Amish Fiction at its Best!!

            "The Love Letters"
              By Beverly Lewis
Beverly Lewis writes with passion and an outstanding knowledge of those commonly called  the "Plain People".  Her understanding of their faith and lifestyle has been reflected in all her books. This new one was no exception. 

Marlena Wenger does not have an easy life, free from problems. She is taking time out of her personal life, including her courting time,  to care for her aging grandmother who lived some distance away. Her grandfather  passed away and the dear old lady is having a difficult time coping with daily routines. She is suffering such grief that the family feels that she needs to have someone with her until she comes to terms with her now lonely life. It falls to Marlena, the kind granddaughter , to  come to the rescue. Leaving her own home and boyfriend is not easy for this young lady. It is beyond her how things will work out for the best.... then a tragedy adds to the challenges. 

Marlena's life takes another unexpected turn on the day she learns she must care for her estranged sister's baby.  Fortunately, it will just be until Luella returns home from the hospital and is stronger. But, worries increase. How can she take on a baby?? She is not yet a mother and her days are already a challenge to  get through. While  being responsible for  her Mennonite grandmother , miles from her Old Order Mennonite beau, she feels out of her element in nearly every respect. Yet, Marlena determines to do her best and stay focused on her future, even as her plans begin to slowly crumble.

The characters are well described and realistic. They have problems just as you and I do. How they deal with them, often differs as they strive to remain true to their faith and lifestyle. You feel the fear and pain that Marlena experiences as her life unwinds before her eyes. Others are not always what we believe them to be and she discovers this in a difficult way. 

The plot is well developed and has just the right amount of twists and turns to hold the readers' interest. Although at times, I felt it was slow moving , this pace gave me time to reflect on the characters and events.

 The message of faith in God and holding on to it in all times came through loud and clear. God's plan for our lives often differs from the our's . A person must be willing to listen to that still small voice. Often God's answer to requests is to wait, a difficult task. Marlena learns her lesson well. What a great example of a good Christian, she is!

I would recommend this book to all lovers of Amish Fiction.

This book was provided by Bethany House in exchange for a fair and honest review.