Who is a fan of Amish fiction? I've read several Beverly Lewis books, but so far, she has been the extent of my Amish fiction reading. So, when I saw Amy Clipston up for review (and heard several other reader friends who read her), I decided to give her a try!
Who is your favorite Amish fiction author?
First Line:
A long, shrill tone blared through the loud speaker,
jarring Jamie Riehl from sleep.
Share a first line from the book you're reading!
My Review
Amish fiction intrigues me. I realize it’s a super popular genre, which is probably why I’ve been hesitant to read it. I enjoy reading about life, not a romanticized version of life. And I do think that Amy Clipston captured this well in her novel. Her characters felt very real, and were definitely all very human with their ups and downs.
There didn’t seem to be a lot of Amish doctrine in here—Amish life, yes, but it didn’t go a ton into what they believe apart from everyday conversation about having faith in God, God’s will being done, and praying to him. Those were all a very strong thread. There wasn’t anything about the Gospel or salvation, but that’s not to say it didn’t have a message threaded through the pages. If anything, the message that stood out strongest to me was how to accept heartache and cling to God in grief.
I’d consider this book primarily a romance. There were, of course, other things that happened, but the primary plot and characters’ goals were obviously romance. And, as I must always put as a disclaimer, I’m just not a huge romance fan. It’s probably just my perspective but I thought that Kayla was kind of a selfish jerk. There was a ton about her hurt... and though her change of heart kind of was mentioned in the epilogue, I guess I just didn’t find it satisfying—which, could be me being just nit-picky. She pretty much just regretted her actions because of what she would lose (which, for me, is selfish). I’ll stop before I beat her up more, it just was maybe a little shallow there for me?
Back to the romance in general, while there were a lot of thoughts about getting married and finding a wife/husband, a lot of family teasing to “grab them before they slip by,” it really didn’t go into more than emotions with the romance. A couple of quick kisses were mentioned, but the presentation of the romance was fairly chaste (just... threading through the entire book, which isn’t my preference, but is what many people enjoy).
There was a ton of drama and loss—for some people, this one will be a real tear-jerker. All in all, it wasn’t a disappointing read.
*I received this book from Book Look Bloggers and happily provided my honest review*
Connecting with Hoarding Books for First Line Friday! Hop over and connect with your first line!
Hey Amanda!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a huge fan of Amish books. I haven't read many, but, while I do enjoy romance to a degree, I don't appreciate that most Amish books are about purely about romance (as in, that's the theme of the book). However, I did enjoy one book I read by Beverly Lewis-one of the Summerhill Secrets books-and the whole community in general interests me.
There is a documentary about the Amish that is being produced by our friend's brother. Our friend's family came out of the Amish community. I would highly encourage you to watch it--it is really interesting. If you look up on Facebook, 'Breaking the Silence: MyAmishStory', you will find part 1 available-it's about 45 minutes long. But if you want to watch part 1, watch it soon cause it will be taken off after today! Part 2 is airing live tonight on their facebook page. Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know about that in case you are interested.
I hope you are doing well!
Great first line! I just reviewed Seeds of Hope by Barbara Cameron, which was the first book I've read by her. Wanda Brunsetter is another author who writes Amish stories. Happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteExcellent, thoughtful review, Amanda!
ReplyDeleteI don't reach much Amish at all but my sister-in-law loves it. I'll have to pass this author's name on to her. Thanks for sharing and reviewing.
ReplyDeleteHere’s the first line from my current read.
Four years to the day after the alien planet arrived above Earth, Sofi’s papa had collapsed on the rickety front porch of their buttermilk-yellow farmhouse. –Reclaiming Shilo Snow by Mary Weber
Josie Gallagher gripped the letter from the county manager's office with tight hands. - Her Secret Daughter by Ruth Logan Herne
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday and Happy Reading! :)
Happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteMy first line comes from a book I will be reading soon, August and Everything After by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski…..
I started wearing my grandmother’s old cat-eye glasses in June, right after my latest crush nearly crushed me.
Have a great weekend and stay warm!
Happy Friday! My first line is from Forward to What Lies Ahead by Chloe S. Flanagan:
ReplyDelete"Regina's cellphone buzzed sharply, shattering the silence of her apartment and making her coffee table vibrate."
Hmmm. . . Here's the first two lines of a book I've been enjoying (read: *devouring*) lately. ;)
ReplyDelete“Maria and Lydia, you will be partners. Lucas and Andrew . . .”
Ria Mitchell didn’t listen to the rest of the partner list. After all, she knew who she was with. Glancing across the school room, she caught her friend’s eye and smiled. Lydia returned the smile. They were to do this project, whatever it was, together. It would be such fun! Much more interesting than alone.
—“Home Fires of the Great War” by Rebekah A. Morris. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
~Katja L.
@ Jewels – that is very true about most Amish being very romantic. And yes, I’ve really enjoyed the Beverly Lewis ones that I’ve read. I’ve heard that some of hers can become rather dramatic. Thanks for sharing the info about the Amish documentary. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get to it in time. :P
ReplyDelete@ English Mysteries – that’s neat!
@ Beth – thank you!
@ Suzie – you’re welcome! Thanks for sharing the line!
@ Caryl – ooh, Ruth Logan Herne. I read one of hers and loved the cowboy feel.
@ Susan – what a first line!!
@ Becky – makes me wonder what happens with that call. ;)
@ Katja – I’ve heard good things about that book!