Saturday, July 7, 2018

The Road Home

The Road Home 

Paperback, ebook, audio, hardcover

April 3, 2018

by Beverly Lewis


  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Bethany House Publishers 
  • ISBN-13: 978-0764219672

As the sun began to rise, Lena Rose leaned against the cool pane of the bus window and gazed out at the familiar landscape of her life. I'm leaving my family and everything I know behind. She sighed, trying to keep her composure.

Sent from Michigan to Pennsylvania following the tragic death of her Amish parents, Lena Rose Schwartz grieves her loss and the separation from her nine siblings. Beside the fact that Lena has never been so far from home, she hasn't met the family she will now be living with. But worse than that is having to live apart from her close-knit brothers and sisters. How will they manage without her to care for them--especially six-year-old Chris? And will her new beau, Hans Bontrager, continue to court her despite the many miles between them?

Yet even as Lena Rose holds on to hope for a reunion with those she loves most, she discovers that Lancaster holds charms of its own. Is she willing to open her heart to new possibilities?

My thoughts: THE ROAD HOME is the most recent in a long line of best selling Beverly Lewis novels.  I've read all of her books to date, and like most fans of Amish fiction, hers was the first I read. 

THE ROAD HOME is written mostly in Lena Rose's point of view with a few in other male points of view, such as her dad's cousin Harley, or an uncle. None of the points of views are from the hero, though this is more women's fiction than a true romance. Lena Rose's journey home is the focus. The romantic relationship is not necessary for the story line but it is tacked in there to satisfy readers who want a romantic angle. And I have to admit I did find myself skipping ahead to find mentions of said hero and read about their romance. 

For those who like it sweet, there is no sexual tension so it should satisfy the most conservative of readers.  And there is a lot of Amish information set in both Centreville, MI (which is near Indiana) and in Lancaster County. Ms. Lewis does mention the difference in dress styles, kapp styles and dialects so she did her research.  It isn't dwelled on though.

If you are a huge fan of Amish fiction and Beverly Lewis or Wanda Brunstetter you will want to read THE ROAD HOME. 

This book is a LOT more telling than showing, but the story does get through and despite the wall between the character and the reader I did grow to care of Lena Rose by the end of the book. 

I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own. 

1 comment:

Marilyn R. said...

I'm hoping I can borrow this book from a friend or inter-loan library services to read in the future.

This Special Blessing for You Hardcover – Picture Book #childrensbook

  This Special Blessing for You  Hardcover – Picture Book, February 20, 2024 by  Eric Schrotenboer   (Author),  Meredith Schrotenboer   (Aut...