Monday, January 25, 2016

Hannah's Choice (Journey to Pleasant Prairie #1) by Jan Drexler














Title: Hannah’s Choice (Journey to Pleasant Prairie #1)
Author: Jan Drexler
Pages: 384
Release Date: January 12, 2016 (eBook), January 19, 2016 (paperback)
Genre: Historical Amish (1842)
Publisher: Revell
Format: eBook (also available in paperback)
Note: I received a free eBook copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

About the book:

     Hannah Yoder loves her quiet life on the banks of the Conestoga Creek. In 1842, this corner of Lancaster County is settled and peaceful – yet problems lurk beneath the placid façade. Hannah’s father worries about the spread of liberal ideas from their Mennonite and Brethren neighbors. And Hannah blames herself for a tragedy that struck their home nine years ago. She strives to be the one person who can bind the threads of her family together in spite of her mother’s ongoing depression and her sister’s rejection of their family. But her world is threatening to unravel.

     When two young men seek her hand in marriage – one offering the home she craves and the other promising the adventure of following God’s call west – Hannah must make a choice. Faithfully perform her duties to her family? Or defy her father and abandon her community?

My review:

     This is a wonderful historical Amish novel!

     The characters are so well developed that by the end of the book I felt like I knew them as well as I do my own family members. This is not just a couple of main characters but quite of few of them.

     Hannah and her family have faced horrible tragedy in the past. Each of them seems to have handled it differently. Some of them are stuck in the heartache at the beginning of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how those that had already been able to move on were able to help the others.

     Hannah wasn’t the only one in the story that had a decision to make. Many of the characters did. The discussions between them were fantastic as they tried to figure out what God wanted them to do with their lives. This was an incredible example of how we should work through tough decisions together. I found this especially true in the context of married couples and family growth and development.

     I was fascinated by the look into how the Amish people were different from the others in the area prior to the existence of electricity. Jan Drexler also included a wonderful description of the weaving process. This is something I have never known anything about.

     I am looking forward to the next book in this series. The hard part for me is going to be waiting for the author to get it written. I’m highly recommending this incredible novel and giving it a 5 star rating.

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