Thursday, October 22, 2015

The Photograph by Beverly Lewis













Title: The Photograph
Author: Beverly Lewis
Pages: 320
Release Date: September 8, 2015
Genre: Amish
Publisher: Bethany House
Format: Paperback (also available in eBook)
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

About the book:

     He studied the picture more closely, finding it curious that the young woman looked so boldly into the camera while wearing a white prayer Kapp shaped like a heart – the characteristic head covering for the Lancaster County Old Order Amish.

     Why would a devout girl have her picture taken?

     When her sister Lily disappears only months after their widowed mother’s passing, Eva Esch fears she has been wooed away from the People. Yet Lily’s disappearance isn’t Eva’s only concern: She and her sisters must relocate once their older brother takes over the family farmhouse. Then Jed Stutzman, an Amish buggy maker from Ohio, shows up in Eden Valley with a photo of a Plain young woman. Eva feels powerfully drawn to the charming stranger – but the woman in the forbidden photograph is no stranger at all . . .

My review:

     An incredible Amish novel filled with heartache.

     After Lily Esch disappears everyone connected with the family is heartbroken. I really loved the sensitive way that this subject was dealt with. She is considered an adult and she left a goodbye note for her sister Eva. Therefore the biggest concern is determining how far to go in trying to find her. When should they give up and let her live her life? How much should be done to try and bring her back into the fold of the Amish believers?

     In the midst of this, Eva and Jed Stutzman meet. Is their meeting God’s direction for their lives? How will they know?

     They are both dealing with grief. There is an amazing amount of sound advice given and received about this difficult issue as well. It is something that we will all have to face at some point in our lives and I really felt that the information about how to help others going through it was fantastic.

     The characters are so well written that I connected with them almost immediately. There were a number of sweet gentle people that were easy to love. There were also a few that were overbearing and difficult. It was wonderful to read about how the different personalities interacted with each other.

     I absolutely loved this book and am highly recommending it. It gets a rating of 5 stars from me.

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