The back cover copy of Amish Promises begins, "Journey down a quiet lane in Lancaster County . . ." Let me just say, this story is far from a 'quiet lane' journey.
Joel and Shani Beck have decided that the best place for Joel to recuperate from the injuries he received in Iraq is in the farmhouse left to Shani when her grandfather died. Their neighbors are Amish, as are many of the families in the area. This could be peaceful, except that the nearest household is headed by Tim Lehman, a stern patriarch who is opposed to having an Englisch family next door. He does all he can to keep his children and his sister away from the Becks.
When Joel, who suffers from PTSD, compounds his war injuries in an accident, his Army friend Charlie comes to help the family. From this point on, the Becks' and the Lehmans' lives spin into a web of complications.
Once I started reading Amish Promises I could hardly put the book down. I've heard it said that Amish novels are always the same. If that’s true, then Amish Promises breaks the mold.
Leslie Gould is a talented storyteller. The concept of putting an Amish family and an Englisch family side by side is a refreshing change in the world of Amish fiction. The characters in Amish Promises are real people with the same flaws we all possess.
I give this book an enthusiastic two thumbs up!
My thanks to the author and Bethany House for providing my review copy.
Posts
