war it is horrific for his family, but in this case the family is even more distraught because they believe the young soldier is sinning against God.
I admired Jonas’s courage not only to go battle but also facing his family’s disapproval to do as he felt God led him. The historical detail was incredible. What had a great impact on me was seeing the eyes of not only the world but war’s horrific experiences through the eyes of an innocent, sheltered young man. My heart ached for Katie, waiting at home, fearing the worst and facing some battles of her own without her beloved Jonas. I saw both of them grow up quickly in many ways. There are also unexpected twists and turns you won’t want to miss. A wonderful heartfelt read. ( )

It’s exciting to start reading a new series, knowing the story or characters you’re being introduced to will continue, in some way, in more books down the line.

In The Sound of Distant Thunder (which is a great title, btw) I’m introduced to Katie Stuckey and Jonas Weaver. Memorable characters. I don’t believe I’ve read an Amish story with a Civil War era setting.

I was drawn into the mid 1800s fairly easily, and the Amish language was scattered throughout—just enough to give it flavor without muddying my ability to follow the story. I don’t read a lot of Amish stories, but I enjoy the soft, nostalgic feel and the ‘purity’ it offers.

The romance is sweet, the damage of war is evident, and there are a few surprises. I enjoyed this book and cared about the characters, but there were a few bumps. I feel I didn’t get enough information on Katie’s history and why she held onto particular fears. There were also a few plot happenings that I felt should have resurfaced later in the story but were never fully explained.

Overall, this is a good Amish story with a unique historical setting. I hope to revisit some of these Weaver’s Creek characters in upcoming stories of this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a review.
#TheSoundOfDistantThunder ( )

I am not very familiar with this author so I was excited to read this book. It has some promising things in the book which kept me reading. I did have a very hard time connecting with the story at times though. I did like that it was set during the Civil War. It was interesting to read about the Amish during this time. Most books about Amish are not set during the Civil War.

Jonas is a good character with a few flaws. He is in love with the starry eyed Katie who only wants to be his wife. He on the other hand, has dreams of something else. Although Jonas shows signs of thinking of marriage I got the impression he was going to do something very seldom done by Amish.

He gets an opportunity to right a wrong by standing up for something he believes in. Slavery during this time was prevalent but Jonas does not condone it. I liked that he took his brother's place in the service. It was very courageous and I hoped being there would help him decide what he wanted to do with his life. During his service I enjoyed reading about what he went through and how war can cause emotional scars.

Poor Katie is distraught when Jonas leaves and I could feel her desperation. Was she worried about Jonas or that they hadn't married before he left? The best part of the story for me was the correspondence between Katie and Jonas as he is serving in the army.It reads like poetry and you can feel the depths of their passion for each other. Overall I have to say at the end of the book, I became a fan of the author. I love her writing style and ability to draw readers in with descriptions of Amish life and their commitment to each other.

I received a copy of this book from The Early Reviewers Program of Librarything. The review is my own opinion. ( )