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Daughters of Caleb Bender #3
Though Mountains Fall
Unique Amish Historical from a Bestselling, Award-Winning Author
Amish pacifism is sorely tested in the Paradise Valley settlement in the 1920s. When an army of bandits descends on them, the Amish are saved by the last-minute arrival of government troops. But they soon learn that soldiers can be as cruel as the bandits themselves. Then a bishop travels to Mexico, and Caleb's daughters are finally able to marry, though the ban still looms for Miriam even as her beloved Domingo decides he must go off to fight in the coming war. As Caleb's frail hope of peace and freedom in Mexico slips away, he is left to ponder the In times of trouble, on whom should we rely?
Amish pacifism is sorely tested in the Paradise Valley settlement in the 1920s. When an army of bandits descends on them, the Amish are saved by the last-minute arrival of government troops. But they soon learn that soldiers can be as cruel as the bandits themselves. Then a bishop travels to Mexico, and Caleb's daughters are finally able to marry, though the ban still looms for Miriam even as her beloved Domingo decides he must go off to fight in the coming war. As Caleb's frail hope of peace and freedom in Mexico slips away, he is left to ponder the In times of trouble, on whom should we rely?
346 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2013
67 people are currently reading
586 people want to read
About the author
Dale Cramer
5 books122 followersAbout Dale
Dale Cramer was the second of four children born to a runaway Amishman turned soldier and a south Georgia sharecropper’s daughter. His formative years were divided between far-flung military bases, but he inherited his mother’s sense of place—
"I remember knee-deep snow in the Maryland woods, chasing horned toads in El Paso, playing soccer in Mainz, and the way German shopkeepers and hausfraus fussed over us kids. But when I picture that sun-rippled macadam road leading up to my granparents’ house in Georgia I can still feel the anticipation. That was home."
True to his Amish ancestry, Dale skipped college and went to work with his hands, earning a living as an electrician, but he had early acquired the habit of reading widely and voraciously. The thought was never far from his mind that someday he would like to write books. In 1975 he married his childhood friend, Pam Crowe, and in the early years of their marriage the two of them enjoyed traveling, camping, water skiing, scuba-diving, snow skiing and flying sailplanes. They eventually bought a piece of land and built a home out in the country south of Atlanta. In 1990 their first child, Ty, was born. Dusty arrived two years later. Unlike their parents (Pam was an Army brat as well) Ty and Dusty have lived in the same place all their lives.
At the age of forty, with two toddlers in the house, Dale began to ask deeper questions of himself. He’d attended church all his life but never felt a real sense of God’s presence. After months of study and meditation he began to feel that he was being called to do something, but he had no idea what it was. He finally came to understand that genuine commitment means no reservations, that the answer to the question ‘Will you do it?’ is not ‘What is it?’ The only acceptable response is ‘Yes—whatever the question, the answer is yes.’ That deeper level of commitment brought a very real sense of God’s presence and a sense of direction in Dale’s life, though he still did not know the direction.
After keeping the boys in daycare for a year Pam and Dale decided to make whatever sacrifices were necessary to provide a full-time home. The decision altered their lives in ways neither of them could have anticipated when Dale drew the short straw and became a stay-at-home dad—
"A baby is a lot like an old truck— it leaks and makes weird noises. Clean up the mess, top off the fluids, and the noises usually stop."
He took on small construction projects at night to help make ends meet— "and to preserve the remainder of my sanity," he says. While building an office in the basement of a communications consultant, a debate over labor/management relations turned into an article on mutualism which found its way into an international business magazine. It was Dale’s first published article, and he liked the feel of it. He bought books, studied technique, and began participating in an online writers’ forum, writing during the boys’ naps and after they went to bed at night. Before long he was publishing short stories in literary magazines and thinking about writing a book.
Three storylines vied for Dale’s attention when he finally decided to write a novel. His first two choices were commercially viable secular stories, and a distant third appeared to be some kind of Christian saga about a broken-down biker. The process of determining which novel to write was settled by a remarkable encounter with his youngest son, a lost set of keys, and God.* His sense of direction was suddenly clarified. In 1997, Dale began work on Sutter’s Cross, which was eventually published in 2003.
His second novel, Bad Ground (July 2004), while it is not autobiographical, contains a great deal of material drawn from his own experience as a construction electrician. The industrial setting is based on a real water treatment plant on the southside of Atlanta. One of the main characters, who has been
Dale Cramer was the second of four children born to a runaway Amishman turned soldier and a south Georgia sharecropper’s daughter. His formative years were divided between far-flung military bases, but he inherited his mother’s sense of place—
"I remember knee-deep snow in the Maryland woods, chasing horned toads in El Paso, playing soccer in Mainz, and the way German shopkeepers and hausfraus fussed over us kids. But when I picture that sun-rippled macadam road leading up to my granparents’ house in Georgia I can still feel the anticipation. That was home."
True to his Amish ancestry, Dale skipped college and went to work with his hands, earning a living as an electrician, but he had early acquired the habit of reading widely and voraciously. The thought was never far from his mind that someday he would like to write books. In 1975 he married his childhood friend, Pam Crowe, and in the early years of their marriage the two of them enjoyed traveling, camping, water skiing, scuba-diving, snow skiing and flying sailplanes. They eventually bought a piece of land and built a home out in the country south of Atlanta. In 1990 their first child, Ty, was born. Dusty arrived two years later. Unlike their parents (Pam was an Army brat as well) Ty and Dusty have lived in the same place all their lives.
