Piece by Piece by Laura Bradford

About the bookA grieving mother learns to heal in Amish country, in this heartfelt, beautifully told novel from national bestselling author Laura Bradford.

Danielle Parker is a gold-medal mom--the kind who volunteers in her children's classrooms, shuttles them between activities, throws legendary birthday parties, and has a remedy on hand for any emergency. Whatever her husband, Jeff, and their children need, Dani is there, always.
Except for one day.

On that day--the day that Dani reluctantly takes some "me time" while her mom and Jeff drive the children to the park--the unthinkable happens. The car crash leaves no survivors. Somehow, Dani gets through the funerals and visits, accepting neighbors' sympathy and dropped-off meals. All the while, guilt and grief make her wish the accident had claimed her life too. Then a call comes from Lydia Schlabach, an Amish woman Dani befriended in childhood. In addition to condolences, Lydia offers Dani something more: a place to escape to.

In Pennsylvania's Amish country, Dani's days take on a new rhythm, marked by the clip-clop of buggies and the bustle of chores. Lydia gives Dani space to mourn, to think, and to realize how long it's been since she felt like a person in her own right. And with the help of friendships old and new, Dani learns about the ways life continues to surprise us--even after the deepest loss--with joy, love, and second chances. . . .My thoughts:

Piece by Piece is such a beautiful and heartfelt story and the latest novel penned by Ms. Bradford. It’s a story of love, unbelievable loss, friendship and coming to terms with your new normal life. The story of Danielle Parker who lost her entire family in a tragic accident was an emotional and powerful one for sure.  I could imagine Dani’s grief, her heartache and her reluctance to visit her dearest friend since the description was so vivid.

In this impeccably written book, the author captured my emotions which means I cried quite often but I also felt hopeful for all of the incredible characters that were so lovingly crafted.  It’s been a few days since I finished this book but the characters still cross my mind occasionally.  The journey I took with Dani was a difficult one at times, it was filled with grief, but also love, patience and understanding.  I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.  All opinions are my own.