"A Faith of Her Own"By Kathleen Fuller
Excitement reigned in my home last week, when a courier truck pulled into the driveway!! The dog barked, I squealed !! I had been waiting for a book by a favorite author and knew it was on its way. It had finally arrived. The wait was over, and the reading could begin!! Kathleen Fuller has been a favorite author for some time and I was thrilled to be able to review her newest book from her Middlefield collection. As Amish Fiction is a genre that I love, this book compelled me to read and read and read! Once I started, I was hooked! I could not put this book down. As the day wore on, the world passed me by. I was in the small Amish community with Anna Mae!
Anna Mae, the main character in the book, has a life changing decision to make! It is one that will affect her future forever, one that is confusing, difficult and extremely emotional. "Can Anna Mae heed God's call on her life, even if it means leaving behind everything she knows... and everyone she loves?" Jeremiah, Anna Mae's childhood friend, had left their Amish community some time ago. This event left her questioning her own role in the Amish world. This rather strict Amish lifestyle has caused her to feel as if it is closing in on her. To complicate matters, Anna Mae's mother is attempting to set her up with potential suitors. This young lady feels trapped within a life that she is not sure she wants to remain. She has kept her desires for freedom a secret! This freedom could be very costly!!
Out of the blue, Jeremiah reappears in Middlefield to help his former mentor, a Yankee vet, Dr. Miller, causing more confusion for Anna Mae. Added to this, are some feelings that she had never before acknowledged.
Jeremiah and Anna Mae rekindle their friendship, however a new complication arises. There are more intense feelings than ever before! Now, this has caused her more confusion!! What is God's plan for her life?? Should she stay and remain with her Amish family or does God have something bigger planned for her life?? A life with more freedom than Anna Mae had ever imagined!! What a dilemma for a young Amish girl who had always been protected and lived a rather secluded life!
Kathleen does a fantastic job of capturing the reader's attention on the very first page of the book. You quickly become part of the story. The characters are so believable and realistic, that their every feeling, challenge, and heartache , as well as joy, is felt within you. Anna Mae's pull to the English world is so very real. Her desire to experience more than her sheltered life is evident as the plot progresses. Kathleen writes with a complete and accurate understanding of the Amish culture. Her complex characters change as they grow in their relationship and make their decisions. The importance of family and forgiveness is developed throughout the book. Faith is so important to making those decisions we all encounter as we grow up.
The plot develops quickly, with just enough unexpected twists and turns to capture and keep one's attention until that very last page. The complications between Anna Mae, Jeremiah, their families and the community kept me thinking and guessing as I continued to read. Would Anna Mae listen to the quiet voice of God to help her make life changing decisions? Would she allow God's plan to be carried out in her life?
This is a book that will make you think! The Amish young people have decisions to make that are very different from most of us, however, they encounter problems just as you and I do. Should we follow our faith or our tradition???
This is a fantastic read!! A five star book.
This book was supplied by the author and publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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