The Waiting by Suzanne Woods Fisher

This is the 2nd book in the Lancaster County Secrets series. You don't have to read the first one in the series, this book could be considered a stand-alone. And as far as amish fiction goes, it was decent.

Jorie King is quite content on her grandparent's Percheron farm. Her one love, Ben, went off to war to be a conscientious objector and she hasn't felt compelled to date anyone else. Her friend Maryanne lives near by with Ben's brother Caleb and she enjoys the children that inhabit the house there, so is especially pleased when she is selected to be the schoolteacher. Not everyone is happy with this decision though and Jorie must deal with the sharp insults and sting of disapproval from some of the Amish.

Jorie is a strong character. She is still very Amish, but with an independent streak. And I liked that she valued education highly. She's the type of woman that knows what she wants and is patient enough to get it. Caleb, the neighbor and minister, is a little more confused. He has a good heart but is unable to focus with everything going on in his life. I do think that he recovers from some strong emotions a little too quickly, but it's hard to say if it's authentic as different people feel things differently. There were a lot of other characters, but I do have to say that I thought the character of Sylvia was treated unfairly. She was clearly the "bad guy" in this book and it just seemed as if all the negative aspects were pinned on her.

The plot was ok. Since it takes place in the Vietnam war I expected there to be a whole lot more mention of it and how it changed the Amish's lives. Especially considering some of them were drafted for it. But aside from the mentions of Ben, and the other brother working in a hospital, there was surprising little of it. A cougar actually got more book time. And there was a tiny plotline of a black man becoming the veterinarian during such turbulent times, but it was so downplayed I'm not even sure it really effected the book too much. I just don't think with it being the time period that it was that a lot of the book stuck true to what actually happened. It just didn't seem authentic.

Overall though it was a quick read and I did like the small love story that played out. I won't go rushing back to get more books by Fisher, but if some happen to slide their way into my to-read pile, I wouldn't turn them down.

The Waiting
Copyright 2010
Large Print 438 Pages

The Revelation by Beverly Lewis

The Revelation is the fifth and final book in the Abram's Daughters series by Beverly Lewis.  As it is the fifth, this should not be the book (or review) that you start the series with.  Go back to the beginning, otherwise not much will make sense.  Lewis does a little recapping in her novels, but not near enough to cover the detail of the previous four books.

With the return of Jonas, Leah is beside herself with happiness.  Even though the Bishop puts a strict proving time on Jonas to allow him back in the fold, they are certain they can wait it out and finally be together at least.  The same is not true for poor Lyddie though, her love can never be because of a secret that was kept hidden from the community.  Meanwhile, Hannah struggles with depression and wanting to be a healer, despite her family's thoughts on the matter.  But her sister Mary Ruth is enjoying her time as a new mother and her Mennonite husband.  They all have their different dreams, but some are easier to achieve than others.

Leah is still my favorite character, which is a good thing since she's the main character.  And it was nice to finally see something good happen to her.  It only took four books.  Jonas is just as nice in this book although he's never held my interest the way Leah has.  Hannah, I just wasn't sure what to make of her in this book.  She waffles between feelings so quickly it's like Lewis just decided she needed some strife and then just as quickly decided against it again.  Lyddie I didn't really care for too much in the story.  It's not that she's a bad character, I just didn't get drawn into her storyline as much.  And then there's Peter Mast, the father of Jonas, I can't figure him out or his motives for the life of me and it's never really explained.   So that was just plain odd.

I was very glad to see all the different storylines tied up at the end of this novel.  And it was a very nice ending, although I won't describe it and ruin it for the readers of this review.  Once again though, this book was exceptionally preachy.  It's understandable that there will be Christian elements when you read an Amish fiction book, that's perfectly acceptable.  What's not acceptable is shoving it down the reader's throats, which is what Lewis does in this book.  She's got a pretty big opinion on what equals the proper way of practicing faith, and doesn't hesitate to make that clear.  It just really detracts from the rest of the book.

I'm not going to delve into Lewis' books again anytime soon.  I was entertained by this series, but need to just give it a break for awhile.

The Revelation
Copyright 2005
343 pages

The Prodigal by Beverly Lewis

The Prodigal is book four of Lewis' Abram's Daughters series.  If you haven't read any of the others in the series, I highly suggest that you stop reading this review and go start at the beginning.  This series has a continuing timeline and is not meant to be read out of order. 

