Leaving Lancaster

Legacy of Lancaster #1

by Kate Lloyd

Can a splintered Amish family reconcile?

More than anything else, thirty-something Holly Fisher longs for family. Growing up in Seattle without a dad or grandparents, she wonders what it would be like to have a heritage, a place of belonging. Holly is furious when her mother, Esther, reveals a long-kept secret: Holly’s grandmother and uncles are still alive and begging Esther to return. And Holly is shocked when she learns that the family she’s never known lives on a Lancaster, Pennsylvania, farm—as part of an Amish community her mother once abandoned.

Guilt-ridden Esther, terrified to see her mother and siblings, begs Holly to accompany her on a visit to Esther’s mother before she dies. But can their journey to a conflicting world heal their emotional wounds and finally bring them home?

Set in the heart of contemporary Lancaster County, Leaving Lancaster explores the power of forgiveness, family reconciliation, and love where least expected.

Genres: Amish, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Amish Fiction, Romance, Christian Romance

368 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

A native of Baltimore, bestselling author Kate Lloyd and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest, the setting of Reinventing Ruthie. She has worked a variety of jobs, including restaurateur and car salesman. When she isn’t writing she enjoys travel, but would rather walk the beach with her cairn terrier, Piper. She still misses her dear Welsh corgi and couldn’t live without a dog.

Learn more about Kate on her website: https://www.katelloyd.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/katelloydbooks
Instagram:@katelloydauthor
Giveaways on her Blog: https://katelloyd.com/feed
Pinterest: @KateLloydAuthor

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't usually read Christian fiction, I'm more of of non-fiction Christian reader, but I received the book free from David C. Cook publishing for winning one of their "Free Book Friday" Facebook contests. I never would have read or even picked up this book otherwise.

I got about half way through the book, and I just didn't care to finish it. The characters are especially immature. 38 year old Holly reads like she's 21 - bad attitude on one hand, and then the awkward social acumen of a 10 year old. Her 50-something year old mother, Esther, is so imbedded in the darkness and secrets of her past that she comes across as cold and selfish. I have a hard time caring about what these two women do because their attitudes are so bad and they are so petty. And the idea that a devout Amish man would propose to an apostate within 24 hours of reuniting with her... doubtful.

As for the writing, I didn't like the change between 1st and 3rd person as the author changed character perspective each chapter. She could have just as easily switched character perspective and stayed in 3rd person, but the switch to 1st was just awkward.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mother and daughter find themselves living in two different worlds. Can secrets stay hidden? Forgiveness must be granted for lives to change. A good story about redemption and new beginnings.

[Lynda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am so glad I finished this book. It made me tired. I cannot recommend it unless you like feeling that you are at the end of a yo-yo. Personally I would like to bang both mother and daughter`s heads together. Give both a good solid whack on their heads. Maybe even a spanking since both act like complete brats throughout the book.
And on top.of that we never learn what is wrong with "Grandma Anna".

[Iola · Rating 1 out of 5]

Almost forty years have passed since Esther Gingerich and Samuel Fisher ran away from their Amish upbringing in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and headed west to live in a hippie commune and sing on the streets of San Francisco. They married, Samuel was drafted, shipped off to Vietnam and declared MIA, leaving Esther to raise their daughter alone because she was too proud to return to her family. Holly grew up believing her grandparents were dead, so it comes as a complete shock to her when Esther announces her intention to visit their Amish family – and wants Holly to come too.

The story alternates between being told in the first person (by 37-year-old Holly) and the third person (from the point of view of Esther, Holly's mother). I continually found myself backtracking to the beginning of the chapter because I hadn't picked up the change. Call me fussy, but combining first person and third person doesn't ring true for me. It reminds me that I'm just reading a story about a bunch of made-up characters.

This meant that I was noticing the writing rather than being carried along by the story, and as a result, I kept finding more things that bothered me While these were mostly minor, many of which were addressed later in the story, I found these glitches were pulling me out of the story.

There were also contradictions in the plot line, and I found Holly hard to relate to. I could understand her anger and resentment towards her mother for having hidden her very alive family for so many years. She struck me as very self-centred, and I didn’t really see this change as the story progressed.

