The Secret Keeper by Beverly Lewis

This was one of the most interesting Amish books I've read so far. For one thing, the protagonist Jennifer Burns isn't Amish, she's 'English' and her dream is to become Amish (she feels like she was born into the wrong century). The Secret Keeper chronicles what happened within the Amish community when she tries to join.

And woah. One thing that impressed me was that the book wasn't just about her struggle to submit, it was about how the Amish community reacted to her. And let me put it this way - even before she came, they had trouble. Rebekah, her mentor, 'lost' a daughter who is being shunned by the Church. Jennifer's best friend, Marnie, is torn between her fiancee and her strict parents. So as Jennifer tries to fit in, she finds out that the Amish world isn't the technology-free paradise that she hoped for. 

But that said, I was disappointed that the book didn't explore a few issues further. The topmost one was about Amish theology. I never though about it till this book, but what do they believe? The book talks about the 'hope of salvation' (I believe that I am saved once I put my faith in Christ), and it mentions something about the Amish children being discouraged from Bible study with a non-Amish (I'm very curious as to this applies to Bible study in general or just limited to non-Amish Bible study). I'm also wondering about how they plan to be the 'salt and light' of the earth while separating themselves.

But then again, this isn't a theology book. It's a novel, and it's a good novel. I recommend that you read it if you're a fan of Amish novels. 

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. 

What the Amish Can Teach Us About the Simple Life by Georgia Varozza

This book had a lot of promise. I thought it was going to tell us about the principals that the Amish practice, and how that translate into our lives. After all, in the opening chapters, I came across this passage:

"The truth is there is another way. We can slow down - "come home" in the fineset sense of the word home. We can consciously delineate between our needs and our wants, and then make informed and prayerful decisions between our needs and our wants, and then make informed and prayerful decisions about what we will allow into our lives. We can concentrate on our families, friendships and faith communities instead of racing through life being too busy to deepen our most precious relationships."

Unfortunately, most of the book details how we can achieve an Amish-like lifestyle without actually being Amish. And for a good bit of the book (Housekeeping Tips and Waste Not, Want Not), the tips in it reminded me a lot of Chick Living: Frugal and Fabulous. Only that book was a bit more applicable to me because I'm the target demographic.

There are eight chapters. Out of it, I thought one was definitely helpful and two maybe were. I've already mentioned two in the paragraph so that leaves three. Two of the three (Backyard Gardening and Raising Barnyard Livestock) had very little application to me. I highly doubt I can keep another living thing alive for one, and I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to keep a chicken/plant in the dorm. Besides, what principles do these suggest? Self-sufficiency? Hard work? Must I raise my own food to achieve that?

The third chapter, Keeping Technology Where You Want It was actually pretty interesting. Of course, again it's inapplicable, because if I start to turn off my phone, my family will panic and think something happened to me in an earthquake.

The "somewhat helpful" chapters were Family First and Building Community. Family First talks about strengthening family bonds, although it focuses on people who have already given birth. And live in the same country. And are pretty young. Some of the activities suggested feel like they'll appeal only to younger kids, and to older kids if this is what they've been doing their whole lives. Building Community was interesting but again, the tips were generic.

 "Coming Home" was definitely my favourite chapter. It made a case for a simple lifestyle, and it should have been the first chapter.

What I did like about this book was how it explained the Amish practices, from which I probably took more inspiration than the author's tips. I felt as though the book was targeted towards an American mother, while I'm a single teen studying overseas. A bit of a disconnect.

It's definitely a book to keep in mind though, if you have a family and you don't want them to get caught up in the whole technology race. And if you want to raise animals (the raising chickens/rabbits/goats chapter was interesting. Although I don't own a pet).

Somehow, I expected something different. I found that I knew most of this stuff, from reading those "live on a budget" and "be organised" type of books that people started passing to me when they found out I was going to be living overseas.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

Accidentally Amish by Olivia Newport

I think it's no secret that I quite like Amish-related books. There's something about the simplicity and utter disconnect from the world that appeals to me. And if you remember, some time back, I reviewed the fustrating yet addictive book Temptation (link to review!). Well, this is like that - English and Amish.