At the age of forty, with two toddlers in the house, Dale began to ask deeper questions of himself. He’d attended church all his life but never felt a real sense of God’s presence. After months of study and meditation he began to feel that he was being called to do something, but he had no idea what it was. He finally came to understand that genuine commitment means no reservations, that the answer to the question ‘Will you do it?’ is not ‘What is it?’ The only acceptable response is ‘Yes—whatever the question, the answer is yes.’ That deeper level of commitment brought a very real sense of God’s presence and a sense of direction in Dale’s life, though he still did not know the direction.
After keeping the boys in daycare for a year Pam and Dale decided to make whatever sacrifices were necessary to provide a full-time home. The decision altered their lives in ways neither of them could have anticipated when Dale drew the short straw and became a stay-at-home dad—
"A baby is a lot like an old truck— it leaks and makes weird noises. Clean up the mess, top off the fluids, and the noises usually stop."
He took on small construction projects at night to help make ends meet— "and to preserve the remainder of my sanity," he says. While building an office in the basement of a communications consultant, a debate over labor/management relations turned into an article on mutualism which found its way into an international business magazine. It was Dale’s first published article, and he liked the feel of it. He bought books, studied technique, and began participating in an online writers’ forum, writing during the boys’ naps and after they went to bed at night. Before long he was publishing short stories in literary magazines and thinking about writing a book.
Three storylines vied for Dale’s attention when he finally decided to write a novel. His first two choices were commercially viable secular stories, and a distant third appeared to be some kind of Christian saga about a broken-down biker. The process of determining which novel to write was settled by a remarkable encounter with his youngest son, a lost set of keys, and God.* His sense of direction was suddenly clarified. In 1997, Dale began work on Sutter’s Cross, which was eventually published in 2003.
His second novel, Bad Ground (July 2004), while it is not autobiographical, contains a great deal of material drawn from his own experience as a construction electrician. The industrial setting is based on a real water treatment plant on the southside of Atlanta. One of the main characters, who has been
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February 22, 2013
I LOVE Dale Cramer's writing. Though I am mad about part of the ending to this book, I will not tell why I am mad and give away the ending, I still loved it. The characters are true to life, the descriptions make you feel like you are right there, and the trials they face are real ones that anyone else put in that same time and place would face in real life. I have NEVER read a book by Dale Cramer that I did not love. I recommend all of his books and if I could, I would give this book 10 stars out of five, it is that good.
This book returns us to Mexico, to the Amish community that the Bender family started. The whole series shows the struggles of living in another country, this book has struggles as well, many of them heartbreaking, and some made me want to reach into the book and strangle the people involved. We begin this book with Miriam finally marrying Domingo and due to her marriage, making Rachel promise," to always be her sister.” The infamous El Pantera is threatening to come and reap the vengeance he feels the Benders deserve, death. Caleb Bender begs the Haciendado for money to pay the bribe to bring military protection to the valley. Who would think that the military you pay to help you with Bandits would be just as bad if not worse than the Bandits are. In the malaise that comes from fleeing from Bandits and the military fighting these bandits to help them survive, things become known that may destroy Rachel and Jake's future.
You see the everyday struggles of the Bender sisters in this trilogy and this book really has some heart breaking moments. Choices made by Miriam will definitely lead to her being shunned, you cannot be baptized Amish then marry a Catholic man. In her shunning, will she loose her whole family as she fears? Rachel must finally divulge the truth that Jake accidently murdered a man; will this end the possibility of them ever being married? Will the community in Mexico ever get a Bishop to move to Mexico? If a Bishop does move, will it hold together the struggling community and put a stop to their differences in church doctrine? Just how bad can the Mexican military’s actions become? This book tells in great detail, details that make you feel the cooling winds on your neck, Mexican dirt between your toes and intense pain of your heart breaking, the outcomes and answers to these questions. This is a must buy, borrow, win, check out acquire anyway you can legally, book.
This book returns us to Mexico, to the Amish community that the Bender family started. The whole series shows the struggles of living in another country, this book has struggles as well, many of them heartbreaking, and some made me want to reach into the book and strangle the people involved. We begin this book with Miriam finally marrying Domingo and due to her marriage, making Rachel promise," to always be her sister.” The infamous El Pantera is threatening to come and reap the vengeance he feels the Benders deserve, death. Caleb Bender begs the Haciendado for money to pay the bribe to bring military protection to the valley. Who would think that the military you pay to help you with Bandits would be just as bad if not worse than the Bandits are. In the malaise that comes from fleeing from Bandits and the military fighting these bandits to help them survive, things become known that may destroy Rachel and Jake's future.
You see the everyday struggles of the Bender sisters in this trilogy and this book really has some heart breaking moments. Choices made by Miriam will definitely lead to her being shunned, you cannot be baptized Amish then marry a Catholic man. In her shunning, will she loose her whole family as she fears? Rachel must finally divulge the truth that Jake accidently murdered a man; will this end the possibility of them ever being married? Will the community in Mexico ever get a Bishop to move to Mexico? If a Bishop does move, will it hold together the struggling community and put a stop to their differences in church doctrine? Just how bad can the Mexican military’s actions become? This book tells in great detail, details that make you feel the cooling winds on your neck, Mexican dirt between your toes and intense pain of your heart breaking, the outcomes and answers to these questions. This is a must buy, borrow, win, check out acquire anyway you can legally, book.
