Samuel: The Inspiring Story of How an Amish Boy's Tragedy Brought Two Worlds Together

Rating:
Summary: About a boy - An unforgettable book!
Review: I picked up this book, intrigued by the picture on the front of an Amish buggy on a lonely road in Amish Country. I was just amazed at the heart in this book. You turn the pages and your heart just fills with the plight of Samuel and his parents as they try to get help for Samuel and his long hospitalization. Robert J. Hastings is just so tender in his dealings with Samuel's parents; who take turns in the book, through Bob Hastings interviews, talking about the trials and troubles they go through. I was struck at the innocence and humility of Oba and Lorene. They were just like small children having to deal with all the ugly things of this world; hospital bills, pettiness, uncaring people. Through their ordeal however we are uplifted as the doors swing open for them! The strangers that open their homes and hearts to them. The miraculous survival of Samuel. The charity of Precious Moments artist and creator Sam Butcher who creates a commemorative Amish button that is sold at Hallmark stores and nets the family $20,000. I found their whole story so touching, more so because it was true. This family had to completely trust in the kindness of strangers and this they found in abundance! Read it, you will love it. I immediately bought six more copies and gave them away to people who had a special place in my heart. I now have a special place in my heart for Samuel. It is a beautiful book!

Rating:
Summary: About a boy - An unforgettable book!
Review: I picked up this book, intrigued by the picture on the front of an Amish buggy on a lonely road in the country. I was just amazed at the heart in this book. You turn the pages and your heart just fills with the plight of Samuel and his parents as they try to get help for Samuel and his long hospitalization. Robert J. Hastings is just so tender in his dealings with Samuel's parents; who take turns in the book, through Bob Hastings interviews, talking about the trials and troubles they go through. I was struck at the innocence and humility of Oba and Lorene. They were just like small children having to deal with all the ugly things of this world; hospital bills, pettiness, uncaring people. Through their ordeal however we are uplifted as the doors swing open for them! The strangers that open their homes and hearts to them. The miraculous survival of Samuel. The charity of Precious Moments artist and creator Sam Butcher who creates a commemorative Amish button that is sold at Hallmark stores and nets the family $20,000. I found their whole story so touching, more so because it was true. This family had to completely trust in the kindness of strangers and this they found in abundance! Read it, you will love it. I immediately bought six more copies and gave them away to people who had a special place in my heart. I now have a special place in my heart for Samuel. It is a beautiful book!

Rating:
Summary: This is an excellent book
Review: If you are reading this you are probably interested in buying it. I really suggest you do. I knew the author personally, he was my pastor. He was a great man, writer and individual. Unfortunately he died several years ago, but part of him still lives on through his ability to touch others with his tremendous ability to write. Bob, as we called him, writes about an Amish boy who is caught in a threshing machine. A boy named Samuel. His father first thinks him dead, but after hearing a slight moan they rush him to the hospital. Samuel lives. His condition allows him to have a phone in his house (which usually isn't permitted in Amish homes) for medical emergencies. It isn't just a tale about a boy, but how we put our faith in Jesus to heal not only our broken body, but our broken spirit. It is an inspirational story, and if you like it, I suggest Bob's other books which are Tinyburg Tales, Tinyburg Revisited, Nickel's Worth of Skim Milk, Penny's Worth of Minced Ham (both about growing up in the Depression), and several others. His work is always uplifting, getting you to focus on God, not on yourself and your own problems. I highly recommend anything he has ever written, because I have read them all. They are all a gift, just as the man himself was to me. Bob, you're missed.