What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lost Sisters of Pleasant Valley #1
Lydia's Hope
Three Amish sisters, separated when very young, know nothing about one another—until a long-held secret is revealed.
With no memory of her birth parents, or the tragic accident that took their lives, Lydia Beachy has always been grateful for the aunt and uncle who took her in and raised her as their own. Now a married woman with two sons, Lydia finds her life turned upside down when she discovers that she has two younger sisters: Susanna, who was adopted by an Amish family in another community, and Chloe, who was raised by their grandmother among the Englisch.
Angry and confused, Lydia first seeks out Susanna but stops short of telling her the truth. To track down Chloe, she enlists the help of a neighbor who has spent some years in the Englisch world. Meanwhile, Lydia’s husband, Adam, is keeping a secret of his own. Lydia yearns to be united with the sisters she has never known, but will revealing herself to them tear their lives apart…or enrich them beyond all imagining?
With no memory of her birth parents, or the tragic accident that took their lives, Lydia Beachy has always been grateful for the aunt and uncle who took her in and raised her as their own. Now a married woman with two sons, Lydia finds her life turned upside down when she discovers that she has two younger sisters: Susanna, who was adopted by an Amish family in another community, and Chloe, who was raised by their grandmother among the Englisch.
Angry and confused, Lydia first seeks out Susanna but stops short of telling her the truth. To track down Chloe, she enlists the help of a neighbor who has spent some years in the Englisch world. Meanwhile, Lydia’s husband, Adam, is keeping a secret of his own. Lydia yearns to be united with the sisters she has never known, but will revealing herself to them tear their lives apart…or enrich them beyond all imagining?
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2013
60 people are currently reading
692 people want to read
About the author
Marta Perry
201 books768 followersMarta Perry is a Pennsylvania-based author of over 35 novels, many of them inspirational romances. She uses her rural Pennsylvania life and her Pennsylvania Dutch heritage in writing her books, especially in her Pleasant Valley Amish series for Berkley Books and her new Amish-set suspense series for HQN Books.
Marta and her husband live in a centuries-old farmhouse in a quiet central Pennsylvania valley. They have three grown children and six beautiful grandchildren, and when she's not busy writing her next book, she's usually trying to keep up with her gardening, baking for church events, or visiting those beautiful grandkids.
Marta and her husband live in a centuries-old farmhouse in a quiet central Pennsylvania valley. They have three grown children and six beautiful grandchildren, and when she's not busy writing her next book, she's usually trying to keep up with her gardening, baking for church events, or visiting those beautiful grandkids.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
October 5, 2018
Four and a half stars.
Lydia Beachy’s parents were both killed in an accident when she was five years old. At that point her newly married aunt and uncle stepped in to care for her and be her parents. Lydia has always been close to both of them. Now as a married woman with two young sons, Daniel and David, she realises there is more to being a parent than she ever thought. She is contented in her life, although she would also love more children, especially a daughter. So far it hasn’t happened for her and Adam. Then one day a random comment from her great aunt overturns Lydia’s secure life. She learns she had two sisters, Susanna and Chloe, she never knew about. Her two sisters were both adopted by other people and live in different places. Susanna, like Lydia, has been brought up in the Amish faith. Chloe, raised by her grandmother, has been brought up among the English. Lydia, despite protests from her husband, is determined to locate her sisters and bring them all together. But what will that mean for each of them and the families that have raised them? Could it be better not to reveal the truth at this time? But this secret has kept them apart long enough, hasn’t it? Meanwhile Adam has a secret of his own, he has been trying to keep from Lydia. What will these two decisions mean for their marriage and family?
This is a gentle, highly engaging story that provided insights into the Amish way of life and the tensions that can divide a marriage or strengthen a family. It is peopled with mostly likeable characters, even though they are not without their faults. It is also a picture of a community in Pleasant Valley that seeks to support each other. An entertaining read with a well-drawn setting and atmosphere. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Pleasant Valley and will be keen to follow this story and see how the rest plays out in other books in this series.