February 21, 2013
This third book of the "Daughters of Caleb Bender" series finds Dale Cramer at his absolute best. "Though Mountains Fall" is deeply moving, and sees the return of Caleb and his daughters Rachel, Miriam, and Emma in a thoroughly absorbing read that was every bit as good as the first two books in the series. I absolutely loved returning to the world of these Amish characters who are struggling to survive in a violent, uncertain Mexican valley. The characters are complex and unique, and explore life's uncertainties in a manner that left me still thinking about the book days later. Caleb again struggles with whether he has heard God's will calling him and his fellow Amish people to Mexico, and the Amish find themselves once again facing the question of how to keep their people safe against bandits bent on violence and revenge. The character I most came to care about in this story is Emma with her often surprising wisdom and her deep love for God and his grace and forgiveness. I don't mind admitting that this story moved me to tears, while at the same time drawing me into the fast-moving plot. Though I was entirely satisfied by the conclusion, I can say that this book is based on actual events and thus contains a realism that will not result in a perfectly happy ending. Part of real life includes unexpected circumstances, death and suffering. Dale Cramer handles such subject matters with grace and a sure hand, and the result is a story that will stick with you far beyond the final page.
I have loved every book of this series, and I am so grateful to Dale for sharing a compelling story that contains elements of his own family's history. Here is a novel and an entire series worth reading over and over again, and they have all earned a permanent place on my shelves.
I highly recommend this book, and award it 5 out of 5 stars.
I have loved every book of this series, and I am so grateful to Dale for sharing a compelling story that contains elements of his own family's history. Here is a novel and an entire series worth reading over and over again, and they have all earned a permanent place on my shelves.
I highly recommend this book, and award it 5 out of 5 stars.
March 24, 2013
A Series I Won't Soon Forget!
This conclusion to the series, The Daughters Of Caleb Bender, will stay with me for awhile. I feel like I need to just sit and let it all sink in. This book is a real page turner and was so full of emotion right down to the last page.
If you are looking for a feel good book where everything is predictable and blah...this isn't the book for you. If you are looking for a book that will take you through every emotion of your being...this is for you. I laughed, I cried, I felt anger rising in me as I read about some horrible injustice taking place. I admire the author as he did not hold back anything as he described several horrifying scenes in this book.
The family of Caleb Bender will go through many hardships and heartbreak while living in Mexico. You, as the reader, will go through their many hardships and heartbreak with them. Will love conquer all? Will this family be able to forgive others as well as each other? Will their trust and faith in God leave them?
If you haven't read Paradise Valley and The Captive Heart, the first two books in this series, I urge you to do so. This last book, Though Mountains Fall, will have more meaning to you.
Thank you Dale Cramer for a series I will not soon forget. I hope that someday you will write a follow-up book that will tell us what happened to the Bender family after this book. I for one would like to know!
This conclusion to the series, The Daughters Of Caleb Bender, will stay with me for awhile. I feel like I need to just sit and let it all sink in. This book is a real page turner and was so full of emotion right down to the last page.
If you are looking for a feel good book where everything is predictable and blah...this isn't the book for you. If you are looking for a book that will take you through every emotion of your being...this is for you. I laughed, I cried, I felt anger rising in me as I read about some horrible injustice taking place. I admire the author as he did not hold back anything as he described several horrifying scenes in this book.
The family of Caleb Bender will go through many hardships and heartbreak while living in Mexico. You, as the reader, will go through their many hardships and heartbreak with them. Will love conquer all? Will this family be able to forgive others as well as each other? Will their trust and faith in God leave them?
If you haven't read Paradise Valley and The Captive Heart, the first two books in this series, I urge you to do so. This last book, Though Mountains Fall, will have more meaning to you.
Thank you Dale Cramer for a series I will not soon forget. I hope that someday you will write a follow-up book that will tell us what happened to the Bender family after this book. I for one would like to know!
March 19, 2017
Dale Cramer knows how to weave a story. And how to bring a satisfactory as well as engaging end to a series.
After I read the first book in the series i researched the Amish in Mexico which is the location basis for these books.
Enjoy a great book and learn some history at the same time.
After I read the first book in the series i researched the Amish in Mexico which is the location basis for these books.
Enjoy a great book and learn some history at the same time.
June 19, 2018
Third book in Daughter's of Caleb Bender series
In 2012 I read Paradise Valley (the first in the series). Two years later I read Levi's Will, which was based on the author's father and grandfather; Will being Mr. Cramer's father and Levi being his grandfather. Will was born in the colony that the Amish had established in Mexico in the 1920s (books one and two). But in this book, while Will was still small, the colony uprooted and returned to Ohio due to terrible circumstances and an ungodly political climate.
This book Though Mountains Fall goes through the history of their circumstances and the return to the states, leaving behind one very important member. Miriam gave up her Amish roots, and thereby her family when she married Domingo, a Mexican native, half mestizo (Spaniard/American Indian) and half Nahua.
Though Mountains Fall answers questions about why Levi in Levi's Will is the way he is. The hardships and the way he viewed God play an important role in the strict way he approaches his Amish faith. He will break no rules because he sees God as a jealous God who punishes, rather than a God of grace and mercy. The hardships and loss in his life are seen as discipline for the examples of grace and tolerance he learned and accepted from his wife before her devastating death.
I so enjoyed the love story between Miriam and Domingo, and the love and grace shown to her from some members in her family who, after marrying a non-Amish, were supposed to shun her. It shows that how you view God can determine the peace or anguish you feel when you are suffering loss. Some can accept, forgive and move on if they see God's love and provision and His purpose for their good. On the other hand, some can feel chastened, hardening their hearts in their strict legalism, seeing God as harsh task master.
Wonderful fiction book based on real history. Wonderful writing. Mr. Cramer is a favorite of mine.
In 2012 I read Paradise Valley (the first in the series). Two years later I read Levi's Will, which was based on the author's father and grandfather; Will being Mr. Cramer's father and Levi being his grandfather. Will was born in the colony that the Amish had established in Mexico in the 1920s (books one and two). But in this book, while Will was still small, the colony uprooted and returned to Ohio due to terrible circumstances and an ungodly political climate.
This book Though Mountains Fall goes through the history of their circumstances and the return to the states, leaving behind one very important member. Miriam gave up her Amish roots, and thereby her family when she married Domingo, a Mexican native, half mestizo (Spaniard/American Indian) and half Nahua.
Though Mountains Fall answers questions about why Levi in Levi's Will is the way he is. The hardships and the way he viewed God play an important role in the strict way he approaches his Amish faith. He will break no rules because he sees God as a jealous God who punishes, rather than a God of grace and mercy. The hardships and loss in his life are seen as discipline for the examples of grace and tolerance he learned and accepted from his wife before her devastating death.
I so enjoyed the love story between Miriam and Domingo, and the love and grace shown to her from some members in her family who, after marrying a non-Amish, were supposed to shun her. It shows that how you view God can determine the peace or anguish you feel when you are suffering loss. Some can accept, forgive and move on if they see God's love and provision and His purpose for their good. On the other hand, some can feel chastened, hardening their hearts in their strict legalism, seeing God as harsh task master.
Wonderful fiction book based on real history. Wonderful writing. Mr. Cramer is a favorite of mine.
February 19, 2020
This historical Amish fiction is heartbreaking in regards to what the characters endured under the Mexican government, knowing that the fictional story was inspired by actual events.
The Caleb Bender family had endured hardship, grief, loss and so much more since they had settled in Mexico. Caleb moved his family to escape issues that were relevant in America during the early 1920’s. He believed it was God’s leading for his family, but was questioning himself when more adversity arose. This book is well penned with the true to life history that early Amish men faced in Mexico. I saw this book on our library shelf and was drawn to it, being historical. Even though this is book three in the series, I was not lost as to what characters had endeavored before spring of 1925. I want to find more of Dale Cramer’s books to read now.
March 10, 2018
What a remarkable trilogy. It looks at the Amish faith from a different perspective. How do you hold on to it when bandits steal you horses, your crops, your daughter, and your son's life? What do you do when you fail at something you thought was directed by God? Excellent!
May 21, 2024
I was sad to say goodbye to the characters after finishing the 3rd book of the series. I became thoroughly vested in the lives of Caleb’s family. Also, it was the first time I read an Amish based book written by a male author. I really enjoyed a male’s perspective. I loved the series!
November 23, 2014
Title: THOUGH MOUNTAINS FALL
Author: Dale Cramer
Publisher: Bethany House
January 2013
ISBN: 978-0764208409
Genre: Historical/Amish
Unique Amish Historical from a Bestselling, Award-Winning Author
Amish pacifism is sorely tested in the Paradise Valley settlement in the 1920s. When an army of bandits descends on them, the Amish are saved by the last-minute arrival of government troops. But they soon learn that soldiers can be as cruel as the bandits themselves. Then a bishop travels to Mexico, and Caleb's daughters are finally able to marry, though the ban still looms for Miriam even as her beloved Domingo decides he must go off to fight in the coming war. As Caleb's frail hope of peace and freedom in Mexico slips away, he is left to ponder the question: In times of trouble, on whom should we rely?
Inspired by Actual Events!
"I want you to promise you will always be my sister."
There were tears in Miriam's eyes as their foreheads touched and Rachel whispered, "No matter what. Always."
Now in its fourth year, the Amish settlement in Mexico is thriving. But as new settlers arrive, sons and daughters marry, babies are born, and crops grow thick, a storm looms on the horizon. And Caleb Bender knows--perhaps better than anyone--that the worst of storms don't come from the western skies.
They come on horseback.
When their very existence is threatened, the Amish turn to the Mexican government for help, only to discover that the rulers of men are fickle and security is an illusion. Tried by fire and riven by war, Caleb and Domingo come to understand that the kingdom of God is not to be found in land or buildings or gold or armies, but in the hearts of peaceful men trying to feed their families.
Watching helplessly as daughters Rachel, Miriam, and Emma are drawn inexorably toward their separate destinies, Caleb is forced to confront the most important decision of his life.
THOUGH MOUNTAINS FALL is the conclusion of the most heartbreaking historical Amish series I ever read. I hated what these poor Amish pioneers went through in search for freedom from government. I laughed with them with things went right. Cried with them when everything went wrong and my heart ached… as I saw a clearing in the plot of the book and knew another bad storm was just ahead.
