A Healing Touch

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.

My Review:

What a thrill to be back in Stoney Ridge and meet up with so many beloved characters from the author’s previous series. ‘A Healing Touch’ could be read as a standalone, but I think readers familiar with some of the Stoney Ridge books, especially the ones featuring Dok, will appreciate this story so much more.

Dok was raised Amish but left the faith and her community to pursue a medical degree. Circumstances have brought her back to Stoney Ridge where her brother is the Bishop and she has an interesting mix of Amish and Englisch patients in her thriving Family Medicine practice. Dok is the kind of physician we’d all love to have – old-fashioned enough to still make house calls, caring enough (aka bossy enough) to push for the best outcomes for her patients, whether they want her to or not! And she has a creative approach to meet the needs of some of her most stubborn patients!

Mind you, Dok, knows a thing or two about stubbornness — just ask her husband! Love the insights we get into her married life (he’s the sheriff!) as they work their way through some tough situations. I might have cried at one point.

This story is told from three different women’s points of view. Dok, of course, and her busy practice and challenging home life; her receptionist, Annie, a young Amish woman who yearns for something more in her life, and Bee, Dok’s recently widowed patient who has just been given an unwelcome diagnosis.

There’s love and laughter, frustrations and tears — all woven together with the promise of divine hope and faith shared. An emotional journey realistically depicting a slice of real life.

20 thoughts on “A Healing Touch”

  1. Great review, Kav! It’s not often that I read one of your reviews after I’ve read the book myself. Thanks to you and another of your giveaways, I have read this one! And your review is so nicely articulated! (Obviously I’m not entering the giveaway haha)

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  3. I really enjoyed The Healing Touch. It feels like Susanne Fisher is writing women’s fiction in this one. I loved the 3 POV.

    I’m really looking forward to her new National Parks Summers series in May, the first book is Capture the Moment.

    Happy reading weekend to all 🙂

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    1. Yes, I had the same thought about it being Women’s Fiction and I really like the way the 3 POVs meshed so well in the story. WAIT! GASP! There’s a new Suzanne Woods Fisher series coming out in May?! Eeeeeppppp!!!! Reader’s Choice Week preview – you heard it here first, folks, from our cutting edge literary reporter! Woohooo!

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      1. LOL Kav, literary reporter is always on duty 😉

        I love books centered around national parks for some reason, so when I saw S Fisher’s I got excited. I can’t rightly say why the parks draw me, maybe because not that many books are set in them and I’d love to “see” as many as I can. I’ve read Karen Barnett’s Vintage Park series and way back in 2010 Annalisa Daughety had A Walk in the Park series. Even Dani Pettrey set Cold Shot in Gettysburg. Always on the lookout for a park book! If you know of any others send them my way.

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      2. I actually have Where Trees Touch the Sky by Karen Barnett on my TBR right now! I’ve enjoyed some National Park books too….I’m trying to remember them. A series on my radar that I haven’t read is by Regina Scott — American Wonders Collection. There are four books, all historical and they take place at the beginning of different National Parks – at least, that’s my understanding. Oh, and Patricia Bradley has a suspense series – Natchez Trace Park Rangers which was really interesting because it highlights the different type of ranger occupations and how the park works with other law enforcement agencies. That’s all I got, Tracey. Can’t measure up to your renowned investigative skills. Bwahahaha!

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      3. I read that first book of Regina Scott’s, A Distance to Grand. That had one of the best covers that year, I just loved the cover and the story was good too. The other two books in that series are set in Yellowstone and Yosemite and I’ve read Karen Barnett’s books with those two National Parks, but I still may go back and read Regina’s.

        I remember when Patricia Bradley’s Natchez Trace I was going to read it. I never got to it and looking back now I see that first book is 398 pages. Which brings me to another topic that may be of interest for our Sunday conversations. As I’ve gotten older, I have less interest in books at the 400-page mark. A few authors still hold my interest that long but only a few. For example, I’ve read 6 books this year that were close to that number, some over. Three I was glad I read, but three were just too long. Am I the only one who shies away from longer books and checking the page count before I buy a book?

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      4. Interesting — I just picked up a Patricia Bradley book from the library and it’s close to 400 pages too. Deadly Revenge, I think it’s her latest, so that must be her norm. I’m with you on books over 400 pages, but I think it matters why they are so long. Like if it’s because of a ton of flowery descriptions that are way too detailed or full of unnecessary scenes that don’t advance the plot, then I lose interest. Great topic for a Sunday conversations. Thanks for the inspiration, Tracey!

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  4. I have really enjoyed Suzanne’s books, both contemporary & Amish, so this one sounds just as good! I’ve not read her Stoney Ridge series however, but I’m definitely putting them on my to-read list now. 😊

    Excellent review that makes me want to get to know Dok in previous books. As always, thanks for the giveaway chance to win this one!

    teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

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      1. Oh, haha!!! Guess I didn’t pay much attention to that 😂 My library does have the Stoney Ridge series but not this one yet….however I just requested they purchase it!!!! Crossing fingers they do 😊

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  5. Thank you for your review on A HEALING TOUCH, which confirms that I NEED to read this book. Always enjoy reading this author’s books and this one is already on my TBR list. I’ve got to see what I can do to get it moved up on my gotta read list. 🙂

    Have a fabulous Friday and may the weekend bring you all you wish it to be!

    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. Thanks, Kay — guess what we’re having for the weekend? Another major winter storm. Starting this afternoon and going into Saturday. Sigh. Winter isn’t done with us yet. Best make sure my posts are scheduled this time. 🙂 Happy Reading, Kay!

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      1. Feel for you on old man winter making another appearance. 😦 Best to be stocked up and have plenty of reading material to stay in and stay warm until it blows over. ❤

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    1. Stoney Ridge is a setting for a number of Fisher’s series with some overlapping secondary characters. Starts with The Inn at Edge Hill (4 books). Stoney Ridge Seasons (4 books), The Bishop’s Family (3 books) and The Deacon’s Family (3 books). Don’t be overwhelmed — each book can be read as a standalone but it sure is fun to keep meeting up with beloved characters series to series. Happy Reading, Sandy!

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