Lydia Beachy’s parents were both killed in an accident when she was five years old. At that point her newly married aunt and uncle stepped in to care for her and be her parents. Lydia has always been close to both of them. Now as a married woman with two young sons, Daniel and David, she realises there is more to being a parent than she ever thought. She is contented in her life, although she would also love more children, especially a daughter. So far it hasn’t happened for her and Adam. Then one day a random comment from her great aunt overturns Lydia’s secure life. She learns she had two sisters, Susanna and Chloe, she never knew about. Her two sisters were both adopted by other people and live in different places. Susanna, like Lydia, has been brought up in the Amish faith. Chloe, raised by her grandmother, has been brought up among the English. Lydia, despite protests from her husband, is determined to locate her sisters and bring them all together. But what will that mean for each of them and the families that have raised them? Could it be better not to reveal the truth at this time? But this secret has kept them apart long enough, hasn’t it? Meanwhile Adam has a secret of his own, he has been trying to keep from Lydia. What will these two decisions mean for their marriage and family?
This is a gentle, highly engaging story that provided insights into the Amish way of life and the tensions that can divide a marriage or strengthen a family. It is peopled with mostly likeable characters, even though they are not without their faults. It is also a picture of a community in Pleasant Valley that seeks to support each other. An entertaining read with a well-drawn setting and atmosphere. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Pleasant Valley and will be keen to follow this story and see how the rest plays out in other books in this series.
August 5, 2016
I am very excited and grateful to be a Goodreads winner. I am excited to read the book and will write my review once I've finished. :) I quite enjoyed the book. Marta has a way of drawing you into Lydia's life. It was exciting when she met one of her lost sisters. Marta weaves a wonderful story of the Amish and the love within her family. I can't wait to read Susanna's Dream, and find out how the sisters connect and form a bond in that book.
May 25, 2018
This book made me aware that the Amish life-style, which seems so simple, is really quite complex. The author did a good job of weaving together a story of those who stayed in the community, those who left, and those who joined.
And - it made me homesick for Pennsylvania; I felt like I was driving around Mifflinburg on my way to Verna's fabrics.
And - it made me homesick for Pennsylvania; I felt like I was driving around Mifflinburg on my way to Verna's fabrics.
April 13, 2019
Lydia Beachy found out quite by accident. Her great aunt was recovering from an illness at her mamm and daadi's home when she blurted out the well kept family secret. Oh, Lydia always knew she was adopted and that her birth parents had died from a horrible auto accident. In fact Lydia had been in the accident with her late parent's and her injuries had caused her to lose all memories of her life before the accident.
But Great Aunt Sara's mind was wandering when the truth came out. Lydia, who had always thought she was an only child of her biological parents learned she had two other birth sisters that were involved in the accident as well as she was. Her adoptive mother confirmed what Great Aunt Sara said to be the truth. Hurt beyond measure Lydia decided to right the wrong done to herself and her sisters. She would do everything in her power to find her two sisters and reunite with them. After all these years where is she to start her search? Would her sisters even want to meet her or would this news of having two other siblings bring hurt and pain to their lives as it had to Lydia ?
My goodness these books in the Pleasant Valley series just get better and better. This was book one of The Lost Sisters Series. Marta Perry completely had my attention from page one and on through the epilogue. The story flowed so smoothly that I soon got lost in the pages. Lydia's Hope picks up where Naomi's Christmas ended in the Pleasant Valley series. A lot of the characters from that series are mentioned here in this first book of The Lost Sisters Series. I always love when old characters from previous books are bought into the current book.
Readers of Amish Fiction will love this book. If you have followed along with The Pleasant Valley series you won't want to miss this book. This isn't a new series but I've always wanted to read more of Marta Perry's books and I'm glad I chose to get acquainted with Pleasant Valley. I highly recommend for your reading pleasure.
I borrowed a copy of Lydia's Hope from the local library. A review wasn't requested. All opinions are my own.
But Great Aunt Sara's mind was wandering when the truth came out. Lydia, who had always thought she was an only child of her biological parents learned she had two other birth sisters that were involved in the accident as well as she was. Her adoptive mother confirmed what Great Aunt Sara said to be the truth. Hurt beyond measure Lydia decided to right the wrong done to herself and her sisters. She would do everything in her power to find her two sisters and reunite with them. After all these years where is she to start her search? Would her sisters even want to meet her or would this news of having two other siblings bring hurt and pain to their lives as it had to Lydia ?
