I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Reads and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.
Series: Amish Beginnings #1
Published by Baker Publishing Group on March 3rd 2015
Source: Revell Reads
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Fiction, General, Historical, Romance
Pages: 336
Suggested Age: 13+: There's mention of a couple conceiving a baby out of wedlock and then the birth. Neither are overly detailed. Anna is attacked and there is the threat of rape but it is not detailed or graphic. She is rescued and nothing happens. As always I urge parents to pre-screen any content if they think it may not be suitable for their child. These are my own guidelines for my daughter but not all parents will feel the same.
"This novel is a winner."--Publishers Weekly
Some endings are really beginnings . . .
On a hot day in 1737 in Rotterdam, Anna König reluctantly sets foot on the Charming Nancy, a merchant ship that will carry her and her fellow Amish believers across the Atlantic to start a new life. As the only one in her community who can speak English, she feels compelled to go. But Anna is determined to complete this journey and return home--assuming she survives. She's heard horrific tales of ocean crossings and worse ones of what lay ahead in the New World. But fearfulness is something Anna has never known.Ship's carpenter Bairn resents the somber people--dubbed Peculiars by the deckhands--who fill the lower deck of the Charming Nancy. All Bairn wants to do is to put his lonely past behind him, but that irksome and lovely lass Anna and her people keep intruding on him.
Delays, storms, illness, and diminishing provisions test the mettle and patience of everyone on board. When Anna is caught in a life-threatening situation, Bairn makes a discovery that shakes his entire foundation. But has the revelation come too late?
Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to the beginning of Amish life in America with this fascinating glimpse into the first ocean crossing--and the lives of two intrepid people who braved it.
I couldn’t put this book down. Suzanne Woods Fisher is one of the most spiritually minded Amish fiction writers. Her knowledge of the Bible and how she integrates it in her stories always touches my heart. The characters were all written and believable. I fell in love with some characters only to have my heart broken—that’s a sign that the book was emotionally engaging and this story had that. I loved that the characters were real and not everyone was a “goody-goody” like some Amish tales. I love flawed characters, especially when they find redemption. In this tale of personal and religious freedom, we are taken into the heartbreaking conditions that the Amish endured to come to America. This is a must read for fans of Amish Fiction.
Special Note: While this is historical fiction, The Charming Nancy was a real vessel that set sail in the 1700s and carried Amish families to America. This story tells a fictional account of the real life horrors and the conditions aboard the ship. It is said that a seven-year old only stood a 50% chance of making it to the new world alive. However, the story does not focus on the deaths to a depressing level. It simply gives a very small glimpse into the lives of these early Amish pilgrims.
Amish Society, 4th Ed.,John A. Hostetler
The Floating Brother: The Extraordinary True Story of an Eighteenth-Centery Ship and Its Cargo of Female Convicts by Sian Rees
Johann by Everett J. Thomas
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community and War by Nathaniel Philbrick
About Suzanne Woods Fisher
Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series, the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of an Amish children’s series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner for The Search, a Carol Award finalist for The Choice, and a Christy Award finalist for The Waiting. She is also a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.
Oooh I was thinking about reading this one…you just made me want to read it more÷! :)