All the Ebersol children are back in Lancaster area.  Sadie, having returned after being widowed is doing her best to repent with the church.  Mary Ruth is nearby, living the life of a Mennonite and teaching while her sister Hannah is married to the blacksmith and being a dutiful Amish wife.  Leah is still single, living with her father and raising the youngest two siblings as she promised to her dying mother.  All of them still have some secrets though, and quite a bit of them can be more surprising than they would ever guess.

Leah actually took a backseat in this book in my opinion.  She's still technically the main character, but not a lot happens with her.  It's focused on the younger kids this time, which is fine, but I just wish for some happiness for her.  The younger kids I just don't care for as much, they don't grab my interest and I honestly find them kind of selfish after reading about Leah so much.  Abram, Leah's father, is better in this one at least and he's a character that I'm starting to grow fond of whereas I used to not care for him at all.  Meanwhile, the opposite is true for Hannah's husband, who I used to like but now has become very unlikable.

The plot doesn't really go anywhere in this one.  There are new secrets revealed, but that's about it.  Nothing big happens and it is more the characters interacting with each other.  Normally I wouldn't care about that but since the majority of the books in this series has been like that, it seems to me that this could have easily been a trilogy instead of a five book series if a lot of the fluff had been cut out.  This one was also extremely preachy and you couldn't turn around without a character praying.  I'm not against prayer, but the method it's pushed at you in this book (with the hint that it's the correct way to pray) it just gets grating.  I'm perfectly accepting that Amish fiction usually equals Christian fiction, but there is an elegant way to do it, and this is not the way.

I'll still read the last book.  I have to see how it ends after all.  But I may shy away from Lewis for awhile after this series.

The Prodigal
Copyright 2004
343 pages
 

The Sacrifice by Beverly Lewis

The Sacrifice is the third book in the series of Abram's daughters. If you haven't read the first or second, go back and start at the beginning, this review will be useless to you otherwise. These books are not the kind you can read on their own, they have to be read in order. That being said, I wasn't so thrilled with the first two books, but with this third book, I am beginning to warm up to the series.

Having not gotten to be with her Jonas, Leah has settled into life being an unmarried woman with her family. The neighbor boy, Gideon, has renewed his interest in her but all too quickly events in her life cause even that relationship to be placed on hold indefinitely. She's made a promise to her mother, and that must come first. Meanwhile, Hannah is accepting her role as an Amish woman and joining the order, but it comes to her great sorrow that her twin sister isn't doing the same. Instead, Mary Ruth has decided to pursue her education, something that is frowned upon in the Amish community, and it causes yet another breach within the family.

Leah is still the best character, and thankfully she's the main character so we get to see quite a bit of her. She's a bit of a martyr though and just once I would like to see something positive happen to her. At least in this book though we get to see a little more of the twins and what's happening in their lives. Leah's father Abram is still his surly self though and I really can't bring myself to like him. Her sister Sadie and old beau Jonas are hardly mentioned at all in this one, although they remain a reminder of Leah's sorrow in the background.

While this one was still just moving the plot along, quite a bit happened. There was also a lot of sorrow and moving scenes in this book too, I felt myself tearing up at quite a few parts. Mostly because I was worried about Leah and her future. The time line in this book jumped around a bit too. By several years a time, so that was a little frustrating to try to keep track of how old all the characters were, but after awhile I got used to it. I do have to say that this book was just as preachy as the last one in regards to the religion and author's beliefs. I'm well aware that I'm reading a Christian fiction book, and some of that is to be expected, but I've read some authors who do it so unobtrusively that it kind of spoils me for when others just kind of lay it all out there without any thought to it.

I look forward to the next in the series. I can kind of guess where everything is heading, but I still enjoy the books anyhow.

The Sacrifice
Copyright 2004
347 pages

The Betrayal by Beverly Lewis

The Betrayal is the second book in the Abram's daughters series. If you haven't read the first book go back and start there. This is definitely the kind of series that is supposed to be read in order.

Leah is having a hard time with herself, keeping her sister Sadie's secret. Even though her Aunt knows too it weighs heavy on her heart. She has her beau Jonas to to take her mind off things and also plan the wedding. But even things with him aren't rushing along quite the way they're supposed to. Not to mention her father still would rather see her with the neighbor boy. Meanwhile, the twins are trying to figure out their lives, and Mary Ruth has been caught with her books. She wants desperately to learn, but in this family it doesn't seem to be a possibility.