My goodness these books in the Pleasant Valley series just get better and better. This was book one of The Lost Sisters Series. Marta Perry completely had my attention from page one and on through the epilogue. The story flowed so smoothly that I soon got lost in the pages. Lydia's Hope picks up where Naomi's Christmas ended in the Pleasant Valley series. A lot of the characters from that series are mentioned here in this first book of The Lost Sisters Series. I always love when old characters from previous books are bought into the current book.
Readers of Amish Fiction will love this book. If you have followed along with The Pleasant Valley series you won't want to miss this book. This isn't a new series but I've always wanted to read more of Marta Perry's books and I'm glad I chose to get acquainted with Pleasant Valley. I highly recommend for your reading pleasure.
I borrowed a copy of Lydia's Hope from the local library. A review wasn't requested. All opinions are my own.
July 16, 2013
Lydia’s Hope by Martha Perry is an Amish Inspirational fiction that will catch and keep your attention. This book was very hard to put down. Lydia Beachy was raised by her Aunt Anna and Uncle Joseph after her parents were killed. She has no recollection of her life before she comes home from the hospital after the accident. She marries and is raising her own family when her Great Aunt Sarah accidentally mentions her two siblings she knows nothing about. Her world is turned up side down, she is hurt and angry her parents and the whole Amish community has kept this a secret. To make matters worse her search for her sisters leads to a strained relationship with her husband Adam who also has a secret. Can they overcome and find their way back together? Her search leads her to her sister Susanna, who was adopted by another Amish family and lives close by. But she is unable to reveal to her they are sisters. She enlists the help of her neighbor Seth who has lived among both the Englisch and the Amish to find Chloe. Her search for Chloe who was raised by her Englisch grandmother leads her to a foreign world full of prejudice. Seth finds her in Philadelphia. Can Chloe disregard everything she has been taught about the Amish to have a relationship with Lydia? I have been a fan of the author Martha Perry’s Love Inspired book for awhile but this is my first Amish book I have read by her. It was well written and a great book, definitely 5 stars. I can not wait to read another.
June 24, 2013
What would you do if you learned as an adult that you had two younger siblings that you had been separated from since childhood and that one had been raised in a world the polar opposite of yours? That is the question at the heart of this novel. And we follow Lydia, the main character, as she take the first steps to reconnect with her sisters.
This is much different than other books Marta Perry has set in Pleasant Valley. It is not a true romance, yet it is about love – the love sisters have for each other and a man’s love so strong, he will journey far outside the world he knows to bring his wife peace. With those broad themes, this novel could almost qualify as mainstream.
Marta knows the Amish well and brings their ways to 3-D life on the page as she gives us not just a glimpse but a full view of their world.
If you haven’t read any of Marta’s books, pick one up – any one – and you’ll be enchanted.
This is much different than other books Marta Perry has set in Pleasant Valley. It is not a true romance, yet it is about love – the love sisters have for each other and a man’s love so strong, he will journey far outside the world he knows to bring his wife peace. With those broad themes, this novel could almost qualify as mainstream.
Marta knows the Amish well and brings their ways to 3-D life on the page as she gives us not just a glimpse but a full view of their world.
If you haven’t read any of Marta’s books, pick one up – any one – and you’ll be enchanted.
March 21, 2014
Lydia's Hope is the first book in Marta Perry's new trilogy, The Lost Sisters Of Pleasant valley. Lydia Beachy has always known she was adopted by her aunt and uncle at the age of five, but has no memory of her birth parents who died in the accident that stole her memory. Now her great aunt is ill and talking about Lydia's mother and the other girls. What other girls?
Great aunt Sara has opened a box of questions that must be answered. This is Lydia's story as she searches for her missing sisters. But does she have the right to disturb their lives?
Meanwhile Lydia's husband Adam is going through a tough time himself. He lost his job and there are few prospects for a new one.
I really enjoyed Lydia's Hope and cannot wait for Susannah's Dream, book two.
