Series: Home to Hickory Hollow #4
Published by Baker Books on September 3, 2013
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Fiction, General, Religious
Pages: 352
Readers Eagerly Await the Latest from Beverly Lewis, the #1 Name in Amish Fiction
With her love for all things old-fashioned, Jennifer Burns has often been told she's an "old soul," but no one is prepared for the young woman's decision to set aside her modern life in favor of the Old Order Amish world. Yet Jenny does exactly that, adopting Plain dress and settling in with Samuel and Rebecca Lapp while she works as a mother's helper for the bishop's wife--a far cry from her former job as an x-ray technician.
The people of Hickory Hollow are curious about the beautiful young seeker among them, one handsome Amishman in particular. But he is not the only man vying for Jenny's affections, and Jenny faces many challenges in the Proving time the brethren have set for her...challenges of the heart, as well as the spirit.
Will Jenny's secrets keep her from the peace she longs for? Or will they lead the way home?
The Secret Keeper by Beverly Lewis is book #4 in the Hickory Home to Hickory Hollow series.
Two words that make this entire series worth reading: Ella Mae. Yep…I just love the old wise woman of Hickory Hollow and I pretty much pick up any book that she’s going to be in!
This book was a little different in that it was about an Englisher who wants to be Amish rather than about an Amish woman who wishes to be English!
I loved the book—a lot! If you’re looking for a series to pick up I do strongly suggest the Home to Hickory Hollow series. However, if you haven’t read “The Shunning” I would advise that you pick that up first. You’ll appreciate the characters much more if you have acquainted yourself with all the residents of the hollow.
About the Story
Jenny has always felt that she didn’t belong and she is determined to leave behind her fancy life and embrace the plain way of living.
She finds herself in the home of Samuel and Rebecca Lapp, Katie (from The Shunning) Lapp’s adoptive parents. They are to be her mentors and help her make the transition into the Amish faith. Yet, another secret surrounding this family may very well be an undoing to Jenny’s Proving period.
The Proving for Jenny is a time period in which she must put away her fancy way of life and learn the way of the plain people. She must learn the Ordnung which is the unspoken rules that the Amish live by and she must learn their language of Pennsylvania Dutch.
Though this is all that Jenny has dreamed of there are still trials that she must go through and great testing of her faith. She needs to know that this is not just what she wants but also what God wants of her.
I was so pleased that this particular book stressed that no one church is a perfect church or the perfect structure. We are all human and we all fail. We simply have to find the place that God has chosen for us and then stick in there for His glory.
Beverly Lewis is an absolute delight to read and I can’t wait for the next installment to this series.
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About Beverly Lewis
Beverly Lewis, raised in Pennsylvania Amish country and both a schoolteacher and an accomplished musician, has been an award-winning author for over a dozen years. Her acclaimed novel, The Preacher’s Daughter, was a 2006 Quill Book Award finalist in the romance category. Her books have appeared on numerous bestseller lists, including USA Today and The New York Times. She and her husband, David, live in Colorado.”
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