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Abraam's
Daughters
The
Covenant
by Beverly
Lewis
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Another wonderful novel by
Beverly Lewis set in the delightful Amish countryside of Gobbler's
Knob! I had been somewhat disappointed with her last couple
of Amish novels, but was thoroughly captivated by the characters
and the story line of The Covenant. This book is
the first in the Abram's Daughters Series and I eagerly await
the second book after devouring this first one in just a couple
of days. The characters are still lingering in my heart and
mind and it has been just hours since I turned the last page
and yet I am eager to write my review and tell the world about
this terrific book!
The story is set in the small
Amish community of Gobbler's Knob at the close of World War
II. While the "Englishers" are feeling the effects
of losing loved ones in the war, the Amish people are more
unaffected by it as their young men were mostly "conscientious
absenters" due to their belief in pacifism. The story
revolves around Sadie and Leah Ebersol, two young women who
are of courting age. Sadie has chosen to be wild and rebellious
during her "rumschpringe" when she is permitted
to test the waters outside of her strict Amish community before
taking the vows of baptism and becoming obedient to the church
for the remainder of her life. Leah, on the other hand, is
quite content in her Amish life and is looking forward to
her time of courting with the young man who caught her eye
years ago when she was but ten. However, her father has plans
to see her wed to the neighbour's son and it is clear that
Smithy Gid (the neighbour's son) has strong feelings towards
Leah. What will Leah do? Will she bow to the wishes of her
father and be courted by Smithy Gid or follow her heart and
allow Jonas to court her? What will happen with wayward Sadie?
When she makes the biggest mistake of her life, will she seek
forgiveness from God or keep her secret to herself as long
as she can?
The characters in this story
are truly memorable. You feel as if you know them and yearn
to be in their presence even more. Their struggles and problems
are heartrending and your heart aches with them at the secrets
they bear.
The plot is smooth and quick
paced and there is sufficient foreshadowing to future novels
that you find yourself waiting with baited breath for the
next one to be released! What exactly is this secret that
Abram is caring that has him at such odds with his brother-in-law?
What exactly is Aunt Lizzie's secret that has her living as
a spinster nearing middle age? What will become of the English
doctor's two sons? One has left Gobbler's Knob to enter the
ministry and the younger, wild son has enlisted in the army.
What is the doctor doing with his little secret that he rescues
from death one dark night? What will happen to the twin daughters,
MaryRuth and Hannah? Will teacher's school be in the future?
There are so many questions to be answered in future novels!
I can't wait, Beverly Lewis!
Yes!! Go out and buy this
novel today!! You won't regret it!
~ Tracy
The
Betrayal
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"The Covenant
began the saga with Sadie's resistance to the Plain Life and
its tragic consequences. The Betrayal continues the
journey, with Leah and her beloved Jonas now separated by
hundreds of miles. But more than time and distance are conspiring
to keep them apart..." Book cover, The
Betrayal, Beverly Lewis.
Wow! This second novel in
the Abraam's Daughter's series really lived up to my expectations
and now I can't wait for the next in the series to come out!
The depth of heart ache,
love and devotion in this novel is awesome. The choices that
good people make can have such great ramifications on one's
life and the lives of those around them. While there is heartache,
doubt and suspicion invading Leah's relationship with Jonas,
who has left the community to take carpentry training elsewhere,
the greatest love story is between Sadie and her lost child.
The pain, guilt and punishment that she inflicts on herself
while trying to deal with the unexpressed love and regret
for the death of her infant son, has phenomenal expression
in this novel. The reader can feel the pain - it feels so
genuine and real. It makes me want to reach out and help Sadie.
Even though I found her so selfish in the first novel, she
has paid for her sins with unimaginable loss and her sadness
is so desperate. The forgiving love of God is unable to reach
this young woman and Leah sacrifices several times in order
to ease the burden of her sister's dreadful secret. Unfortunately
(or fortunately!) the truth always comes out and Sadie's secret
is no longer hidden. She must now choose to turn to God or
to run away from a community she has always been part of,
cutting herself off from her family with the religious shunning.
How can she ask for forgiveness for her actions when she isn't
sorry she gave birth to a beautiful boy and loved Derry for
even the short time she did? She is sorry that she is being
punished by God (or is she really being punished by God -
herein lays the message of redemption) and has lost her beloved
son, but can she ever receive the love and forgiveness of
her God? I can't wait to read the third in this series to
find out what happens in both of these marvelous story lines!
Hurry up, Beverly Lewis!
I can't wait!
~ Tracy
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