Series: Abram’s Daughters #4
Published by Bethany House on October 1, 2004
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Fiction, General, Religious
Pages: 348
Beverly Lewis Bestseller, Beautifully Repackaged
In The Prodigal, Leah Ebersol knows all too well that the truth can be thorny, even heartbreaking. But when an alarming secret is brought to light, she must make another difficult choice, one that could be further complicated by a prodigal who few expected to return.
The Prodigal is book four in the Abram’s Daughters series. In this book, some time has passed and the focus has shifted more to Lydiann and Abe, the youngest Ebersol’s who are being raised by their older sister, Leah. Lydiann has fallen hard for Jake who is none other than Jonas Mast’s younger brother. Jonas is Leah’s old flame who is shunned for leaving the community and pursuing a life as a carpenter. When Leah and Sadie find out a shocking secret about Jake, they find themselves in the same place that Abram was in years ago as he desperately attempted to keep Leah and Jonas apart. In an attempt to shield the hearts of Lydiann and Jake as well as that of his family, they make secret arrangements to have Jake sent away. When Jake arrives in Ohio he is paired up with a local carpenter to learn new skills. No one would have ever guessed that Jake would just happen to cross paths with his shunned brother.
With Jake gone, Lydiann is pining away for her love and they continue to contact each other. Leah and Sadie fear that they may have to bring Lydiann in on their secret, even if it means breaking her heart. Sadie carries this dark secret with the most pain and even grief. She longs to finally be free of all her secrets and to find peace. She also hopes to find love and to have a respite from the loneliness that eats away at her spirit.
Of course, this book also takes us into the lives of Mary Ruth, Hannah, and their families. Hannah as we see is still tormented with thoughts of death and struggles with deep depression. She leans towards darkness and Mary Ruth and her family take her before the throne of grace to plead for divine intervention on her behalf.
As this family mends broken fences and grows closer to the Lord, old secrets and past sins bubble up to the surface, waiting to be confessed so that hearts are made pure and peace is made with God and with each other.
I love this series. It’s something akin to an Amish soap opera but with themes of healing, forgiveness, and coming clean of your sins so that you can find forgiveness. As the series draws to a close I am starting to see how things will turn out and while I am anxious to see resolutions but at the same time…I am sad that I am almost ready to say goodbye to Abram’s daughters.
You may find reviews for the following installments of the Abram’s Daughter Series here:
Part 1: The Covenant
Part 2: The Betrayal
Part 3: The Sacrifice
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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