By Suzanne Woods Fisher
Synopsis:
In 1737, Anna Konig and her fellow church members stagger off a small wooden ship after ten weeks at sea, eager to start a new life in the vibrant but raw Pennsylvania frontier. On the docks of Port Philadelphia waits bishop Jacob Bauer, founder of the settlement and father to ship carpenter Bairn. It’s a time of new beginnings for the reunited Bauer family, and for Anna and Bairn’s shipboard romance to blossom.
But this perfect moment cannot last. As Bairn grasps the reality of what it means to be Amish in the New World–isolated, rigid with expectations, under the thumb of his domineering father–his enthusiasm evaporates. When a sea captain offers the chance to cross the ocean one more time, Bairn grabs it. Just one more crossing, he promises Anna. But will she wait for him?
When Henrik Newman joins the church just as it makes its way to the frontier, Anna is torn. He seems to be everything Bairn is not–bold, devoted, and delighted to vie for her heart. And the most dramatic difference? He is here; Bairn is not.
Far from the frontier, an unexpected turn of events weaves together the lives of Bairn, Anna, and Henrik. When a secret is revealed, which true love will emerge?
My Thoughts:
I have loved all of Suzanne Woods Fisher's books, so was not surprised in the least , that this new one had everything that I believe a great novel should have! "The Newcomer" is the second in a series of three, entitled "Amish Beginnings". It is fabulous sequel to "Anna's Crossings", book one.
The setting was described in such a realistic, detailed way , that I felt that I was living in this strange land, speaking a language very different from most other residents. The time frame of the 1700's was fitting for the newcomers. The rules and laws seem to be very different from what they are used to, making them fearful of what will happen next.
The characters are practical people who strive to make new lives for themselves under the most difficult circumstances. At once, I was able to identify with their problems, challenges and fears. Their uncertainty in this new land was felt deeply within as they encountered problems that seemed insurmountable. Losing their leader unexpectedly , was an experience that threw them into a complete panic. One of my favorite characters was a young lad named Felix, a most adventuresome boy, who constantly seemed to find trouble, while at the same time , discovered important and valuable information. All of the characters were described in such detail that they became my friends, as I walked alongside them in their rocky journey.
Although I am not a great fan of historical fiction, Suzanne writes in such a way that I learn as I enjoy the plot. There are constantly unexpected twists and turns that keep the reader engaged from beginning to end of the novel. The plot progresses steadily and quickly. I must say, that I NEVER was prepared for the next bump in the road as these immigrants fought to find a home in this strange, new country.
This author has never failed in writing a book that amazes me! She keeps a reader totally enthralled from beginning to end of the book.
Definitely a five star book! I am impatiently waiting for the concluding book in this series!
Link to purchase book
The setting was described in such a realistic, detailed way , that I felt that I was living in this strange land, speaking a language very different from most other residents. The time frame of the 1700's was fitting for the newcomers. The rules and laws seem to be very different from what they are used to, making them fearful of what will happen next.
The characters are practical people who strive to make new lives for themselves under the most difficult circumstances. At once, I was able to identify with their problems, challenges and fears. Their uncertainty in this new land was felt deeply within as they encountered problems that seemed insurmountable. Losing their leader unexpectedly , was an experience that threw them into a complete panic. One of my favorite characters was a young lad named Felix, a most adventuresome boy, who constantly seemed to find trouble, while at the same time , discovered important and valuable information. All of the characters were described in such detail that they became my friends, as I walked alongside them in their rocky journey.
Although I am not a great fan of historical fiction, Suzanne writes in such a way that I learn as I enjoy the plot. There are constantly unexpected twists and turns that keep the reader engaged from beginning to end of the novel. The plot progresses steadily and quickly. I must say, that I NEVER was prepared for the next bump in the road as these immigrants fought to find a home in this strange, new country.
This author has never failed in writing a book that amazes me! She keeps a reader totally enthralled from beginning to end of the book.
Definitely a five star book! I am impatiently waiting for the concluding book in this series!
Link to purchase book
This book was a gift. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.
About the Author:
Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including Anna’s Crossing, The Bishop’s Family series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and The Heart of the Amish. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.
Guest Post from Suzanne Woods Fisher
Pennsylvania of 1737, the setting for The Newcomer, is like a foreign country. Parts of it might seem familiar—the same hills and creeks and blue sky, but we’d hardly recognize the settlers. People like Anna, or Bairn, or the mysterious Newcomer. We wouldn’t be able to understand their language, their customs and traditions. Their world was that different from our modern one.
The first group of Amish immigrants (first written about in Anna’s Crossing and followed up in The Newcomer) settled northwest of Philadelphia, then a vast wilderness, and relied on each other for safety, security, building projects, and church. In nearby Germantown, settlers were tradesmen, so they clustered houses together in small knots. The Amish farmers took out land warrants for sizeable properties and lived considerable distances from each other.
In The Newcomer, Anna cooked food in a cauldron over a large hearth. One-pot meals can trace their beginnings to open-hearth cooking when ingredients for a meal went into a large kettle suspended over the fire. Traditional dishes—ham and beans, pork and sauerkraut—used sturdy, available, and simple ingredients that improved with long, slow cooking. The dishes could be easily expanded when the need arose to set a few more places at the table. And it did, often. Large families and unannounced company inspired Amish cooks to find ways to “stretch the stew.”
Noodles (including dumplings and rivvels) could be tossed into a simmering broth to make a meal stretch. Most farms had a flock of chickens, so eggs were easily at hand. Today, homemade noodles are still a favorite dish.
Another “stew stretcher” was cornmeal mush, originally eaten as a bread substitute. Early German settlers who made their home in eastern Pennsylvania roasted the yellow field corn in a bake oven before it was shelled and ground at the mill. The roasting process gave a nutty rich flavor to the cornmeal. Mush is still part of the diet the Old Order Amish—cooked and fried, baked, added into scrapple, smothered in ketchup. Dress it up and you’ve got polenta.
Now here’s one thing we do have in common with 1737 Pennsylvania immigrants…a love of good food and a shortage of time! Here’s one of my favorite one-pot recipes—probably not the kind of stew Anna might have made for ship carpenter Bairn or the mysterious Newcomer (ah, which man one stole her heart?)…but definitely delicious. Enjoy!
Lentil Chili
Here’s one of my favorite “stew stretchers.” You can expand it even more by serving over rice.
Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
10 c. water
1 lb. dry lentils
1 tsp. cumin
10 c. water
1 lb. dry lentils
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt (season to your taste)
1 tsp. salt (season to your taste)
½ tsp. pepper
2 c. salsa (your favorite variety)
29 oz. canned tomatoes, crushed
2 c. salsa (your favorite variety)
29 oz. canned tomatoes, crushed
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Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is giving away a Kindle! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!https://promosimple.com/ps/b0d1
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