Christian Fiction Devourers discussion

The Healing Touch by Suzanne Woods Fisher



Ruth "Dok" Stoltzfus is the kind of doctor who still believes in house calls, addressing not just her patients' physical needs but their emotional ones too. When newly widowed Bee faces a breast cancer diagnosis, Dok connects her with Fern Lapp for support. When her painfully shy assistant Annie finds herself drawn to a new calling, Dok goes to great lengths to help her achieve her dream. And when an abandoned newborn mysteriously appears at her office one frosty morning, Dok's world takes an unexpected turn as ripples of change touch several lives.A Healing Touch is a captivating tale of compassion, resilience, and the bonds that form in surprising places. Bestselling and award-winning author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you into a new story that's like medicine for the weary soul. Join Dok, Annie, and the tight-knit Stoney Ridge community as they navigate the twists of fate, discovering that sometimes the greatest healing comes from the heart.

Who's joining?

I’m in for this one.

I'm in.

I'm in!

Welcome all! I just finished the novel and it was good as expected.

I'm in.

I just finished it and also thought it was good.

I’m in, too! 😊

just finished and am looking forward to the discussion!

It's the 15th and time to discuss the novel including spoilers. I typed up the questions at the end of the novel when I finished reading and now I can't find them. Sigh. Hopefully, they will surface at some point this weekend. Regardless if we have the official questions are not, you are free to share any comments now.

I'll admit that Bee's storyline made this a more difficult read than maybe I was expecting. I think cancer angles will be difficult for me for a good long while.
That said, I really enjoyed the book overall. I appreciated how Dok and her sweetheart were able to use their unexpected foster parenting situation to refocus on themselves and what they could do to be a blessing to little Gabriel.
Annie and her 'Mr. Wonderful/Amish EMT' made me smile, and though I know she needs to concentrate on her training and not courting for the moment, I hope we will see them in a future Stoney Ridge story and that they are together, fulfilling the call God placed on their lives!

I finished reading this!

I liked the medical focus and the theme of moving forward in life. Suzanne Woods Fisher's books usually have me slowing down and reflecting.

I enjoyed it, but I felt that it just simply ended. When I finished the last chapter, I expected another chapter or two to finish it off. It didn't seem quite complete to me. However, I did like the way the foster parenting showed them how to refocus in their marriage.

I agree, Kari! I was so surprised that there wasn't more. Perhaps there will be a sequel?

Her Amish book that's being released in October is about two medical residents and a traveling nurse staying at Widmill Farm. It'll continue Dok's story. Perhaps we'll get updates on Annie and Bee too.

Kate wrote: "I'll admit that Bee's storyline made this a more difficult read than maybe I was expecting. I think cancer angles will be difficult for me for a good long while.
That said, I really enjoyed the boo..."

Hugs Kate. Some topics can definitely be more difficult than others.

I also hope to see more about Annie and Gus.

Michelle wrote: "I liked the medical focus and the theme of moving forward in life. Suzanne Woods Fisher's books usually have me slowing down and reflecting."

She is such a fabulous author. The first author that brought me into reading Amish Fiction.

Kari wrote: "I enjoyed it, but I felt that it just simply ended. When I finished the last chapter, I expected another chapter or two to finish it off. It didn't seem quite complete to me. However, I did like th..."

The ending definitely leaves room for imagination. :-)

I also enjoyed the medical focus and things learned from the novel in that space.

Michelle wrote: "Her Amish book that's being released in October is about two medical residents and a traveling nurse staying at Widmill Farm. It'll continue Dok's story. Perhaps we'll get updates on Annie and Bee ..."

Ooh! Great news!

I found the questions I had typed up. :-)

Please respond to as many or as few as you'd like:

1. Setting aside Kok Stoltzfus’s commitment to keep up the practice of house calls, what made her such a good doctor? And why do you think, besides knowing the Amish culture and language, she was so accepted by the Plain People?
2. Dok was a wonderful doctor to her patients but seemed to have missed some important cues from her husband. What was your reaction as you read that her husband thought that they needed counseling? What did Dok seem to be missing?
3. On the face of things, Bee Bennett could be considered a bit prickly. Reclusive. Introverted. Better with horses than with people. As you learned more about her, did she grow on you?
4. A theme in this book was getting stuck. Sally Fisher, for example, was psychologically stuck. She felt her purpose in life was gone after her season of full-time motherhood ended. When do you think the turning point out of heavy grief came for Bee?
5. Annie Fisher had to get to a point where it was worth the effort to give up her “default” shyness. When do you think Annie realized that her shyness was holding her back from living the life she was meant to live?
6. At first, Dok felt pressured by her husband Matt into taking on emergency foster care for the little baby left on her doorstep. How did her feelings change about the baby?
7. Fern Lapps’ comments felt like a sharp arrow to Bee. Are there people in your life you haven’t forgiven?
8. Letting go was another theme in this novel. Is there something difficult in your life that you’ve had to let go of? Or need to?
9. As the novel ended, things were just beginning for Annie and Gus, as well as for Bee and Damon. How would you write their next chapter?