Overall, I can’t say that I enjoyed Leaving Lancaster. Plot-wise, it had a solid underlying theme of honesty and forgiveness. But I found the writing style too distracting to allow me to get into and enjoy the story.

Thanks to David C Cook and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

.
The 30-year-old daughter was very annoying and constantly acted like a spoiled teenager. No matter which faith she was raised in, you would think that she would have had far more respect for her mother. The lack of respect between this family was wide-spread, more prevalent than one would imagine, especially with ties to the Amish faith. The Amish are definitely strict in their ways and don't leave much room for personal decisions outside their rules. So there was a lot of forgiveness needed to reconcile this family.

I like Amish tales normally and this one surely had a different twist. But I discovered it was more than I was able to comprehend and enjoy.

[Deb Cushman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many reviewers have done an excellent job describing the events of this book, so I will focus on what I liked and disliked about it.

What I liked:
The story flowed well and I found myself quickly turning pages to find out what was going to happen, especially as the women approached Pennsylvania.

The details of Amish and Mennonite life were interesting and seemed to be well researched. They were what really kept me reading.

The character of the Grandmother Anna, Esther’s mother, was my favorite. I wanted her for my grandmother!

What I disliked:
I had a lot of trouble believing in the characters of Esther and Holly. Many of the things they said and did were not in keeping with what we knew about them. I could’ve smacked Holly several times. A more spoiled, obnoxious woman I’d be hard pressed to find.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this on the Kindle

I really enjoyed the book, but must say wanted to slap the 2 main people who are Esther who left the Amish when she was a teenager & her daughter Holly

The way the story went you think that Holly was a teenager not a 30 something she throws her toys out the pram also if she really wanted to know about her father as someone who works with computers she could also her mum who is 50 something well she came across as not a great person also as if she helpless yet telling her daughter what to do

All that said it was a good read just that the 2 people to wasn't that believable but the other people in the book i think more will come out like in most trilogy

I will be reading book 2 & 3 in the series

[Cindy]

I've marked this book as read, but all I really mean is I'm finished with it...I endured it to almost halfway through and HAD to put it down. I tried; I really did. Just saying, I would not waste my time with this book. It is not written well at all, in my opinion.
Update: I finally did finish it, but my opinion didn't change

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it was a skilled blend of contemporary life with Amish life.
Esther Fisher had left the Amish community when she was young, along with her Amish boyfriend. He joined the military, and Esther was left pregnant. He was eventually MIA.
After giving birth to Holly, Esther stayed in Seattle, raising Holly, and running her own business.
She never told Holly about her Amish relatives, which ended up being a point of contention between mother and daughter.
After a while, Esther and Holly did meet the Amish relatives, and that's mostly what the story revolves around. Holly was a rude, self-centered, immature adult woman, who couldn't stop being angry at her mother for keeping secrets about her Amish family from her.
Eventually, the conflicts resolved themselves, and the story had a happy ending.
There was a good amount of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and salvation, in the story to qualify it as a Christian fiction book. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Amish Christian fiction.
Romans 10:9-13, John 3:16-21

[Mercedes Cordero · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars out of 5

Love, regret, forgiveness, redemption, second chances, new beginnings; these are some of the words that best describe the idea or themes behind this novel. This is the story of a woman coming home to the family she deserted, and the story of this woman's only daughter finally feeling at home with the family she never knew she had. Both women are afraid, scared and in desperate need of love, mercy, grace and each other. It could have been such a wonderful, beautiful, touching story, but the execution prevented it.

This is the problem I had: the two female leads were so unlikable, their attitudes so undesirable, that it was very hard to find a redeeming quality in them. The thing is that both women appear to have been written with much younger versions in mind. Holly, the daughter, sounded like an 18 year old, and the mother... maybe a 30 something, but they were both so childish and immature in their thinking, actions and in the way they spoke that it was hard to sympathize with either one. They were fighting constantly, and contradicting their thoughts with their words; for instance, the daughter would do a little soul searching and realize that she needed to cut her mother some slack, but then almost immediately say something rude to her, out of the blue. She was a brat. Half the time I was expecting them to start a "You did!" "I did not!" "Did, too!" "Did not!" fight.

