Annie's People

by Beverly Lewis

What can I say about these books. Once again I found myself drawn into the world of the Amish. So much so this time. There are three books to this series, The Preacher's Daughter, The Englisher, and The Brethren.

Our heroine is Annie Zook, the daughter of an Amish preacher with a secret. Annie loves to paint and draw and has a natural talent in that area. In her Ordnung though, art is strictly forbidden, so she must perform her art in secret only. When one person sees her artwork, she convinces Annie to enter the painting in a national contest, and much to Annie's dismay, she wins, with her painting gracing the cover of a magazine popular with the Amish community. The first book deals a lot with her struggle to paint, and the struggle with her father. She has been expected to formally join the church for some time now, and she continues to put it off because she knows that once she kneels and says her vows to the church, that her painting will be lost to her forever.

The second book continues the struggle for her art, as well as introduces a new struggle for her- a forbidden romance blossoms with an outsider and Annie struggles with the choice between her father and her people and the thought of a life with this Englisher. Adding greatly to this story in both books is the English woman Louisa. Louisa has been Annie's pen pal since they were young children first learning to write. In a desperate attempt to escape her life, Louisa finds herself in Amish country, a guest of the Zook household. She blends in as best as she can and does all she can to learn about her best friend and the world she lives in. Louisa adds such a fun element to the story, I loved reading about her and her learning the Amish ways of doing things.

I loved these books. I won't discuss it too much more, because there is so much treasure inside. These are such beautifully written novels, and they really swept me away for a time. I've said before that I love reading about the Amish, and this was no exception. Beverly Lewis is such a a descriptive writer, I felt like I knew my way around Paradise, and knew how everyone looked and behaved. I felt like I could walk down the road and I would know everyone on sight. These were great books and highly recommended. There is a Christian message to these books, and it is pretty blatant, so take that as you will. Highly recommended, and an excellent idea for the bookworm on your Christmas list.

Peace Like A River

by Leif Enger

I could not let October pass by without a review. Oh my gosh, so much time has passed since my last review. I just haven't been reading as much, I guess. But still reading, so I have a few reviews to put up. Nothing real hard core or intense.

But this book, Peace Like A River was recommended to me by my sister-in-law. We seem to have similar reading tastes, so when she recommends a book, I always have to read it. :-) This book was just so different than anything else I have read. To be honest, I'm not even sure I liked the story, but it truly drew me in. I laughed with the characters, I cried with the characters, and I completely empathized. Our hero in the story has asthma, and I have never in my life read such an accurate portrayal of what it's like to have asthma. I know what it's like, and I found my lungs tightening up when his did, the imagery was just amazing.

Our story begins with the Land family. We have father Jeremiah, 11-year old Rube (our narrator), older brother Davey, and younger sister Swede- a young poet with a passion for cowboys and a great imagination. The family dynamic here is portrayed so realistically- at times the father almost seems aloof, like he's not sure how to be a father. And everything is told through the eyes of an eleven year old boy, which makes it all the more interesting. Rube finds himself (several times) witness to bona-fide miracles, which somehow circle around his father.

Now I mention the miracles, and I could mention a whole lot more, but I have to say I really don't want to spoil the story for anyone. I wouldn't go so far as to say that this is a Christian book, although the subject of God and heaven do come up, but it isn't preachy in any manner. And really, by the end of the book, you are just left with lots of thought. It gives you something to think on. I can definitely recommend this book- the author writes absolutely beautifully, and I would love to read more by him. This is his first book, and I can only imagine they can get better from here.