But so different.

For one thing, Annie (Analise), meets Rush (the Amish guy) when she stows away while running from a terrible lawyer (yes, lawyers are THAT scary). After a few misunderstandings, he helps her, and somehow, they meet more often and often. The more she sees him, the more intrigued she is with the Amish lifestyle, and the more she starts to fall in love with him (Difference #1 - It's no instalove)

Intertwined with this plot, is Difference #2 - the subplot. Annie finds out that they're very distantly related (like, they had a common ancestor a few hundred years ago). So the book flashes between the now, and then, when the Amish first came.

And in both plots, the tension between the Amish and the English way of life was present. It actually led to me consider - how Christian is the Amish lifestyle?

Before you start firing bunches of angry comments at me, let me explain.

As I understand it (but correct me if I'm wrong. Like really, false premises will never give true conclusions), the Amish are apart because they believe that they're are "chosen race" (First Peter 2:9), and to avoid loving the world (1 John 2:5, James 4:4). But if I am right, we are also called to be the Salt and Light of the world. For what use is salt if it loses it taste? It is thrown out. How does separation let one be the salt of the world? It's like being a lamp hidden in under a bushel.

If anyone knows the answer, please comment. I'm really interested in this.

In addition, this book is a very good introduction to the Amish lifestyle. It explains why they don't adopt morden technology (well, they're reluctance to adopt technology is a better word). The comparison between Annie and Rufus's lives really drove home this point.

This book is definitely a series. But the cliffhanger isn't very terrible.

Definitely a must-read for fans of Amish fiction

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

The Heart's Journey by Barbara Cameron (ARC)

I'm not sure if it's just me, but I've been seeing (and reading) a lot more Amish stories recently. It looks like where's there's a paranormal fiction wave, an Amish fiction wave is happening simulateneously (maybe it's because they're such opposites?) But I'm not complaining since I prefer Amish fiction to paranormal fiction (aka paranormal romance).

The Heart's Journey is, at it's core, about domestic abuse. Naomi and John should be happy together, after all, they're engaged to be married. But John has changed to be a suspicious person, and well, Naomi is confused. So, she jumps at the chance to go to Florida with her grandmother and their driver Nick.

Nick, on the other hand, has a crush on Naomi. But, he knows that it's impossible between them, since he's "English" and she's Amish. But still, on the trip to Florida, sparks fly.

So while there is a romance story, there's an underlying story of abuse. It feels like the author did a lot of research, to make things believable. And while the abuse was still in the begining stages, it's easy to picture what might have happened if Naomi and John continue their relationship.

John would have continued using physical and emotional weapons to gain dominence over Naomi.

Noami's self-worth would have sank lower and lower.

And since marriages are forever, there can't be a happy ending.

The author also stresses that abuse is not a uniquely Amish or English problem. It's a problem that happens everywhere. The abuser's can be any kind of person, although you can be sure they're not real Christians. They're people who like power. And the best way to protect yourself is to recognise when things aren't your fault and walk away.

Weaved in with this heavy message is the sweet love story about Naomi and Nick. Nick, in particular, seems almost too good to be true. Throughout the whole novel, he always puts Naomi's feelings first, and he knows how to act within the Amish community. He respects them and their traditions.

There are a host of other supporting characters, and all are well thought out. This book is part of a series, so I didn't have enough background to recognise some characters. And I suspect that's why Anna (one of the supporting characters of this book), felt annoying to me, because I didn't know her backstory.

Another well-written novel.

Disclaimer: I got this book free from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

A Plain Scandal by Amanda Flower (ARC)

I don't know why, but in the last few months, I've gotten quite a few Amish-centered books from NetGalley. Or perhaps that's just my perception. But I'm still very intrigued by this genre, and when I saw this title on NetGalley, I couldn't resist. What would an Amish mystery be like, I wondered.

Well, entertaining. And good clean fun (I happily admit to being a prude). There are no swear words or explicit scenes in this book. There is some violence (this is a mystery book after all), but it's not gore and well, I wasn't frightened.