Also, sometimes it felt as if the author had forgotten her own plot and previous scenes. For example, the mother mentioned her 5 brothers to her daughter, and Holly says: "Mom, you're talking gibberish. First a mother. Now, five brothers?..." Then, a few pages later, the mother mentions her five brothers again, and Holly says: "Five brothers and this is the first I'm hearing of them?" Really, no. Other times the characters' words and actions made no sense, their expressions and reactions coming out of nowhere.

I will say this, however: the author did a beautiful job writing the big confrontation / redemption scene. It was beautifully written, expressed and managed. It was really moving. Also, Nathaniel was a very nicely written character, as well as Jeremiah and Beatrice.

The novel did keep my interest as it slowly unraveled the mysteries and secrets behind this family and their actions. But not all was revealed, which I think means that there would be more to come.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, David C. Cook, through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

[Anastaciaknits · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leaving Lancaster is the first book in the series, and despite the name, the book has very little to do with the title. The book alternates between first person & third person - something I hate in a book - and makes it hard to get into any of the characters. In the beginning, I thought the book was taking place in the 60's and I was thrown for a loop when I realized it was actually taking place in current times - I also thought one of the main characters, Esther, was a teenager, and was really thrown for a loop when I realized she had a 30-something daughter. Most of the characters continue in that vein - they act so extremely immature, it's hard to like any of them.

The book begins with Ester receiving a letter from her mother, and even though she's ignored her mother's repeated pleadings to come home in the past, this time she decides to go home, admit the truth to her daughter, and drag Holly along. And so begins a novel of whining, lies, more lies, and more whining. Ester's obsession about the past, and blaming herself for things that were out of her control and not her fault, really drove me crazy. I get obsessing - being rather an obsesser myself - but at some point you have to say to yourself to suck it up and move on, and that doesn't happen in the course of this book.

And of course in the end, there's a happily ever after, though little is actually resolved. Yet, despite all of that, I did really enjoy the book and was glad to have the next book in the series at hand, ready to read.



I picked up this book to read for free on amazon, and read it as part of the Pennsylvania Patchwork book tour.

[Dani Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holly Fisher never knew her father. He died before she was born, in Vietnam As far as she knows, her mother Esther is her only living relative.
She is about to lose her job, a victim of the bad economy. Here relationship with her mother has always been strained. Now that she's living at home, even more than usual.
She has no idea how much worse things are about to get.
Her mother springs on her, with no warning, that her grandmother, who Holly thought was dead, is alive, sick, and wants them to come home to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
What will Holly and Ester find when they visit "Mamm Anna's" House. What will Esther do when she is forced to confront her past? Will Holly find the large extended family she has always coveted? Will Holly be able to forgive all the lies her mother told her, and all the things she never told her?
This book is a bit different from many "Amish Fiction" stories. It lets us inside the heads of some who have not lived Amish for years and some who never even know what it is to live Amish. A very enjoyable read, with a dash of twists, turns and romance thrown in for good measure. I was a bit frustrated to not find out all the answers, I hope they will come in more books from Kate Lloyd.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful novel, and somewhat different from many other Amish stories. The point of view switches often between Holly and Esther, as every chapter is told in the first person voice of one of them. This took a very short time to get used to, but was a very effective way to make me feel I understood the feelings and viewpoints of both characters. Grief, coming to terms with disappointments and losses in our lives, teenage rebellion, and the power of forgiveness are dealt with very well,but there seemed to be many questions left unanswered at the end of the book. I am, therefore, hoping there is a sequel. I understand why Holly and Esther's relationship is portrayed as it is, and it does seem very realistic considering the circumstances, but am hoping they grow and get beyond their differences even more. I am grateful that the author sent me this book as a giveaway prize, but I was in no way required to write a positive review. It is the first novel I have read by Kate Lloyd, and I fully intend to read others she may write in the future.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leaving Lancaster is a story of returning to your roots and moving forward, past your hurt, bitterness, and anger. The premise interested me because the estranged family who was left behind was Amish, and the main character Esther had to work through a lot in order to move on with her life. While I enjoyed the story, I didn't love the main character (Esther) or her daughter Holly. They were not nice people. That said, all the supporting characters were wonderful. This kept me reading. Throughout the story I tried connecting why Esther was so mad at everyone, and why she became estranged in the first place. While I think I've come up with a reason I'm not convinced it's "good enough" to warrant all the years of separation and guilt. Perhaps this is true to real life though. We get caught up with the narrative in our heads and lose perspective and truth altogether. It's only through reconciliation and facing our fears we're able to see the truth and experience restoration.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most enjoyable glimpse into the lives of today's Amish. Living in the Philadelphia suburbs, we are well aware of the hardships faced by families wanting to remain in the Lancaster area. Their independence and resourcefulness are commendable.

