I liked that Courting Miss Amsel focused on her role as a first time schoolteacher in a small town. Miss Amsel has new methods and a no-corporal punishment policy that endears her to her students but riles up select parents within the community. After a few special situations pop-up, her standing as school teacher receives even more criticism.
In addition to Miss Amsel, there are a couple of other characters you will really like. Missy, her little sister, has an interesting and subtle personality conversion that takes place faster than Miss Amsel's own. The older lady who boards Miss Amsel, Mrs. Kinsley, is also a lot of fun within the story. Her subtle and not-so-subtle moments and hints add a lot of spunk and personality in places where Miss Amsel can't provide these things.
The main love interest Joel Townsend and his two nephews that he is raising, Johnny and Robert, are also a delight to read. These two students and the other schoolchildren are all wonderfully warm and endearing as are the times spent within the classroom. Well, minus one bad egg....you will read more about him within the story!
If I had any quibble within the story at all, it is that the "Courting" represented within the title isn't really what you would likely consider courting. The "Courting" is done through a few conversations, a couple of community events and a few moments of jealousy - there are no buggy rides a la These Happy Golden Years or any other trappings of a traditional courtship. This is understandable considering Joel Townsend's responsibilities towards his nephews, but the title remains slightly misleading.
However, don't let that dissuade you as Courting Miss Amsel is definitely a book well worth reading.
If this Kim Vogel Sawyer book interests you, check out my review of In Every Heartbeat by the same author!
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this volume.
Thank you so much for the kind review. As a former teacher, I delighted in creating Miss Amsel. (I also appreciate your words on the title. Authors don't always have a say in what their books are titled, which takes some people by surprise. But knowing you found the title misleading may help in future selections. So thanks for that, too.)
ReplyDelete