I will probably always wonder what happened to certain characters in this book—they were that real.
If you like historical Amish fiction and don’t mind crying as you read, then THOUGH MOUNTAINS FALL and the first two books in the series, Paradise Valley and The Captive Heart. Highly recommended. 5 stars. 352 pages. Available in ebook, paperback, audio download, and hardcover.
Author: Dale Cramer
Publisher: Bethany House
January 2013
ISBN: 978-0764208409
Genre: Historical/Amish
Unique Amish Historical from a Bestselling, Award-Winning Author
Amish pacifism is sorely tested in the Paradise Valley settlement in the 1920s. When an army of bandits descends on them, the Amish are saved by the last-minute arrival of government troops. But they soon learn that soldiers can be as cruel as the bandits themselves. Then a bishop travels to Mexico, and Caleb's daughters are finally able to marry, though the ban still looms for Miriam even as her beloved Domingo decides he must go off to fight in the coming war. As Caleb's frail hope of peace and freedom in Mexico slips away, he is left to ponder the question: In times of trouble, on whom should we rely?
Inspired by Actual Events!
"I want you to promise you will always be my sister."
There were tears in Miriam's eyes as their foreheads touched and Rachel whispered, "No matter what. Always."
Now in its fourth year, the Amish settlement in Mexico is thriving. But as new settlers arrive, sons and daughters marry, babies are born, and crops grow thick, a storm looms on the horizon. And Caleb Bender knows--perhaps better than anyone--that the worst of storms don't come from the western skies.
They come on horseback.
When their very existence is threatened, the Amish turn to the Mexican government for help, only to discover that the rulers of men are fickle and security is an illusion. Tried by fire and riven by war, Caleb and Domingo come to understand that the kingdom of God is not to be found in land or buildings or gold or armies, but in the hearts of peaceful men trying to feed their families.
Watching helplessly as daughters Rachel, Miriam, and Emma are drawn inexorably toward their separate destinies, Caleb is forced to confront the most important decision of his life.
THOUGH MOUNTAINS FALL is the conclusion of the most heartbreaking historical Amish series I ever read. I hated what these poor Amish pioneers went through in search for freedom from government. I laughed with them with things went right. Cried with them when everything went wrong and my heart ached… as I saw a clearing in the plot of the book and knew another bad storm was just ahead.
I will probably always wonder what happened to certain characters in this book—they were that real.
If you like historical Amish fiction and don’t mind crying as you read, then THOUGH MOUNTAINS FALL and the first two books in the series, Paradise Valley and The Captive Heart. Highly recommended. 5 stars. 352 pages. Available in ebook, paperback, audio download, and hardcover.
September 8, 2014
Caleb Bender has done what he believed God wanted: transplanted his family to Paradise Valley, Mexico, to establish an Amish community free from governmental interference. Other families have followed him, and after three years, the population is over 100, including many children.
They've survived illness and bandits, and their farms are thriving, but they live in the shadow of violence. And unless they can convince a Bishop to join them, Caleb knows the community will fold.
Caleb's own world is folding. He's already buried a son in Mexico, and now he's losing a daughter. When she marries outside the Amish community, he'll have to count her as dead to his family. Grief, and doubt that he heard God right in the first place about pioneering this settlement, threaten his peace.
Against this backdrop, Though Mountains Fall shares the story of two of Caleb's daughters, Miriam and Rachel, and the men they love. And their sisterly bond that will stand "though mountains fall".
Dale Cramer is an excellent writer, and this novel is no exception. The fact that I enjoyed it less than the previous two in the series has to do with there being less adventure and more relationship dynamics. Plus, the story itself required a darker tone or Caleb would never have faced his personal crisis. The ending warmed my heart, though.
This is the third and final book in the Daughters of Caleb Bender series, but readers who want to follow the family into the next generation can pick up Dale Cramer's earlier novel, Levi's Will. For more about Christy Award winner Dale Cramer and his books, visit DaleCramer.com. You can also read an excerpt of Though Mountains Fall.
[Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.]
They've survived illness and bandits, and their farms are thriving, but they live in the shadow of violence. And unless they can convince a Bishop to join them, Caleb knows the community will fold.
Caleb's own world is folding. He's already buried a son in Mexico, and now he's losing a daughter. When she marries outside the Amish community, he'll have to count her as dead to his family. Grief, and doubt that he heard God right in the first place about pioneering this settlement, threaten his peace.
Against this backdrop, Though Mountains Fall shares the story of two of Caleb's daughters, Miriam and Rachel, and the men they love. And their sisterly bond that will stand "though mountains fall".
Dale Cramer is an excellent writer, and this novel is no exception. The fact that I enjoyed it less than the previous two in the series has to do with there being less adventure and more relationship dynamics. Plus, the story itself required a darker tone or Caleb would never have faced his personal crisis. The ending warmed my heart, though.
This is the third and final book in the Daughters of Caleb Bender series, but readers who want to follow the family into the next generation can pick up Dale Cramer's earlier novel, Levi's Will. For more about Christy Award winner Dale Cramer and his books, visit DaleCramer.com. You can also read an excerpt of Though Mountains Fall.
[Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.]