Great aunt Sara has opened a box of questions that must be answered. This is Lydia's story as she searches for her missing sisters. But does she have the right to disturb their lives?
Meanwhile Lydia's husband Adam is going through a tough time himself. He lost his job and there are few prospects for a new one.
I really enjoyed Lydia's Hope and cannot wait for Susannah's Dream, book two.
September 14, 2013
Marta Perry has done it again! This was a wonderful story about a young Amish woman who was orphaned after a deadly accident and subsequently adopted by a loving family. Now as a married woman and mother of two young boys she learns that she has two younger sisters; neither are are aware of the existence of the others. Lydia, always the big sister and caregiver seeks to find her lost sisters and reunite with them. She yearns to know more about her mother and have the family that was taken away from her by fate.
Perry sets the stage for a drama of entangled, complicated and sometimes, strained relationships. Is it wise to reveal the truth and how will it impact the lives and dreams of others?
I am eagerly awaiting the sequel to this great book.
Perry sets the stage for a drama of entangled, complicated and sometimes, strained relationships. Is it wise to reveal the truth and how will it impact the lives and dreams of others?
I am eagerly awaiting the sequel to this great book.
November 19, 2017
Great start on a new series for me. I think first book I have read by Marta Perry and look forward to the rest in the series
Lydia finds out that she has two younger sisters when an aunt makes a comment about her mother and her 3 little girls. That rocks Lydia’s complacent life and sends her on a mission to find her sisters that have been lost to her.
Great story
Lydia finds out that she has two younger sisters when an aunt makes a comment about her mother and her 3 little girls. That rocks Lydia’s complacent life and sends her on a mission to find her sisters that have been lost to her.
Great story
January 22, 2022
LYDIA’A HOPE by MARTA PERRY IS BOOK 1 in the Lost Sisters of Pleasant Valley Series.
Marta Perry is a relatively new author to me however I have come to really enjoy her writing style.
In this book it’s such a wonderful look at the deep love sisters hold for each other, how that love can drive a relationship either to a breaking point or build it up to such a strong foundation.
Lydia’s story will pull at your heartstrings not only for her but for all who love her as well because as you know what effects someone who you love will effect you as well. This is a story of compassion,
Love, understanding, faith, patience, and longing for what was and what will or could be.
In this story you will see how at a point in time a decision can change everything and yet it’s how we handle everything from that point on that will determine the rest of your life. Or does it?
I so enjoyed this book and am really looking forward to book 2 in the series which is SUSANNA’S DREAM
I am also looking forward to exploring more of Marta Perry’s Books.
Marta Perry is a relatively new author to me however I have come to really enjoy her writing style.
In this book it’s such a wonderful look at the deep love sisters hold for each other, how that love can drive a relationship either to a breaking point or build it up to such a strong foundation.
Lydia’s story will pull at your heartstrings not only for her but for all who love her as well because as you know what effects someone who you love will effect you as well. This is a story of compassion,
Love, understanding, faith, patience, and longing for what was and what will or could be.
In this story you will see how at a point in time a decision can change everything and yet it’s how we handle everything from that point on that will determine the rest of your life. Or does it?
I so enjoyed this book and am really looking forward to book 2 in the series which is SUSANNA’S DREAM
I am also looking forward to exploring more of Marta Perry’s Books.
August 16, 2019
Lydia was just five years old when a tragic accident killed her parents and seriously injured her and her two younger sisters. Extenuating circumstances resulted in the three sisters being adopted and raised by three different families; two were Amish and one was English. Lydia is an married Amish woman with two children of her own when she finally learns of the existence of her two younger sisters. Determined to meet them and reconcile with them, Lydia soon realizes that her plan is fraught with problems. How at least two of the sisters resolve their differences makes for an interesting and enjoyable read. Endearing characters bring this well-written and imaginative tale to life.
June 29, 2017
Unique storyline, but handled in a way that wasn't melodramatic. Good characterization. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives. I also like non-romantic Amish fiction as a change of pace. I finished the book wanting to read the next one.
November 24, 2023
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading Amish books! It was very interesting and once I started reading it I didn’t want to put it down! Really want to read the 2 book I. The series—“Susanna’s Dream”!