The protagonist - Chloe, was endearing. I started siding with her almost from the start which meant I had quite an emotional investment in the book. Looking back, I can see times where I should have gotten annoyed at her seeming cluelessness, but then, I was equally clueless. I would have probably behaved that way too. And the fact that she (a non-Amish and a citizen, not police), could investigate was quite plausibly explained.

And now, to her ties with the Amish. That would be the brother-and-sister pair Timothy and Becky. They were Amish but left to become English during their running-around years. I think out of all the Amish communities that I've read about, Appleseed has to be one of the most liberal. They aren't shunned and still maintain cordial ties with their family.

Oh yeah, the portrayal of the Amish community. Having read Temptation recently, I'm so glad to read about a positive portrayal of the Amish community. They aren't saints, but they aren't demons either. They're simply people who have chosen to live a different lifestyle.

Since I'm talking about the Amish, I have to mention the faith aspect of the book. In this respect, I think this book is like Debbie Macomber's books. The faith here is muted or real. In this sense, it's not an overtly Christian novel, but rather, a novel with Christian underpinnings.

The murder itself was quite interesting. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but it was believably resolved. It may be that for me, I was more interested in reading about the interactions between the various characters than the murder (I liked to other related mystery about the hair-cutting better).

So yes, if you get the chance, you should read this book. It's suitable for all ages(:

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins

I don't know how to feel about this book. I don't know whether to say it's really great because it elicited really strong reactions from me and made me want to continue reading, or say it's terrible because most of my reactions were negative.

Temptation deals with Rose, an 'English' girl and Noah, an Amish boy. They fall in love, and well, the road to true love is never smooth (at least not in books). They fall in love at such an amazing speed, that most of the book deals with them sneaking around and making their plans for the future.

What this book could have been was amazing. It could have explored the cultural differences while telling a deeply moving story. But, I felt that compared to other books (like Reckless Heart, which I read recently), the Amish culture isn't portrayed positively in this book. In fact, it's portrayed as an over-controlling, anti-feminist culture for most of the book.

Of course, the characters are also infuriating. Even looking past the unnatural speed at which they fall in love, it seems to me that Rose and Noah's relationship is deeply deeply unbalanced. They're either in some kind of power-play relationship or they're doing the "I-can't-live-without-you" routine. Plus, Noah comes off as very controlling, and I thought he started thinking of Rose as his possession rather than a person towards the end of the book. I think it was meant to show deep devotion but it's also slightly creepy. Oh, I checked and I actually bookmarked this quote (and similar ones exist all over the book):

"How was I going to convince her [Rose] to do what I wanted when she was behaving like a child?"

Rose, on the other hand, was a brat. While there's nothing wrong with it (I'm a brat too!), it's unsettling how quickly she falls into what I can only call "Bella-mode". And it's even sadder because she started off as such a feisty girl. Here's a quote that sums up what she becomes at the end:

"How could I be ruining my life, when Noah was my whole life?"

Really? Your entire self-worth is based on a guy whom you just met?

Another thing that bugged me was the absence of God in the novel. In an Amish novel. There are references to the Church and stuff, but really, I didn't feel that any of the characters had a personal relationship with God.

Despite all this "ranting" (and the fact that I realised that this is probably the Amish version of Twilight), I'm actually looking forward to the next book, I want to see where this relationship is heading. That's why I'm confused about the book.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

Reckless Heart by Amy Clipston

I actually didn't know that I've read one of the books in this series until I started reading Reckless Heart. Then, it hit me. I realised that the names were familiar not because they were common, but because I've seen them before.

And really, I enjoyed this book more than A Life of Joy.

Reckless Heart follows Lydia, who's suddenly overwhelmed when her younger sister Ruth is diagnosed with Leukemia. She reacts by alternately trying to bear the weight of the household on her shoulders and what she perceives as "lashing out/being disrespectful" towards her dad (her mom is at the hospital with poor Ruth). At the same time, she has to make a career choice and deal with a friendship with an English boy, a friendship frowned upon by the community.

