Sarah and her friend Patty started a memory jar when they were young and before Patty dies in a accident. Jathan is in town for hunting season. They become friends and she shares a lot of memories of her and Patty with him. He gets called back home due to his father having a stroke. His mom has a bakery shop, Sarah is a good baker so he invites her to come work at the bakery there since her aunts lives in the same town. When she leaves home she is given the memory jar that belong to Patty, later when she is looking thru it she finds a letter that Patty had written. The letter gives Sarah some encouragement. "The Memory Jar" by Tricia Goyer is one of those books where I just felt like screaming, "That's not fair!" Then again that could be the point, that life isn't fair but how we handle it is what matters for sometimes God has a much grander plan in store. The love story between Jathan and Sarah was incredibly sweet and at times almost too saccharine sweet, but to me, in this case anyways, only enhanced the story line. Both of them had a dream that wasn't exactly in line with what their families wanted for them. One of them also has to deal with family expectations and demands on them. But though the relationship is sweet, it is not without its troubles as well.The first couple of times of the memories, they seemed to be more of a space filler but then I noticed that actually they were a creative and unique way of explaining why one of the characters are they way they are because those memories helped formed them. They are a great reminder too, for we shouldn't focus on what is ahead but what is in front of us.I am so looking forward to the rest of the books in the series if they are written anything like this one. Ms. Goyer described everything to where the reader could easily get lost within the pages of the books, thinking they were on the mountains of Montana or driving down the roads of Ohio. The characters couldn't help but touch the heart for they all were well fleshed out and three dimensional.
What do You think about Memory Jar, The (2013)?
Love Tricia Goyer's approach to Amish fiction -- new and fresh! This promises to be a great series
—Henry
I very much enjoyed this story. I could have used a box of tissues!
—shiya09
