The Judgement by Beverly Lewis

If you think that Amish Fiction is ONLY about bonnets, delicious food, and barn raisings, think again.   Beverly Lewis, the "founder of the Amish genre", crafts a story about faith and family values, set on a collision course that rivals the challenges of the "modern" world.

The Judgement is the second book in The Rose Trilogy.  It stands well enough on its own, but I can't imagine anyone not continuing on to (at least) book three.

The fragility of life and love is explored with honesty as the Kauffman family battle their mother's crippling illness, a daughter's separation from her Englisher husband, and another's struggle to find true love.

Through Ms. Lewis' writing, it becomes crystal clear that the so called "simple life" isn't always so simple.  Children, even Amish children,  go against the wishes and wisdom of their parents and suffer the consequences; something that as a parent of five teen- agers and twenty somethings- I can relate to.  (I found myself praying right along with the characters- head bowed and eyes closed.)

What I love about the Amish is their emphasis on doing the right (biblical) thing.  They do their best to live the truths of the Good Book.  Sometimes they mess up...

This book is one more reason why Beverly Lewis has taken the world by storm.

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  The Judgment  Bethany House (April 5, 2011)  by  Beverly Lewis  


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Not until her own children were well into middle school did Bev seek to publish her work, first in magazines such as Highlights for Children, Dolphin Log, and Guideposts for Kids. Her first book followed in 1993—Mountain Bikes and Garbanzo Beans—presently retitled Big Bad Beans (book #22 in the popular CUL-DE-SAC KIDS series of chapter books—see list of Bev's children's books).

Beverly's first venture into adult fiction is the best-selling trilogy, THE HERITAGE OF LANCASTER COUNTY, including The Shunning, a suspenseful saga of Katie Lapp, a young Amish woman drawn to the modern world by secrets from her past. The book is loosely based on the author's maternal grandmother, Ada Ranck Buchwalter, who left her Old Order Mennonite upbringing to marry a Bible College student. One Amish-country newspaper claimed Beverly's work to be "a primer on Lancaster County folklore" and offers "an insider's view of Amish life."

Booksellers across the country, and around the world, have spread the word of Bev's tender tales of Plain country life. A clerk in a Virginia bookstore wrote, "Beverly's books have a compelling freshness and spark. You just don't run across writing like that every day. I hope she'll keep writing stories about the Plain people for a long, long time."

A member of the National League of American Pen Women, as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of Evangel University, Lewis has written over 80 books for children, youth, and adults, many of them award-winning. She and her husband, David, make their home in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking, biking, and playing with their three grandchildren. They are also avid musicians and fiction "book worms."


ABOUT THE BOOK

Rose Kauffman is engaged to Silas Good, a well-liked Amish fellow, so why does she still pine for Nick Franco, the former foster son of the bishop? Especially now that Nick has left the Amish community under a cloud of suspicion after the death of the bishop's biological son? Will Rose marry Silas, even while struggling with romantic feelings for Nick? Meanwhile, Rose's older sister, Hen, has returned to live at her parents' farm with her young daughter. Hen and her modern husband, Brandon, are separated by mutual agreement, although he is threatening to sue for custody of their daughter if Hen does not return soon. Will the judge rule in Brandon's favor? Is there any way Hen can reestablish her place among the People without sacrificing her marriage?


If you would like to read the first chapter of The Judgment, go HERE


Watch the book trailer: