Bishop’s Family Books In Order

Publication Order of The Bishop's Family Books

Bishop’s Family

The Bishop’s Family is a series of Christian/Amish fiction books by award-winning author Suzanne Woods. The series revolves around the Bishop’s family, the church, and a tight-knight community. The Bishop’s family comprises of a widowed father and his children. The family is trying to move on after their loss, and set camp in Stoney Ridge, a small sleepy Amish community. The peace in this community can be deceiving, especially for someone like David, who has just recently moved to the area. David finds soon enough that things are not as they seem, and some skeletons are well hidden from the public eye.

Just like most Amish books, the Bishop’s family series revolves around family relationships, love, and forgiveness. There are also Christian undertones and valuable lessons to be learned as the series highlights some of the leadership issues that go on in churches. Suzanne is a reputable author of Amish stories, and just like her previous works, the Bishop’s family series is well-written and interesting enough to keep any fan of Amish stories captivated. Suzanne began her Bishop’s Family trilogy in 2015 with The Imposter and concluded with The Devoted in 2016.

The Imposter

The Imposter is the first book in the Bishop’s family series. We are introduced to Katrina Stoltzfus, a young woman who thinks that she has life figured out. She is madly in love with John, and she is ready to marry him and enjoy her happily ever after. Her plans are thwarted when her father decides to move the family to Stoney Ridge. As if a move to a different environment is not stressful enough, John chooses to marry someone else. It comes as a surprise to her that while her feelings for John were true, she could be a victim to a deep love deception.

Katrina struggles to move on and picture a life without her beloved. While she has barely recovered from the shock, a widow requests her to help with setting up a new business. Katrina quickly agrees and takes up the offer as she is eager to distract herself and forget about her woes. As fate would have it, Andy Miller, a farmhand who shows up at just the right time, enters Katrina’s tangled life. Andy seems to say all the right things and when are needed. He is also giving Katrina all the attention she needs, and going by his words and actions; he is too good to be true. Katrina is careful not to fall for empty words. She has been down this road before, and she knows just how painful deception can be. Can she trust Andy’s words and let her guard down? Will history repeat itself, leaving her with heartbreak to deal with?

Stoney Ridge has a new preacher, and his name is David Stoltzfus. Widowed for close to a year, David is keen to set a new place for his children in Stone Ridge. It is clear that he loves the place, and he discloses to Elmo, the Bishop, that he views Stoney Ridge as the Garden of Aden. Elmo is quick to warn him to be careful as in the garden lies a dangerous snake. A few events lead to the discovery of some surprising information. There is an imposter amid the tight-knight Amish Community. The report turns the Amish church upside down, and it seems like everyone has a stake in the overall outcome.

Just like the rest of Susan Woods’s books, this Amish fiction book is centered on family relationships. The characters are easy to relate with since they are realistically flawed and struggle like everyone else in dealing with the struggles they encounter.

The Quieting

This is the second book of the Bishop’s family series. The Quieting brings to light the problems that the Stoltzfus family is facing both in the church and at home. While the community expects him to fix things in the church fast, this does not seem to be achievable, and pressure is mounting every day on this man who believes in waiting on God to change people’s hearts. As if this is not enough, David’s mother arrives unexpectedly and brings more chaos than peace in this family’s life. David’s mother does not come alone. She comes with two granddaughters in tow, and she is keen to match all of them with the eligible suitors she believes are available in Stoney Ridge. Her matchmaking efforts for David and her granddaughter are not welcome.
Abigail, David’s niece, is in the process of undertaking genealogical research. In Stoney Ridge, she stumbles on information that could be of great help to David. The information she has could also put David and the community at large in an awkward situation. The Bishop’s sister Birdy is the one thing going right in David’s life. This woman is nothing but lovable, and her influence on David is easy to pick. Unfortunately, David’s mother is not so happy about the relationship.

While this is a sequel, you can still enjoy it as a standalone. The book artfully drops hints of what happens in The Imposter, so tying all the details is made easy. Aside from the comic moments and the romance undertones that will leave you feeling all warm inside, there is a lot to learn from this book. The pride theme is prominent here, and you get to see how our pride prevents us from waiting on God. You also get to know the power of free will and the importance of humility.

The Quieting features all the key characters that you find in the previous novel, The Imposter. You will also get introduced to new characters that make the whole story more detailed and exciting. Get to learn how Thelma and Katrina explore a new income source in their oil-rich land. You will also see how the community deals with an un-repentant bishop. In short, get a glimpse of the Amish life and learn a thing or two about Amish communities. The twists in this story are quite exciting, and this is indeed a page-turner that will keep you captivated to the last page.