Personally, I think the two subplots weren't as well dealt with as the main plot. While I didn't always agree with Lydia's perception of herself, I could understand her and I was hoping along with her that Ruth would get better. Plus, the characterisation of this household in turmoil was very well done, and brought the characters to life.

On the other hand, I think that the weight of the main plot crowded out the subplot. There wasn't enough space given to each that they could develop and honestly, I thought that the whole "school-or-bakery" crisis was a non-event. It didn't feel like a crisis anyway. But, the friendship with Tristan (the "English" guy) had definite potential. In fact, he was my favourite character in the whole book, a nice Christian guy who goes beyond the discrimination against him. It was a stronger sub-plot, but again, the resolution felt like a non-event. Perhaps more time was needed to build up the tension before the resolution?

All in all, this is an enjoyable book. The speech felt a bit confused at times (sometimes I didn't understand the Amish words, and sometimes I felt like the characters were speaking exactly like modern teens), but it wasn't a very big impediment. I'd recommend it if you're looking for a fiction book centered around the Amish.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

Teaser Tuesday - Reckless Heart by Amy Clipston

I'm going to try doing a teaser from an ebook today. It's a NetGalley review copy, set in the Amish community. So, I'm gonna swipe my finger and see what random page it ends up. Here goes...

"Then standing in the doorway to the family room, she saw her parents sitting next to each other on the sofa, while holding hands and frowning towards her.

"I know it's bedtime," Dat continued, "but we need to speak with you." "(page 72 of 272)

Hmm... interesting. What is your teaser?

A Life of Joy by Amy Clipston

Normally, I like reading books about the Amish. We don't have anyone/any community like that in Singapore, and I think it's interesting to read about my brothers and sisters in Christ. A Life of Joy was supposed to be like this - a sweet young girl choosing if she wants to be Amish. Instead, I found myself unaccountably annoyed with the protagonist.

Lindsay grew up 'English', a term that encompasses anyone that isn't Amish. But when her parents died, her sister (Jessica) and her was moved to Bird-in-Hand. Jessica couldn't take the Amish way of life and fled to college, but Lindsay loves it, although now with Baptism class coming up, she's starting to feel uncertain. And in order for her to compare, an opportunity arises for her to live with the 'English' a little while.

For some weird reason, I found Lindsay annoying and egoistical. She seems to be convinced that people won't be able to function without her. To quote:

Lindsay gestured toward Rebecca. "But you need me too. You're my family, my real, blood family."
"I'll be just fine if you want to go to Virginia" Rebecca said.
"What about the bakery? Elizabeth depends on me."

If you don't know, she's considering whether to go and help her Aunt Trisha, who broke her leg badly and has no one to help. If I were her, I'll go right away, because that's where I'm needed. But instead, she angst's over it.

Perhaps it's because I identify more with Jessica. She's very driven, especially with regards to college and she wants Lindsay to go to college to (something that won't happen if she joins the Amish). But of course, Lindsay resents this interference. I probably would, but as the older sister, I'm prone to be more like Jessica than Lindsay. What I wanted to see more of in the book was the interactions between Jessica and Jake. The implications of an 'English' girl falling in love with a Mennonite boy would be really interesting, although I don't like Jake that much.

The only other problem I have with the book is with regards to characterisation. Everyone is almost too nice, except, of course, the 'English' teenagers who are try to grope Lindsay and drink all the time. To clarify: these are only the non-Christian teenagers. What I would have liked was to see a little more complex characters, why can't there be nice non-Christians (I want to see more Vicki and Heather) and unpleasant Amish/Christians (more on Katie's mom!). Then, it would seem more like real life. Because we Christians are also flawed. Perhaps that's why Jessica is my favourite character - she's flawed yes, but also has good intentions.

All these negatives aside, the book is a good read. I kept reading on, hoping against hope that the ending wasn't what I thought it would be (it was), but I enjoyed reading it. I actually have a feeling that I would like to read more about Bird-In-Hand, so perhaps it was the choice of protagonist that prevented me from liking the book as much as I should have. If you're new to reading Amish stories, I would recommend reading Beverly Lewis's books first, before going on to read this.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was requested to write a review, but all opinions here are mine.