Welcome to my blog where I share my book reviews
and life along the winding road

Friday, June 15, 2012

An Amish Family Reunion by Mary Ellis

Mary Ellis spent her childhood near an Amish community in Ohio and continues to live in an area with a large Amish population. Her knowledge of the Amish way of life is evident in her book and I enjoyed getting to know a little about their communities and the struggles these families have in trying to maintain that simplicity. One of their rules is to have no image of themselves whether it be a portrait or photograph. This means they cannot leave the country because a passport picture would be forbidden. The book is peppered with Amish traditions.

From the cover:
Julia Miller misses her children. They are grown and have families of their own now, but her mother's heart yearns for a houseful of laughter and joy once again. She plans to gather her chicks together in a summer celebration to remember.
At the farm next door, Julia's niece, Phoebe, meets Eli Richl, a young man who charms her - and everyone else - with his exceptional storytelling ability on a rumschpringe trip to Niagara Falls. When Phoebe sketches scenes to illustrate one of his tales, Eli encourages her incredible talent, and together they embark on a lofty and unlikely business venture for two young Amish people - writing and illustrating a children's book. . . Can their love for a good story develop into something that lasts forever, or will memories of the past stand in their way?


A big thanks to Michelle at Healing Hearts for offering the book as a giveaway.