July 13, 2017
Absolutely wonderful.
May 2, 2018
Enjoyed this book very much and am ordering the second book of the series.
September 10, 2018
I had a hard time getting started with this one. The plot felt choppy. I enjoy the author.
October 3, 2019
Really enjoyable, if a bit predictable.
April 5, 2020
A sweet Amish book. Just the ticket for these troubled times.
June 16, 2022
A simple story set in the Amish community in Pennsylvania. Quick read, with an engaging story line, this book was a bit of candy duringmy summer break.
August 19, 2022
Very good book, finished it in 2 days. About to start Susannah's Dream
January 9, 2023
Marta Perry never disapoints!
June 29, 2023
It was a good read and I learned some new things about the Amish.
September 8, 2023
Very good. I enjoyed this story of three sisters. Lydia the oldest sister is trying to make everything right for all of them.
November 14, 2023
It's just an easy read, for somebody that likes the genre.
June 13, 2025
It took me a while to get into this book, but Perry came through in the end.
August 11, 2025
One of the better Amish books I've read. Not as predictable as some. I liked the premise and the second story line involving the Englisch sister. I'll be reading more from this author!
January 16, 2016
REVIEW
I love Amish reads. Marta Perry does them justice. It always seem like the characters are so real and that you are right there with them. LYDIA'S HOPE is book one in The Lost Sisters of Pleasant Valley series. Ms. Perry adds in a little suspense, lots of love and a tale that will definitely warm your heart. Lydia finds out after years that she has two sisters that she was never told about. I would have been a trite angry. The secret changes her whole life and affects everyone around her. Lydia felt that everyone had betrayed her. The loving relationship she has had with her husband is now strained. They both feel it. The secret has even affected Lydia's two boys. She has to find her sisters and her neighbor who jumped the fence has offered to help her. I can understand why Adam didn't like this. He knew that in their Rumspringa days, Seth had taken Lydia home from a singing. He felt that Lydia was building a relationship back up with Seth. She finds her sister Susannah but holds back on telling her. Susanna's mother is about to die and Lydia doesn't want Susanna to find out that her mother that is about to die is not her natural mother. No the right time to tell her. Then Seth finds Chloe who was brought up by her Englisch grandmother who has very bad feelings about the Amish. Her daughter had turned Amish when she met Eli. Her mother had never forgiven her. Will Chloe find her way to become Lydia's sister? Will Susanna ever be told? Will Lydia and Adam find their way back to each other? The author did a great job of giving us a beautiful story of love, betrayal and family. I couldn't put this book down and it went much too quickly. I can't wait to read another Marta Perry book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a nice heartwarming, clean read, especially if you like the Amish. You won't want to miss Lydia, Adam, Chloe, Seth and the others. So go pick up the book and help in the hunt to find the missing sisters. At the back of the book are some yummy recipes and an excerpt from SUSANNA'S DREAM.
I would give this book a solid 5 STARS.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, LYDIA'S HOPE by Marta Perry from Manic Readers for this unbiased review.
I love Amish reads. Marta Perry does them justice. It always seem like the characters are so real and that you are right there with them. LYDIA'S HOPE is book one in The Lost Sisters of Pleasant Valley series. Ms. Perry adds in a little suspense, lots of love and a tale that will definitely warm your heart. Lydia finds out after years that she has two sisters that she was never told about. I would have been a trite angry. The secret changes her whole life and affects everyone around her. Lydia felt that everyone had betrayed her. The loving relationship she has had with her husband is now strained. They both feel it. The secret has even affected Lydia's two boys. She has to find her sisters and her neighbor who jumped the fence has offered to help her. I can understand why Adam didn't like this. He knew that in their Rumspringa days, Seth had taken Lydia home from a singing. He felt that Lydia was building a relationship back up with Seth. She finds her sister Susannah but holds back on telling her. Susanna's mother is about to die and Lydia doesn't want Susanna to find out that her mother that is about to die is not her natural mother. No the right time to tell her. Then Seth finds Chloe who was brought up by her Englisch grandmother who has very bad feelings about the Amish. Her daughter had turned Amish when she met Eli. Her mother had never forgiven her. Will Chloe find her way to become Lydia's sister? Will Susanna ever be told? Will Lydia and Adam find their way back to each other? The author did a great job of giving us a beautiful story of love, betrayal and family. I couldn't put this book down and it went much too quickly. I can't wait to read another Marta Perry book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a nice heartwarming, clean read, especially if you like the Amish. You won't want to miss Lydia, Adam, Chloe, Seth and the others. So go pick up the book and help in the hunt to find the missing sisters. At the back of the book are some yummy recipes and an excerpt from SUSANNA'S DREAM.
