Plain Perfect

Title: PLAIN PERFECT
Author: Beth Wiseman
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
2008
ISBN: 978-1-59554-630-2
Genre: Inspirational/Amish

Lillian Miller is tired of the life she’s been living. An abusive boyfriend, a neglectful mom, and a teaching career going nowhere. So, in desperation, she leaves her boyfriend, and boards a plane to Amish country, Lancaster County, where her maternal grandparents still live.

Lillian is hoping to find peace living among the Amish, but she isn’t ready to embrace the Amish lifestyle. How can she live without a cell phone? And those horrible dresses…There is no way.

One of the first people Lillian meets in Amish country is widower, Samuel Stoltzfus. Samuel is fascinated by the modern Lillian, but isn’t willing to let her get too close. After all, Englischers never stay. And Lillian is as worldly as they come. But Lillian’s feelings for Samuel keep growing—will Lillian’s Amish roots claim her heart, or will she return to the modern city life she left behind.

I was kind of dreading reading yet another Amish novel as not too many of the more recently published ones measure up to Beverly Lewis or Wanda Brunstettler. However, PLAIN PERFECT is the exception rather than the rule. The characters are interesting, real, with conflicts. And I couldn’t help but keep reading the well crafted story.

PLAIN PERFECT is the first book in Ms. Wiseman’s Daughters of the Promise series, and I am looking forward to reading the other books by this writer. The characters could be real, with real life struggles, and even the Amish had issues to work through. Some yummy sounding recipes are included at the end of the book. Don’t miss PLAIN PERFECT by this debut novelist. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book. $14.99. 305 pages. Laura V. Hilton