The Younger Man

By: Brenda Maxfield

Narrated by: Trudi Knoedler

Julia Bontrager’s world collapses when her husband is killed in a freak accident. Suddenly a single mother with three children to raise and a farm to work, she flounders to survive. Her in-laws pressure her to return to Illinois, but Julia won’t give up her late husband’s dream; nor can she imagine living with her difficult and dominating mother-in-law.

In desperation, she hires a young Amish man to take over the bulk of the farm work. When he begins to fall for her, Julia is faced with even more questions and decisions. Battling through her grief, Julia discovers that perhaps God has more for her than she ever dreamed possible.

©2023 Tica House Publishing LLC (P)2023 Tica House Publishing LLC

Engaging and entertaining

The Younger Man is another well-written Amish romance from Brenda Maxfield, a well-versed author in the Amish way of life. The story of The Younger Man introduces us to Julia Bontrager, a mother with three children to raise, and a big farm to take care of on her own after she becomes a widow when her husband is taken from her life by a tragic accident. Refusing to abandon her husband’s dream and move back in with problematic in-laws, Julia decides to hire a younger man to help with the farm work, but by doing so her life will change in ways she didn’t imagine.

Brenda Maxfield does a great job writing about Amish and Mennonite communities in the United States, revealing their day-to-day lifestyles, but also their heartaches, triumphs, hopes, romances, dreams, beliefs, and dramas.

The Younger Man is a little bit longer than her other novels and this is a good thing because we have a richer story with better character development than before. With The Younger Man, the author dives deeper into important subjects such as loss, faith, hope, and redemption.

The audiobook version of The Younger Man is narrated with talent, passion, skill, and enthusiasm by Trudi Knoedler. As always, it is a pleasure finding Trudi Knoedler behind the mic, and her deeply personal performance in these audio productions is one of the reasons why I enjoy them so much. Trudi always manages to bring these characters, their stories, and entire Amish communities to life in pleasant and entertaining ways.

Trudy reads in a pleasant voice, she acts all the parts and infuses the dialogue with credible accents that help the listener immerse themselves into these dramatic tales. I think that she is perfect for this kind of production.

Whether you’re a fan of romance stories or simply fascinated by the intriguing Amish culture, The Younger Man offers a satisfying combination of both that will leave you thoroughly entertained.

I am a blind audiobook reviewer, so if you found this review interesting I hope you will consider leaving a helpful vote below. Most audiobooks I receive for free for review purposes. Thank you! Take care, stay safe, and don't forget, always listen with your heart.