I would give this book a solid 5 STARS.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, LYDIA'S HOPE by Marta Perry from Manic Readers for this unbiased review.
September 5, 2013
Through a relative's slip of the tongue, Lydia discovers that she has living sisters. After her family's accident in which her parents were killed, the three young sisters were split up, Lydia and her sister Susanna to Amish couples and her youngest sister Chloe to her English, non-Amish grandmother. Since the girls were so young at the time, none of them remembers their parents or early life.
At first supportive of her efforts to find out who and where her sisters are, Lydia's husband Adam becomes more wary as his wife isn't content just to get the basic facts about them. Susanna, left with a limp after the accident, has worked with her mother in an Amish gift shop for years before the mother got cancer. Since the woman is dying and Susanna is her sole relative, Lydia decides the time isn't right to contact Susanna and tell her that she has sisters.
Contacting and speaking to Chloe, the youngest sister, however, becomes Lydia's priority. But since Lydia doesn't have contacts in the English world, she persuades Seth - who once left the Amish community and has since returned - to track her sister down, much to her husband Adam's chagrin. Adam is feeling jealous because Seth was once one of Lydia's suitors and also because Adam can't help her locate her sister while Seth can.
When Lydia contacts Chloe, many roadblocks stand in the way of a happy reunion, many of them put in place by their English grandmother's prejudice against the Amish. The older woman, a scion of Philadelphia society, has decided that the Amish tricked her daughter into joining them and her daughter would be alive if she hadn't succumbed to their antiquated mode of living.
Read the rest of my review at All About Romance: http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/boo...
At first supportive of her efforts to find out who and where her sisters are, Lydia's husband Adam becomes more wary as his wife isn't content just to get the basic facts about them. Susanna, left with a limp after the accident, has worked with her mother in an Amish gift shop for years before the mother got cancer. Since the woman is dying and Susanna is her sole relative, Lydia decides the time isn't right to contact Susanna and tell her that she has sisters.
Contacting and speaking to Chloe, the youngest sister, however, becomes Lydia's priority. But since Lydia doesn't have contacts in the English world, she persuades Seth - who once left the Amish community and has since returned - to track her sister down, much to her husband Adam's chagrin. Adam is feeling jealous because Seth was once one of Lydia's suitors and also because Adam can't help her locate her sister while Seth can.
When Lydia contacts Chloe, many roadblocks stand in the way of a happy reunion, many of them put in place by their English grandmother's prejudice against the Amish. The older woman, a scion of Philadelphia society, has decided that the Amish tricked her daughter into joining them and her daughter would be alive if she hadn't succumbed to their antiquated mode of living.
Read the rest of my review at All About Romance: http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/boo...
December 24, 2016
This is one of the best Amish books I've read. You've got three extremely different sisters coming together and forging a relationship from nothing.
It is an interesting premise to see two sisters from opposing worlds love each other regardless of their differences. What made this book great was how well Perry constructed the characters. All were three dimensional and with faults. Lydia, the Amish oldest sister, is kind, sweet, nurturing, and maternal, the typical big sister. Amish women tend to be portrayed in this perfect light, which makes the story too unbelievable. Without giving too much away, Lydia did make questionable decisions along the way of getting to know her sister. Amish are human beings and they have the same problems and fears as the rest of us. I love seeing authors acknowledge that. Chloe is the youngest and is English. She has a temper and tends to be blunt, but she also has a heart of gold for those she loves. I feared that Chloe and Lydia would get together and after a brief hiccup everything would be settled and they would be the best of friends. Perry handled their conflict very well. Chloe had a hard time processing the Amish lifestyle, and I found that so relatable and realistic. Thir relationship definitely took some work from both sides.