May 17, 2016
I applaud Dale Cramer writing from a woman's point of view. He did an astounding job. His attention to detail makes this historical fiction pull you in to yesteryear and a culture of community that experiences upheaval and rebirth as this Amish family moves from Ohio to Mexico. They not only face the change of language and culture but a lawlessness that clashes with their values as bandits run through the land unchecked following the revolution. And amid all this, is the Bender family, too complex to review without writing an entire essay. Not only does Cramer create characters you care about, but characters you miss when you've reached the last page.
May 5, 2015
I thought the last book of the series would be a happier ending, but it definitely was not. Too many people were separated, died, attacked for me to enjoy this series overall. I did like the historical setting of an Amish community in Mexico in the 1920's. Fascinating.
August 24, 2015
I absolutely loved the ending! I really enjoyed reading this series from Dale Cramer. Now I would like to get Levi's Will from the library.
July 14, 2023
Absorbing finale to the Daughters of Caleb Bender trilogy. Someone on PPPS recommended the author as a writer of high quality Christian fiction, and I am grateful.
I may be rating it a bit high, since this book has been helping me get through a difficult day, but one needs such books at such times. (I have been at ER for hours with minor pneumonia which masqueraded as heart trouble. I was pretty sure it was either pneumonia or sore muscles. I'm glad I didn't go through all this for muscle pain.) My only complaint about When Mountains Fall is that it made me cry, but that's OK.
I've snobbishly avoided most Amish fiction in the past, but I think this trilogy is unusually good. It's a historical novel based loosely on actual events - I like books like that - and it's also by a non-Amish descendant of Amish people, who doesn't agree with all their doctrines. How strictly do you need to keep the church's rules? Are they even biblical? He recognizes the dilemma of trying to stay alive while avoiding absolutely any form of fighting and killing. And what if the government kills people to protect you and your family? He doesn't offer a facile answer, either, or any answer except that God is good, loving, and forgiving.
I had never heard of the Amish colony that formed in Mexico to avoid compulsory public schooling in Ohio.
I learned some things and will be doing some research to find out more.
Parents' advisory for the whole trilogy: No sex scenes and a high view of chastity. However it becomes obvious that one young couple's baby arrives too early in their marriage. There is also attempted rape - neither explicit nor titillating and we find out later that one young woman WAS raped, though there are no details.
I may be rating it a bit high, since this book has been helping me get through a difficult day, but one needs such books at such times. (I have been at ER for hours with minor pneumonia which masqueraded as heart trouble. I was pretty sure it was either pneumonia or sore muscles. I'm glad I didn't go through all this for muscle pain.) My only complaint about When Mountains Fall is that it made me cry, but that's OK.
I've snobbishly avoided most Amish fiction in the past, but I think this trilogy is unusually good. It's a historical novel based loosely on actual events - I like books like that - and it's also by a non-Amish descendant of Amish people, who doesn't agree with all their doctrines. How strictly do you need to keep the church's rules? Are they even biblical? He recognizes the dilemma of trying to stay alive while avoiding absolutely any form of fighting and killing. And what if the government kills people to protect you and your family? He doesn't offer a facile answer, either, or any answer except that God is good, loving, and forgiving.
I had never heard of the Amish colony that formed in Mexico to avoid compulsory public schooling in Ohio.
I learned some things and will be doing some research to find out more.
Parents' advisory for the whole trilogy: No sex scenes and a high view of chastity. However it becomes obvious that one young couple's baby arrives too early in their marriage. There is also attempted rape - neither explicit nor titillating and we find out later that one young woman WAS raped, though there are no details.
April 14, 2019
I loved the ending to this book/series, although there were a lot of sad, difficult moments in getting to the end. That's the thing with writing fictionalized history - you have to fit the story to actual historical events and you can't change the outcome; you just have to work with the story within the parameters of what is known. Since this is the story of the author's ancestors and their trek to Mexico looking for religious freedom, he couldn't make the story turn out any way but one: the way it actually happened. But he did manage to bring a good ending out of hard circumstances.
Cramer is an excellent writer; you enter into the lives of his characters - their joys, their sadness, their struggles, their grief, their stoic acceptance of what is and cannot be changed. You can feel the anger, the bitterness, the wonderful joy, the danger, the longing in their lives. You understand the conflict over their pacifist ways in the midst of a war-torn country, and their desire to know and follow God's will in very difficult circumstances.
I would definitely recommend this authentic novel to readers with an interest in Amish/Mennonite history. This is not your usual Amish fiction - it is gritty and real because it is based on a true story.
The audio on this series contributes greatly to the understanding and enjoyment of the story. The narrator moves pretty flawlessly from the German to the Spanish language/accent/pronunciation, which is no small feat.
I understand that Cramer's book, "Levi's Will" continues the story into another generation, and that will be my followup to this series.
Cramer is an excellent writer; you enter into the lives of his characters - their joys, their sadness, their struggles, their grief, their stoic acceptance of what is and cannot be changed. You can feel the anger, the bitterness, the wonderful joy, the danger, the longing in their lives. You understand the conflict over their pacifist ways in the midst of a war-torn country, and their desire to know and follow God's will in very difficult circumstances.
I would definitely recommend this authentic novel to readers with an interest in Amish/Mennonite history. This is not your usual Amish fiction - it is gritty and real because it is based on a true story.
The audio on this series contributes greatly to the understanding and enjoyment of the story. The narrator moves pretty flawlessly from the German to the Spanish language/accent/pronunciation, which is no small feat.
I understand that Cramer's book, "Levi's Will" continues the story into another generation, and that will be my followup to this series.
