Published by Bethany House on June 1, 2007
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Fiction, General, Media Tie-In, Religious
Pages: 328
A thoroughly modern woman, Sarah Cain has long disdained her sister's Plain lifestyle. But when news comes of her sister's death, Sarah is stunned to learn she has been named guardian of her children. How can Sarah sacrifice her successful career and a life she enjoys to raise five Amish orphans she barely knows? Besides, Sarah is harboring a secret grief of her own...Will the sorrow that divides them ultimately unite the new family?
I really enjoyed reading ‘The Redemption of Sarah Cain’. I have not
yet seen the movie and I haven’t been able to find the original book,
as this is the movie edition of the book. I do look forward to reading
the other version of the book as well as watching the movie to
compare. Beverly Lewis is one of my favorite authors of the Amish
genre and the story didn’t disappoint. Most of the books I read are
about the Old Order Amish so I was rather surprised that this one is
about the New Order Amish and to learn some of the differences,
including having telephones and other basic electric amenities. All of
that aside, the thing that stands out to me in this book is the
message of forgiveness through Christ and the importance of His
salvation.
In this book, we meet Sarah Cain, a rich real estate agent who is very
caught up in a material way of life, which contrasts with her five
orphaned nieces and nephews who have been raised in a Plain Amish
community. Sarah remembers her sister as being cold hearted and
cruel. She doesn’t realize the change that has taken place in Ivy’s
heart, because while her sister was alive she wouldn’t give her sister
a chance to prove she had changed. And Ivy had surely changed, from
the inside out. When Ivy leaves Sarah as the children’s caregiver,
she is stunned and put off. To be honest, Sarah is selfish and she
doesn’t want her lifestyle threatened. Yet, she finds herself in the
heart of Amish country, if for nothing else, to find a home for her
sisters children so that she can go on with her life. I won’t
completely ruin the story for those that haven’t yet read but, as the
title suggests, Sarah will find her redemption. Whether this means she
will become Amish and give up her fancy life, well I’ll leave that up
to the readers to find out for themselves!
**On a side note, a lot of folks down rate this novel for the very
Christian themes and opinions. To those, I have to say, if you dislike
Christian themes and the Bible, this book and author is not for you.
She is a Christian writer; her books are published by a Christian
publishing company. The Amish are very religious people with a
strict lifestyle that allows very little straying from the fold. It
would serve well to keep those facts in mind before picking up any
Amish fiction.
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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