Leah is about the only redeeming character in this book. She's the only one who seems to be honest and has a heart. The rest have their own agendas and can be so selfish and horrible that it's hard to believe they're real people. Sadie especially I can't stand. I know I'm supposed to feel sorry for her but I just can't. The twins, Leah's mother, and a good portion of the other characters are written kind of flat, and don't really have a great deal of time or personality in this book. And Leah's beau Jonah, well I liked him in the first book but am completely perplexed by him in this one. His decisions just do not make sense.

This plot was merely filler. Since there's five books in the series I'm almost horrified that the story is going to be stretched that long. There's just a lot of added fluff that takes away from the main plotline of Leah and her love life. And while I am eager to read the next book to find out what happens, I can't help but wish it would get there a little quicker. I do have to say that this book was considerably more preachy than the first one. I know these are considered Christian fiction since they are Amish fiction, but the use of religion was extremely heavy handed in this one. Lewis made her point and then some.

I'll keep reading of course. It's a decent story and I want to be there for the end of it. I just hope it starts to follow a more logical course.

The Betrayal
Copyright 2003
358 pages

The Covenant by Beverly Lewis

I like Beverly Lewis, she always seems to have an interesting story to tell about the Amish. Unfortunately though she does use the same formula when she creates her books, so even while you enjoy reading them, you know what's going to happen, and that detracts a little bit from the book. The Covenant is the first book in a series titled "Abrams Daughters" and as you may have guessed it, Abram's daughters are the ones who feature.

Sadie is in her wild time and is certainly taking advantage of it. She's fallen in love with an Englischer and her sister Leah can only watch and shake her head at her sisters worldly ways. Leah meanwhile is coming into her own time of courting and worries that she wont' find someone as she's been working as the "son" on the farm helping her pa with the chores outside and never really learning to be a good wife. She also has her eye on a different boy than the one her father wants her to be with. The twins have their own issues, but as they are younger, their love life is not centered on them. One wants to be a teacher, but they don't get an education past eighth grade, and the other knows that she is destined to remain Amish. All the girls pass a year discovering themselves and learning, and keeping their own secrets.

Sadie to me was the most believable character. Kids that age make mistakes and she certainly makes quite a few according to the rules of her society. And she doesn't even regret some of them, which is human. Leah however, I started out really like her, but then she had an abrupt personality change and it just didn't seem authentic. To be such a tomboy and then stop, well I suppose it's possible, but not really likely. At least her boyfriend seemed like a sweet guy. The twins we don't get to see very much so I was never able to develop a connection with them. All together the characters presented an interesting story, but if you looked hard at any one, they just were a little less than a whole character.

I thought the plot was interesting; seen many times before in Lewis' stories, but with a couple of twists in it. She has an unfortunate habit of ending the book without a satisfying conclusion in it though, so you have to read the next book. These definitely aren't stand alone reads and while I can admire a series, I think it's always good to have each book feel a bit complete, so that if you can't get a hold of the next in the series you don't have that much suspense. But I guess that's what draws the readers in and keeps them coming, so I can't fault her too much for it. The writing style of this one stays mostly with Leah but does switch to the other girls once in awhile to see things from their point of view (but still 3rd person narrative) and it can make it a little confusing sometimes to determine which sister you're with.

A pretty good start to the series, not as good as some of the others but I will pick up the next book in the series and read it. As far as Lewis goes, this is one of her more average tales. Should be interesting to see where the story leads.

The Covenant
Copyright 2002
318 pages

A Season of Love by Amy Clipston

**This review is part of the Amazon Vine Program**

I think I might be in the minority here, but I just wasn't impressed with this book by Amy Clipston. I like Amish fiction, and while there were plenty of good elements to this book, there were just some I couldn't get past.

Katie is unsure of where her life is headed. Her friends Lindsay and Lizzie Anne's have boyfriends and betrothals and she's starting to feel left out of things as they plan their futures. Because Katie has no beau, she just works in the bakery and while she enjoys it, she knows she wants more too. So when handsome Mennonite Jake starts doing carpentry at the bakery, she knows she shouldn't be attracted to him, but she is. Unfortunately her father doesn't like her newfound attraction and punishes her severely. She and Jake can never be together, but she wants to badly.