April 17, 2020
The conclusion to the series. This is an Amish book but it isn’t the typical storyline.
My takeaways from this book: the Amish learned that a life of passivism is an assured way to die unless you live in a society where the majority is not pacifists.
I don’t understand why Bender insisted on judgment for the men that hurt the girl, but then was horrified and mad about the punishment. What was he expecting? A good talking to?
Overall I enjoyed the series and I think Cramer was able to show the positive side of Amish- family and faith, but also show the negatives- selfishness, entitlement, no grace.
The Amish want the protection of war and fighting but they don’t want to be involved in it. When it came right down to it, they essentially chose war over peace. If they really wanted to live by their own standards they would have all died when El Pantera raider their settlement instead of hiding behind a fort and guns.
My takeaways from this book: the Amish learned that a life of passivism is an assured way to die unless you live in a society where the majority is not pacifists.
I don’t understand why Bender insisted on judgment for the men that hurt the girl, but then was horrified and mad about the punishment. What was he expecting? A good talking to?
Overall I enjoyed the series and I think Cramer was able to show the positive side of Amish- family and faith, but also show the negatives- selfishness, entitlement, no grace.
The Amish want the protection of war and fighting but they don’t want to be involved in it. When it came right down to it, they essentially chose war over peace. If they really wanted to live by their own standards they would have all died when El Pantera raider their settlement instead of hiding behind a fort and guns.
May 9, 2024
Life in Mexico hasn't been easy for the Bender family. With no Bishop, their community hasn't been able to have a baptism or communion, and with no real protection bandits are frequently a concern. When they finally get the federales, they discover that bandits may not be the worst thing they have to face. At the same time, when Miriam decides to marry outside of the Amish church they are forced to ban her, leaving Caleb to mourn the loss of his son and daughter. While they have each other, can the family remain strong enough to form a new community where they can worship in peace and not worry about outside influence?
I haven't read the first 2 books and found I didn't really need to. While I'm sure the story would be properly filled in I honestly found it could be read as a stand alone
I haven't read the first 2 books and found I didn't really need to. While I'm sure the story would be properly filled in I honestly found it could be read as a stand alone
January 22, 2018
The 3rd one
This book is the 3rd and final book The Daughters of Caleb Bender series. I'm sad the series has ended for me. After reading all three books, I have become very attached to the Bender family and would love to read more about them. I guess I'll just have to find more books by Cramer and get to know more of his well developed characters. My favorite part of this book was learning about the Amish who traveled to Mexico and all they lived through. Even though the book is fictional, it is based on true history which made it all the more interesting. If you live historical novels, then you will love this series!
This book is the 3rd and final book The Daughters of Caleb Bender series. I'm sad the series has ended for me. After reading all three books, I have become very attached to the Bender family and would love to read more about them. I guess I'll just have to find more books by Cramer and get to know more of his well developed characters. My favorite part of this book was learning about the Amish who traveled to Mexico and all they lived through. Even though the book is fictional, it is based on true history which made it all the more interesting. If you live historical novels, then you will love this series!
May 1, 2022
such a heartfelt wonderful series
This book continues with the trials , and heartaches that the Amish has had to deal with while living in Mexico. After a major incident happens they know they have no choice but to live back to Ohio. So much sadness in their decision.
Things in Ohio doesn’t get much better due to hardness of hearts. And until they learnt and believed that God is a God of love not a God of conflict and hate.
This book ( and series) will leave you with an happily emotional heart. Such wonderful storytelling. I can’t say enough about how good these books are!
This book continues with the trials , and heartaches that the Amish has had to deal with while living in Mexico. After a major incident happens they know they have no choice but to live back to Ohio. So much sadness in their decision.
Things in Ohio doesn’t get much better due to hardness of hearts. And until they learnt and believed that God is a God of love not a God of conflict and hate.
This book ( and series) will leave you with an happily emotional heart. Such wonderful storytelling. I can’t say enough about how good these books are!
December 9, 2023
This was the 3rd book in this series about the daughters of Caleb Bender. I have read the other two but it has been so long I could not remember the details and so I think that tainted this story a bit. Read this series close together to keep everyone and their situations straight. The Benders are living in Mexico but are troubled by thefts and find it difficult to live in a place where people are expected to fight for what they have. Miriam is in love with her outsider, Emily is raising her family and Rachel is keeping a secret from her beau.
February 19, 2018
"Is not love greater than the law?"
I think that quote from Maam sums up this series, and this book in particular, quite well. Emma, Rachel, and Miriam, as well as their Dat, Caleb, each needed to understand that loving someone needs to be more important than any law. After all, Jesus said that the first commandment was to love the Lord your God, and the second to love your neighbour as yourself.
A fitting, though perhaps melancholy, end to the Daughters of Caleb Bender series.
I think that quote from Maam sums up this series, and this book in particular, quite well. Emma, Rachel, and Miriam, as well as their Dat, Caleb, each needed to understand that loving someone needs to be more important than any law. After all, Jesus said that the first commandment was to love the Lord your God, and the second to love your neighbour as yourself.
A fitting, though perhaps melancholy, end to the Daughters of Caleb Bender series.
December 19, 2017
This author is new to me, and his first series. The 3 book series- the 'daughters of Caleb Bender' was full of detail, emotional, full of suspense, romance, and piqued my interest. This book is an amish read; in a totally unusual setting, with many frustrations along their journey and new lives..