Perfect summer read.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Amish story books. This one was good. I did get tired of the two main characters always putting themselves down. Makes me want to be Amish. (Hee hee????)

[Kristine Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leaving Lancaster is the first Amish book that I have read in a while. I really enjoyed revisiting this genre. The theme of this book is forgiveness, can Esther forgive herself for taking Samuel away from their home? Can she ever return home? The story is fast moving and enjoyable. I will definitely read more of Ms. Lloyds books in the future.


From Amazon:

Can a splintered Amish family reconcile?

More than anything else, thirty-something Holly Fisher longs for family. Growing up in Seattle without a dad or grandparents, she wonders what it would be like to have a heritage, a place of belonging. Holly is furious when her mother, Esther, reveals a long-kept secret: Holly’s grandmother and uncles are still alive and begging Esther to return. And Holly is shocked when she learns that the family she’s never known lives on a Lancaster, Pennsylvania, farm—as part of an Amish community her mother once abandoned.
Guilt-ridden Esther, terrified to see her mother and siblings, begs Holly to accompany her on a visit to Esther’s mother before she dies. But can their journey to a conflicting world heal their emotional wounds and finally bring them home?
Set in the heart of contemporary Lancaster County, Leaving Lancaster explores the power of forgiveness, family reconciliation, and love where least expected.
Kate Lloyd is a novelist, a mother of two sons, and a passionate observer of human relationships. A native of Baltimore, Kate spends time with family and friends in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the inspiration for Leaving Lancaster. She is also a member of the Lancaster County Historical Society. Kate and her husband, Noel, live in the Pacific Northwest, the setting for Kate's first novel, A Portrait of Marguerite. Kate studied painting and sculpture in college and has worked a variety of jobs, including car salesman and restaurateur. Find out more about Kate on Facebook or at www.katelloyd.net.


About the author:

Kate Lloyd is a novelist, a mother of two sons, and a passionate observer of human relationships. A native of Baltimore, Kate spends time with family and friends in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the inspiration for Leaving Lancaster. She is a member of the Lancaster County Mennonite Historical Society. Kate and her husband, Noel, live in the Pacific Northwest, the setting for Kate's first novel, A Portrait of Marguerite. Kate studied painting in college. She has worked a variety of jobs, including car salesman and restaurateur, and she raised show-dogs.

[Linda Hrebeniuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this Book.

4 star from me! Kate was very much on target regarding the daily thoughts, emotional struggles, and life of not just the Amish, but of all those who embrace the principles of life with our Lord. The book began with a slow start but as I kept reading I began to understand the reason why. I was touched how the life of a young person raised under the strict rules of Amish life would be tempted to leave and experience the grand life outside of the sheltered life, like a bird flying out of the nest. Especially in the 60's. The depiction of Amish life was correct. Now matter how much we try to follow the path of Jesus, we are human, with human feelings. We all will experience anger, hurt, and resentment. We all will at some time in life hurt someone by our unwillingness to forgive. We all are human, and all fall short of the glory of God, there is not one who is without sin except for Jesus Christ. This was,a wonderful book, showing God's mercy and love being poured into the depths of a heart.

[Nyla Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leaving Lancaster is a poignant tale of Esther and her adult daughter Holly. This Christian Amish Book is wonderful. The author, Kate Lloyd, has done an exemplary job of taking me from my reading chair and placing my in the midst of Esther, Holly, and their family.

I really enjoyed the author’s style of writing. Through vivid descriptions I felt like I was in Amish Country and knew some of the people. Characters were well rounded with good traits as well as flaws. It was easy to become invested in their lives. In fact, I became fascinated with the story early and could not put the book down.

It is quite evident this is a Christian book. The messages of faith, family, forgiveness, and trusting God shine brightly in this beautiful book. I highly recommend it to anyone that likes Amish fiction. I gave it a 5 out of 5 stars and look forward to book two.

[Nellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Esther entered her Rumspringa, she hitch hiked her way to San Francisco with her boyfriend, Samuel. All this past was kept hidden from her daughter, Holly. Esther has kept her family background a secret from Holly.

When Esther's mom becomes ill and begs Esther to come home, Esther must now tell her daughter and face the consequences of her deceitful life.

Esther and Holly return to Lancaster County to face her family and friends. Some embrace her with open arms while others still harbor bitterness and hard feelings for Esther's running away. The choice has to be made of whether return to the English world or to return to her roots.

[Heidi Matheson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read - all about family, forgiveness, sacrifice and love. I love the contrast between the contemporary life that Esther and Holly are used to and the Amish life they have been thrown into. The author's use of first-person language mixed in with third-person was initially a bit jarring but I came to appreciate seeing the world through Holly's eyes in particular as well as through the author's narration. I'm looking forward to continuing the story and seeing how the characters' relationships unfold.

[Trudy L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story line

I have rather mixed feelings on this one. Though the story line is intriguing, I had rather hoped to see the characters evolve more by the end of the book. Hard circumstances either make us bitter or better, depending on our choice and I felt that Holly should have matured a bit more as she observed her mother in such difficult circumstances. That being said, I am curious enough to follow this series to the end to find out what becomes of Esther, Anna, Holly, and their family.

[Lee Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

So..this was my first Amish story from Kate Lloyd. I gave it a 3 because I did enjoy the story, I really didn't "like the characters".

To have an Amish woman raise her daughter solo in the state of Washington had me saying "WHAT??"..Esther is Holly's (ex) Amish mom who's kept her Amish life basically a lie to her daughter. They end up going to Esther's momma's and both had separate battles to tackle.

I won't write a detailed review..don't want to be a spoiler..I'll just say I'm glad this was a free read..I kinda liked it but kinda didn't.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disention

This is different from most Amish stories. It is not all sweet with the characters being very loving. Yet it reeled me in. I could not put it down and knew I wanted to read the rest of the trilogy. A middle aged woman who left the Amish as a teenager returns with her daughter who she had taught all her relatives were deceased. Instead she finds Grandparents and many other family members. Not all are happy to see her. Plus the family is about to move to Wyoming.

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this story, although the daughter seems like she needs to grow up. It seems like everything wrong in her life is her mother's fault. Her mother did make her share of mistakes, like letting her daughter think her grandmother was dead even though she was very much alive. I think the grandmother was my favorite character. All the characters did grow and come to terms with their past mistakes.

[Charlotte Dunkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amish combo

I liked that ultimately the whole family became friends again , or at least on speaking terms. I also liked that they seemed to get over their negative feelings soon after reuniting .
I didn't like that Holly's seemed to have a chip on her shoulder, and whine about her childhood. I was really disappointed in her when I realized her age.

Thank you L?
Charlotte

[Barbara V. Dodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story but can be very frustrating much of the time because of the selfishness of the mother and anger of the daughter brought on by secrets and lies . I wish there was a follow-up book. I want to know What happens after! I did not like the thought that the Amish believe the same as a born again believer because they do not. But I understand from other writers that their is a movement in th old order Amish with especially the younger members beginning to understand what Salvation is.

[Amelia Lineberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah I don't really think this book was for me. The writing was good and it was a well thought out story, I just don't think Amish/Christian fiction is my type of thing. Which is probably why it took me 5 months to read. Oh well. I also felt like the characters opinions would switch quickly, from loving to hating someone or something and then from pride to guilt too. And to me the end was a little rushed. But not terribly. This book was ok, just not for me. But everything is worth a try.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esther Fischer was raised Amish but never joined the church and after years apart now returns to her roots. Returning to Lancaster with her grown daughter Holly is not easy for Esther. There's lots of family drama from Holly and Esther's Amish family, so much so their were a few people I wanted to pinch. It's a good story with strong characters.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you like amish stories you will want to read the book. it is a wonderful story, a man and woman leave the amish community now years later the woman and her daughter are coming back because the mother's mother is sick. can the daughter forgive her mother for not telling her that she had grandparents and uncles . well written