Katie, while the main character of this story, is kind of a bystander. She meekly stands by and lets things happen and while I know it is not the Amish way to dissent, it just seemed that she wasn't very firm in any of her beliefs, which is not the Amish way. I actually enjoyed her friends personalities more because they knew what they wanted and they worked on ways to make it happen. And Katie's father, he was more than just a little unreal and I just couldn't quite believe in his change of emotions. They changed too swiftly to be believable. Jake was a good character and I did enjoy reading about him. He at least was decisive and probably would make up for Katie.

The plot was fairly simplistic, almost a Romeo and Juliet of the Amish world. And I did like it, and thought that the way Katie's friend's stories were woven in was done just right. I also liked the use of the Amish German dialect and thought it came across ok, not too hard to understand or keep up with. Really it was just the characters and their sudden changes in beliefs that I really had trouble with in this book. And that was enough to really distract me from liking it above average. Things have to be believable. The pace was ok, it drug out a little bit in the beginning and then really started racing towards the end. A more moderate pacing might not have gone amiss. And because this is Amish fiction there is a lot of Christian elements to the book; not a bad thing for some, but it was definitely noticeable here.

An ok Amish book. Not the best out there but surely not the worst either. I would read another book by Amy Clipston.

A Season of Love
Copyright 2012
300 pages

The Shunning by Beverly Lewis

The Shunning is the first book in a trilogy by Beverly Lewis. Make sure that you are going to read the other two books if you plan on reading this one. It isn't really built to be a standalone novel.

Katie has a hard time fitting in to her Amish lifestyle. She loves music, and fancy things, and finds it hard to put these things away from her life as she should. And she needs to learn to do so quickly, because she is about to marry the Bishop of the church, and these sins have no place in his household. But as her marriage approaches Katie starts uncovering secrets that her mother and father has been hiding, and these secrets could change her life forever.

Katie is probably the best character in this book, which is good since she is the main character. She has a feisty way about her and you really can identify with what she's going through. She's genuine and her struggles seem very real. The other characters I wasn't as taken with. Especially the majority of the men in this book. I realize that the Old Order Amish stress the importance of obedience and that men are the head of the family, but the guys just seemed too over bearing in this book. Just a little bit of light in their personalities would have been nice.

I do think this book really does a great job of explaining the Amish way of life. Having known several Amish (but never having been one myself) it seems fairly accurate, and since different sects have different practices, it may exactly fit an Amish community that exists. Some of their ways seem harsh, like the Shunning the book takes its name after, but it's a different way of life. Because this is an Amish fiction book, religion plays heavily into the writing but it's not really preachy. Rather the religion that is described in this book is tough and unyielding and filled with scripture verses. The plot itself is fairly common, a young Amish woman not being content with her lot in life and wondering about the outside world. But at least with such a decent protagonist it doesn't get stale.

Definitely an interesting Amish read. And one with an ending that will make you have to pick up the next two books to see what happens. 

The Shunning
Copyright 1997
282 pages

Miriam's Heart by Emma Miller

I'm normally not too thrilled with the Love Inspired series. They're somewhat preachy and a little sappy. But I do have to say that I liked this one. Maybe because I considered it more of an Amish romance, which is a genre I do enjoy.

Miriam has been running the farm since her dad died. She has plenty of sisters, but in the Amish world, the women mainly do the indoor chores while the fields and barns are left to the men. But she feels more at home there. Luckily she's pretty enough that she catches the attention of two different men who want to court her. The one, Charley has been her friend forever and she's not sure she has that kind of spark for him. The other is just a little bit different, a little bit wild, and Mennonite, she'd have to leave her faith for him. Miriam's not sure what to do, and her heart isn't helping things. Should she go for the friend, or the man that can offer her the world.

I have mixed feelings about Miriam. She's a little wishy washy and it drove me up a wall at times. I did like her two beaus though. They both had good aspects and seemed like decent guys, although very different from each other. She had a good group of sisters too, which makes me excited that there seems to be a book for each of them. So really it was just Miriam that didn't thrill me as much in the book. The side characters are great!

The plot, well let's just say that the ending didn't go the way I wanted it to and Miriam didn't make the decision I would have made. But I guess there's plenty of people out there who probably think differently from me so they'll be happy. It was an interesting notion having an Amish girl courting two boys, just not very common. So I enjoyed that unique aspect of the book. And despite being a Love Inspired book and Amish fiction, the religion was tolerable and not preachy.

I look forward to the other books in the series. Should be interesting to see what happens with Miriam's sisters.

Miriam's Heart
Copyright 2011
216 pages