Courting Miss Amsel is definitely a must read! It is a page turner that is fast paced and intriguing from beginning to the end. The story follows a first year, turn of the century, teacher that has always dreamed of teaching in small town. When Edythe Amsel's dreams come true and she lands a job in Walnut Hill, Nebraska, she believes that she is leaving her past behind her and beginning a new life. But as she quickly discovers her past and her dreams are anything but separate. Having already raised her brothers and sister, Edythe wants nothing more than to be a teacher and demonstrate to her students that learning can be fun and intriguing, but when several suitors begin to go after the school teacher's frozen heart, it will take an act of God to melt and mold it into His purpose and will.Another problem quickly arises due to Miss Amsel's progressive teaching style. From the start the town wonders how this teacher's new teaching methods will work. Many wonder how looking at bugs and planting seeds for science is learning, after all. The town folks eventually begin to accept this their schoolmarm, but when Edythe Amsel decides to take a field trip to hear Miss Susan B. Anthony speak on women's right, that might be just to much for Walnut Hill.
Overall this is an excellent book! I can honestly say I enjoyed Kim Vogel Sawyer. She developed characters and plots that were engaging and heartwarming. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book. My one critique of this book, speaking from an elementary teacher's point of view, is that the methods that Edythe Amsel uses were not invented until about twenty or more years after the time period of this book. For me this was a small annoyance as Miss Amsel dealt with many problems as a modern teacher would and not as a teacher living during the early 1900s would have. I think that overall, this is a must read!
For reviewing this book, I received a copy of it from Bethany House Publisher.
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