September 14, 2019
This book was hard to put down. I was totally caught up in it till I finished it. I can guarantee that you won't be able to put it down like me until you finished.
After reading all three stories I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. This author was someone will I will seek out again.
After reading all three stories I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. This author was someone will I will seek out again.
April 29, 2018
Message of love and forgiveness
I loved this book and series. The story is gripping but this book is so much more than a good story. The message of love, faith, family and forgiveness will touch you and change you.
I loved this book and series. The story is gripping but this book is so much more than a good story. The message of love, faith, family and forgiveness will touch you and change you.
February 6, 2023
Beautifully written
I loved this series! It was so interesting to me that these people were so brave to go to a foreign country. The setting was amazing! You can actually imagine and feel their struggles through the authors writing. Excellent series!
I loved this series! It was so interesting to me that these people were so brave to go to a foreign country. The setting was amazing! You can actually imagine and feel their struggles through the authors writing. Excellent series!
February 12, 2013
I had never read anything by this author but I do love historical fiction and Amish fiction so I thought I would give this book a try. Though I had not read the first two books; I was not at all lost and was able to follow along perfectly as a standalone novel. This book was well written but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. It has nothing to do with the author or the writing and more to do with the fact that I just didn’t find the setting to be all that interesting. Perhaps I should have realized it would have a western feel to it since it is set in Mexico but I guess I just wasn’t able to fall in love with the area in the book. I would definitely read other books by this author though so please don’t take my lackluster rating as a damper on any decisions to read books by this author.
Caleb Bender has taken his family to Mexico so that they have the freedom to school their children and further separate themselves from the world. I believe at this time that the state was closing down the one-room Amish schoolhouses or that they were not allowed to privately school their children. Someone can correct me if I am wrong on this but around that time there was a settlement that formed in Mexico but it later failed due to the conditions of their government at the time.
In this story we certainly see the tumultuous times that were plaguing Mexico. There was confusion over the church and the ability to coexist with the newly elected president and this was evident in this story. The Amish are a peaceful people and the Benders wished only to be left alone by the bandits and also the law men who were often as corrupt as the bandits.
Things were not easy for the Benders and circumstances seem to force Caleb to return to Ohio with his friends and family. The Lord has a lesson to teach though and Caleb must listen and to learn that sometimes our failures in life also serve a purpose.
As I said earlier, I thought the story was well written, I just couldn’t fall in love with the characters. There was something missing, something soft, nothing major. I can’t quite put my finger on it. I really struggled knowing how to rate this book. One part of me wanted to give it a 5 star rating for being well written but in the end I had to take my feelings into consideration as well and I just didn’t connect with these particular characters. As I said though, I will not be ruling out this author. I will be picking up more of his works in the future. This one just wasn’t a good fit for me.
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Dale Cramer is the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed novel Levi's Will, based on the story of Dale's father, a runaway Amishman. Dale's series, The Daughters of Caleb Bender, is based on the Amish colony in the mountains of Mexico, where three generations of his family lived in the 1920s. Dale lives in Georgia with his wife of thirty-seven years, two sons and a Bernese Mountain Dog named Rupert. For more information about the author and his books, visit his website at DaleCramer.com
I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Caleb Bender has taken his family to Mexico so that they have the freedom to school their children and further separate themselves from the world. I believe at this time that the state was closing down the one-room Amish schoolhouses or that they were not allowed to privately school their children. Someone can correct me if I am wrong on this but around that time there was a settlement that formed in Mexico but it later failed due to the conditions of their government at the time.
In this story we certainly see the tumultuous times that were plaguing Mexico. There was confusion over the church and the ability to coexist with the newly elected president and this was evident in this story. The Amish are a peaceful people and the Benders wished only to be left alone by the bandits and also the law men who were often as corrupt as the bandits.
Things were not easy for the Benders and circumstances seem to force Caleb to return to Ohio with his friends and family. The Lord has a lesson to teach though and Caleb must listen and to learn that sometimes our failures in life also serve a purpose.
As I said earlier, I thought the story was well written, I just couldn’t fall in love with the characters. There was something missing, something soft, nothing major. I can’t quite put my finger on it. I really struggled knowing how to rate this book. One part of me wanted to give it a 5 star rating for being well written but in the end I had to take my feelings into consideration as well and I just didn’t connect with these particular characters. As I said though, I will not be ruling out this author. I will be picking up more of his works in the future. This one just wasn’t a good fit for me.
View all my reviews|Read an Excerpt
Amazon|CBD|Barnes&Noble
Dale Cramer is the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed novel Levi's Will, based on the story of Dale's father, a runaway Amishman. Dale's series, The Daughters of Caleb Bender, is based on the Amish colony in the mountains of Mexico, where three generations of his family lived in the 1920s. Dale lives in Georgia with his wife of thirty-seven years, two sons and a Bernese Mountain Dog named Rupert. For more information about the author and his books, visit his website at DaleCramer.com
I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
July 14, 2017
These were historical fiction, but there was too much violence for my liking.
January 11, 2018
3.5 stars
February 22, 2019
Third one was the best of three I think. The only interesting difference in this Amish novel is that they migrate to Mexico and back. I had no idea there were Amish that in the 1920s!
March 11, 2019
Great book but sad.
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