Pros: Fast-paced, great characters, good glimpse into Amish life
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: This would be a great book to read on a rainy day when you're looking for a good diversion. You'll want to read it in one sitting if possible.
ademers77049's Full Review: Beverly Lewis and Barbara Caruso - The Redemption ...
What happens when you have two sisters who are as different as night and day bonded by the youngest's care for her older sisters children when she dies? A tale of acceptance, struggle, and redemption.
Sarah Cain and her sister, Ivy Cotrell, are as different as two sisters can be. Their conflicting personalties and values have made for a somewhat rocky relationship. Sarah becomes a wealthy real estate agent after a teaching job that ended in tragedy. Ivy and her husband, along with their then 5-year-old daughter, Lydia, join a New Order Amish community, a decision Sarah never understands. New Order Amish do allow electricity and phones, as well as emphasize salvation by grace through faith.
Ivy loses her husband in a farming accident, and is left caring for her five children ranging in age from 16 to 6. All this time, she is developing a heart condition that gets steadily worse. She passes away very suddenly, leaving a surprise in her will-her sister Sarah is to be the childrens' guardian.
Sarah is unsettled at this news. She's unable to comprehend why her sister chose her rather than one of her fellow Amish. At the same time, the kids fear being forced into foster homes and separated, or being forced to abandon the Amish and go to Oregon. She arrives in Lancaster County expecting to find a suitable Amish guardian, then return to Oregon.
Sarah has to contend with settling her sister's estate, conflicting feelings about her boyfriend Bryan Ford, and learning the ways of her nieces and nephews. Lydia struggles with her desire to marry Levi King, especially with her aunt not understanding Amish courting customs, such as the boy and girl meeting at the home after everyone else is asleep. Things get more difficult when one of Sarah's prospects for a legal guardian gets off on the wrong foot with her, and the other seems hesitant.
Fortunately, God works in a mysterious way, and the family will find their needs met, as well as some pleasant surprises for everyone.
This was the first of Beverly Lewis' books that I've read, and I'm looking forward to reading her others. The book goes at a good pace, with dialog on the part of the Amish that seems authentic. While mostly told from a third-person perspective, parts are told from the perspective of Lydia's diary. There are sections that "flash back" to the past to explain more about the sisters' relationship and Sarah's own struggles. This is a book that makes you care what happens to the characters.
There wasn't really anything I disliked, but I hope there is or will be some sort of follow-up to this story. I think that even those who aren't normally into Christian fiction will like this book, as it deals with real struggles in a realistic way.
A thoroughly modern career-minded woman, Sarah Cain is stunned to learn of her estranged sister and brother-in-laws death---and that shes been named t...More at Christianbook.com
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