The Wounded Heart by Adina Senft will take you on an emotional journey as you travel into the home and heart of Amelia Beiler. Widowed with two young boys, she is having a hard time staying afloat. Her only solace is her weekly quilting time with her two best friends Carrie and Emma. To add to her problems she starts developing some strange health issues. After a trip to the doctor she is delivered a devastating blow, she has multiple sclerosis. Scared and confused she decides to get a second opinion. Much to her dismay the diagnosis is still the same. Only this time the doctor gives her a small amount of hope when she tells her about an experimental approach that would require her travel to Mexico. Amelia is left with a choice to go the route of being on medication the rest of her life that may only prolong the enviable of being wheelchair bound or does she try a different way that may put her disease into remission. Both routes will be expensive and her only hope to fund a trip to Mexico would be to sell the shop. Word travels fast through the Amish grapevine that she may have to sell and she gets multiple offers. One offer is from Eli Fischer, who not only has his sights on the business, but on Amelia as well. At a crossroads Amelia seeks counsel from the church elders who tell her if she goes to Mexico for treatment she risks being put under the Bann. As her symptoms progress so do her feelings for Eli, but how can she pursue a relationship when she doesn’t know what lies around the corner with her health? Amelia is a strong woman who I found to be courageous and full of life. A life she is not ready to give up. She is willing to do most anything she can to be healthy for her boys. This book was such an inspiration to read. I cannot imagine being told you can’t do something that you desperately need to do. I was very moved by Amelia’s story and I recommend that you pick up a copy today! The second book, The Hidden Life, will be out in June, and I am very excited to continue getting to know these fabulous characters. Amish widow, Amelia Beiler, with 2 small children is told she has MS. When seeking a 2nd opinion, a niece sets her up with a holistic doctor. While I have nothing agaist the holistic approach, seeking treatment in Mexico City that cost a minimum of $50,000 for about 4 months (myelin injection obtained from cows) seems to be out and out fraud to me. If that road can been continued and presented as a viable cure, I would never read any of this author's books again EVER. But it finally took another unpredictable twist that did not lead Amelia to Mexico spending money obtained by selling her business. The characters were very real and loved the friendship between Amelia and two other Amish women. What upset me was the author left the Mexico option in the air as if it was a true option for a cure. If the next book in this series takes similar plot lines, I probably will just return it unread. Realize she needed it as an important part of the plot but she did a real disservice to anyone who may really have MS by not addressing the fraudulent nature of the so called cure in Mexico. Have a nephew who pursued a similar cure for cancer. He felt better for a short while and is now much further damaged by the cancer than if he had sought proven, traditional treatment. He lost a lot of time and money. Senft should be ashame of how she presented the cure and remember those are provided by con artists who are just after the desparate person's money.
What do You think about The Wounded Heart (2011)?
Quick read. Completely predictable but a nice book.
—Krysee
