Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Summary from BN .com: Rose Kauffman pines for prodigal Nick Franco, the Bishop's foster son who left the Amish under a cloud of suspicion after his foster brother's death. His rebellion led to the "silencing" of their beloved Bishop. But is Nick really the rebel he appears to be? Rose's lingering feelings for her wayward friend refuse to fade, but she is frustrated that Nick won't return and make things right with the People. Nick avowed his love for Rose--but will he ever be willing to sacrifice modern life for her? Meanwhile, Rose's older sister, Hen, is living in her parents' Dawdi Haus . Her estranged "English" husband, injured and helpless after a car accident, has reluctantly come to live with her and their young daughter during his recovery. Can their marriage recover, as well? Is there any possible middle ground between a woman reclaiming her old-fashioned Amish lifestyle and thoroughly modern man? So, this probably was not my favo...

Summary from BN .com: Rose Kauffman is engaged to Silas Good, a well-liked Amish fellow, so why does she still pine for Nick Franco, the former foster son of the bishop? Especially now that Nick has left the Amish community under a cloud of suspicion after the death of the bishop's biological son? Will Rose marry Silas, even while struggling with romantic feelings for Nick? Meanwhile, Rose's older sister, Hen, has returned to live at her parents' farm with her young daughter. Hen and her modern husband, Brandon, are separated by mutual agreement, although he is threatening to sue for custody of their daughter if Hen does not return soon. Will the judge rule in Brandon's favor? Is there any way Hen can reestablish her place among the People without sacrificing her marriage? I honestly have no idea what's gotten into Beverly Lewis. Normally I love her books because she usually isn't preachy in her books. She's one of the few Amish authors who shows how th...

In the seemingly ordinary Amish home of Grace Byler, secrets abound. Why does her mother weep in the night? Why does her father refuse to admit something is dreadfully wrong? Then, in one startling moment, everything Grace assumed she knew is shattered. Her mother's disappearance leaves Grace reeling and unable to keep her betrothal promise to her long-time beau. Left to pick up the pieces of her life, Grace questions all she has been taught about love, family, and commitment. Heather Nelson is an English grad student, stunned by a doctor's diagnosis. Surely fate would not allow her father to lose his only daughter after the death of his wife a few years before. In denial and telling no one she is terminally ill, Heather travels to Lancaster County-- the last place she and her mother had visited together. Will Heather find healing for body and spirit? As the lives of four wounded souls begin to weave together like an Amish patchwork quilt, they each discover missing pieces of t...

The Amish Romeo and Juliet Nellie Fisher and Caleb Yoder are the Amish version of Romeo and Juliet. But instead of their families being at literal war with each other, it's their conflicting views in religion that are driving the two apart. Nellie's family has come to accept Christ and are eager to learn more about the scriptures to the point of breaking away from the Old Order church. Meanwhile, Caleb's father forbids him to have anything to do with Nellie's family or new faith to the point of kicking his own daughter out of his house. The couple finds themselves sneaking around, seeing each other in secret. However the price of secrecy is taking a toll on Nellie and she starts to wonder if she might have to one day make a final decision with a painful choice. When you pick up a Beverly Lewis title, the reader should be aware that you are going to get lost in the story with characters you feel have become real. The Amish genre has become very popular in recen...

Old Ways or New? Nellie Fischer is an Amish girl who is still getting over the recent death of her sister. Troubled by the unknown circumstances surrounding her death, Nellie tries to focus on her relationship with Caleb Yoder and the possibility of a future with him. Meanwhile her father has found a new belief, one that goes against the very traditions of the Old Order Amish. By becoming a believer in Christ along with his family, he faces the punishment of being shunned by the community. This affects Nellie's and Caleb's relationship as their fathers are on different sides of this debate. I was really excited when I heard that this book was coming out. First I love Beverly Lewis so of course I was thrilled that she had a new book on the way. But more important was the subject matter of the book. I have always wondered what exactly is the faith of the Amish based on? In one of my past reviews of Lewis's books, I questioned if the Amish are indeed really Christians. ...

It's not always happy in Paradise In the third book of the Annie's People series, The Brethren continues the story of Annie Zook and the people of the Amish community of Paradise. Annie has put away her paintings and is living with her friend Esther, who has been shunned for accepting Jesus and is worried about her husband Zeke who has accepted the responsibility of the death of his brother from long ago. Meanwhile Ben, the Englisher that stole Annie's heart, finds a secret about his past and goes back to Paradise to find answers. His discovery shakes up the entire community and brings new meaning to his and Annie's relationship. I really liked this book yet I felt the book was a little rushed at the end. I want to know what will happen to Louisa and Sam in the future. Her story didn't move that much in this book. It was interesting to find out about Ben's past, yet it felt somewhat predictable once you found out he was adopted. I did finding out more abo...