I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Bloggers and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.
Published by Baker Books on September 2nd 2014
Source: Bethany House Bloggers
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Fiction, General, Religious
Pages: 320
She looked once more at the dreaded river. Since Anna's death, it had been such a barrier . . . a place and a moment she could not seem to move past. A line I can't move beyond... The River
Tilly and Ruth, two formerly Amish sisters, are plagued by unresolved relationships when they reluctantly return to Lancaster County for their parents' landmark wedding anniversary. Since departing their Plain upbringing, Tilly has married an Englisher, but Ruth remains single and hasn't entirely forgotten her failed courtship with her Amish beau.
Past meets present as Tilly and Ruth yearn for acceptance and redemption. Can they face the future in the light of a past they can't undo?
I really enjoyed aspects of this book, however, I did dislike one of the main characters—throughout the entire book. I’ll get to that in just a bit but first, isn’t the cover amazingly gorgeous? Beverly Lewis consistently has the best book covers in her genre. Overall, I gave this book a good solid four. I just didn’t connect with one of the characters, Tilly.
Ruth and Tilly are sisters who have left the faith. Tilly left first and after she had her heart-broken, Ruth followed. Though I read this whole book, I never fully got why Tilly was so dead set against her entire family. Even after I found out why…I just, I didn’t get along with Tilly. Something about her just rubbed me wrong, perhaps her bitterness but I didn’t enjoy her character.
After hearing that their father is ill and Ruth begs to return home for her parent’s anniversary, Tilly is finally convinced to go spend some time with her parents. It’s a difficult time for her as there are unresolved issues for her, guilt from her sister’s death eating at her plus her dad’s treatment of her.
As I mentioned earlier, Tilly was hard for me to bond with. Tilly had already married an Englisher, it was evident that she would not return to the Amish. However, I felt that she was pushy with Ruth’s decision on whether she should return to the Amish or not. I felt like the character, Ruth, really should have had more of a voice. In the end, I feel like Tilly was going to get her way, no matter what. The book was good, don’t get me wrong. I just couldn’t connect much with Tilly.
Of course, forgiveness and finding peace in Christ first and then the healing that follows was an overall theme, as in most of Mrs. Lewis’ books. This was a quick read and very enjoyable.
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.”
We love hearing from you! Share your comments below