The Guardian

by: Beverly Lewis

series: Home to Hickory Hollow

ISBN: 9780764209796

About

Come home to Hickory Hollow, Pennsylvania--the beloved setting where Beverly Lewis's celebrated Amish novels began--with new characters and new stories of drama, romance, and the ties that draw people together.

When Jodi Winfield comes to Lancaster to house-sit, the last thing she expects to find is a disheveled little girl alone on the side of the road. The young teacher is mystified when she learns there have been no reports of a missing child, and the girl herself is no help, since she can't speak English. It's as if the child appeared out of nowhere.

Then Jodi turns her attention to Hickory Hollow--and the cloistered world of the Old Order Amish--in search of answers.

Where to Purchase

Beverly Lewis

Beverly Lewis, born in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, is the New York Times bestselling author of more than ninety books. Her stories have been published in eleven languages worldwide. A keen interest in her mother's Plain heritage has inspired Beverly to write many Amish-related novels, beginning with The Shunning, which has sold more than one million copies and was recently made into an Original Hallmark Channel movie. In 2007 The Brethren was honored with a Christy Award. She has been interviewed by both national and international media, including Time magazine, the Associated Press, and the BBC. Beverly lives with her husband, David, in Colorado. Visit her Web site at www.beverlylewis.com for more information.

Much of the credit [for the growth of Amish fiction] goes to Beverly Lewis, a Colorado author who gave birth to the genre in 1997 with The Shunning...
Associated Press

Reader review . . .

Jodi is a schoolteacher who has been downsized by her school district. Needing to get away for a while, she agrees to housesit for her friends in Lancaster. While out for her morning run, she finds a little girl on the side of the road. At first thinking the child may have been abandoned, she realizes the child may be Amish when she discovers the little girl does not speak English. After returning the child to her home, Jodi finds herself attached to the Lancaster Old Order Amish community. Will Jodi find the answers she needs in this cloistered community?

The idea of an Englischer interacting with a secluded Old Order group is a nice change of pace from the usual Amish fiction. Usually, we see the Amish as a closed group with little or no contact with the outside world, unless it is the ubiquitous tourist. However, the characters of Jodi and Trent did not engage me. In my opinion, Jodi's reluctance to have children as a result of grief did not make sense.

The Amish characters are better developed. The young widow, Maryanna, and her journey through grief after losing her husband seems real. Her reluctance to start over would be a realistic reaction to the loss.

This is the third book in a series. I'm going to have to find the first two to catch up, and I look forward to more adventures in Hickory Hollow. Beverly Lewis is still the queen of the Amish fiction genre. If you enjoy this genre, this is a must read.

4 stars