Most of the reviewers seem to love Seth, so I know that I am in the minority. I found him to be overly pushy and judgemental. He was not empathetic towards Chloe and her views towards the Amish. He seemed to expect her to just embrace such a different lifestyle. I wanted Chloe to tell him to back-off. As a former Amish, I expected him to be more understanding. As a result, I disliked their budding romance.
All in all, this is a very entertaining read. If you love stories about the Amish, I recommend this.
It is an interesting premise to see two sisters from opposing worlds love each other regardless of their differences. What made this book great was how well Perry constructed the characters. All were three dimensional and with faults. Lydia, the Amish oldest sister, is kind, sweet, nurturing, and maternal, the typical big sister. Amish women tend to be portrayed in this perfect light, which makes the story too unbelievable. Without giving too much away, Lydia did make questionable decisions along the way of getting to know her sister. Amish are human beings and they have the same problems and fears as the rest of us. I love seeing authors acknowledge that. Chloe is the youngest and is English. She has a temper and tends to be blunt, but she also has a heart of gold for those she loves. I feared that Chloe and Lydia would get together and after a brief hiccup everything would be settled and they would be the best of friends. Perry handled their conflict very well. Chloe had a hard time processing the Amish lifestyle, and I found that so relatable and realistic. Thir relationship definitely took some work from both sides.
Most of the reviewers seem to love Seth, so I know that I am in the minority. I found him to be overly pushy and judgemental. He was not empathetic towards Chloe and her views towards the Amish. He seemed to expect her to just embrace such a different lifestyle. I wanted Chloe to tell him to back-off. As a former Amish, I expected him to be more understanding. As a result, I disliked their budding romance.
All in all, this is a very entertaining read. If you love stories about the Amish, I recommend this.
July 26, 2013
I am a HUGE fan of Marta Perry already, so when I got the chance to review this book for the ladies @ Book Binge, I was delighted. I have read many books by this author and am always pleased with her writing style and the fact that her characters always seem to draw you in like part of the family. Her stories are always so heartwarming, and have just the right amount of suspense to keep you engrossed.
Lydia's Hope is the first book in The Lost Sisters of Pleasant Valley series. It is the story of how one Amish woman's life is turned upside down after a secret is exposed, and the effects that this secret brings to her relationship with her husband, her family and even her community. It is about overcoming the shock of betrayal and finding the path back to redemption and understanding.
Lydia Beachy was involved in a tragic car accident when she was only five years old. This accident claimed the life of both her parents and robbed her of any memory of her life prior to it. She has been adopted and raised by her Aunt and Uncle, and it currently married to Adam and is raising a family of her own. One day her aunt accidentally mentions two sisters that Lydia has no idea of their existence. She is stunned by this discovery, and hurt that the entire Amish community could keep this knowledge from her. This is the tale her struggle to accept the idea of having siblings that she cannot remember, and of her quest to find them.
I totally enjoyed this book. I read it very quickly and can't wait to read the rest of the series. For inspirational Amish fiction, Marta Perry is a definite top pick.
Lydia's Hope is the first book in The Lost Sisters of Pleasant Valley series. It is the story of how one Amish woman's life is turned upside down after a secret is exposed, and the effects that this secret brings to her relationship with her husband, her family and even her community. It is about overcoming the shock of betrayal and finding the path back to redemption and understanding.
Lydia Beachy was involved in a tragic car accident when she was only five years old. This accident claimed the life of both her parents and robbed her of any memory of her life prior to it. She has been adopted and raised by her Aunt and Uncle, and it currently married to Adam and is raising a family of her own. One day her aunt accidentally mentions two sisters that Lydia has no idea of their existence. She is stunned by this discovery, and hurt that the entire Amish community could keep this knowledge from her. This is the tale her struggle to accept the idea of having siblings that she cannot remember, and of her quest to find them.
I totally enjoyed this book. I read it very quickly and can't wait to read the rest of the series. For inspirational Amish fiction, Marta Perry is a definite top pick.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews