Love alone isn’t enough to overcome some obstacles.
Lena Kauffman is a young Old Order Amish schoolteacher who has dealt all her life with attention raised by a noticeable birthmark on her cheek. Having learned to move past the stares and whispers, Lena channels her zest for living into her love of teaching. But tensions mount as she is challenged to work with a rebellious young man and deal with several crises at the schoolhouse that threaten her other students. Her lack of submission and use of ideas that don’t line up with the Old Ways strengthen the school board’s case as they begin to believe that Lena is behind all the trouble.
One member of the school board, Grey Graber, feels trapped by his own stifling circumstances. His wife, Elsie, has shut him out of her life, and he doesn’t know how long he can continue to live as if nothing is wrong. As the two finally come to a place of working toward a better marriage, tragedy befalls their family.
Lena and Grey have been life-long friends, but their relationship begins to crumble amidst unsettling deceptions, propelling each of them to finally face their own secrets. Can they both find a way past their losses and discover the strength to build a new bridge?
My Review: I had a little bit of a hard time getting into this book, but once I did, I was hooked and read it within a day. I loved the premise of a strong Amish teacher who didn’t let her birthmark completely define her. Lena was a strong and interesting character. She was treated unfairly by many of the parents as she was only looking out for her students interests. I liked this book because the characters struggled with real issues that anyone could relate to. I’m not sure what the fascination of Amish fiction is but I enjoy most of them – maybe because they bring me into a world I can understand easily, but that world is completely different than my own. There are several good authors to choose from – each with their own strengths. This book is the second in a series, and now I will download that first book. Although second in a series, it is great as stand alone. I just love to read series.
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September 9th, 2010 at 11:32 pm
I haven’t read much Amish fiction, but I find it so comforting, the literary equivalent of mashed potatoes and a warm quilt on a cold, rainy day. I love your review!
September 21st, 2010 at 10:16 am
I’m always wary of Amish fiction. I read one Amish fiction trilogy about a year-and-a-half ago and it was pretty bland. Not sure if that’s because I read a bad author, but the subject doesn’t interest me that much.