The Redemption of Sarah Cain

by Beverly Lewis

Her future, and the lives of her young siblings, is in the hands of a fancy "Englischer" from Portland...Sarah Cain.

Lydia Cottrell, eldest of five Amish orphans, made a promise to her dying mother to "keep the family together." But soon she discovers that guardianship has been granted to a virtual stranger; a well-to-do aunt from Portland, Oregon, who cares little for Mamma's last wish. Lydia's struggle to keep the promise may cost her the loss of "the sweetest, kindest, and most handsome Plain boy in all of Lancaster County"—Levi King.

A thoroughly modern young woman, Sarah Cain had ridiculed her sister's choice of a Plain life-style, which served only to intensify the lifelong rift between them. Now, twelve years later, Sarah is stunned by news of her sister's death and baffled by Ivy's choice of a guardian. How can Sarah sacrifice her successful career and a life she enjoys to raise five Amish orphans? And what of Bryan Ford, the man in her life?

Upon her arrival in Lancaster County, Sarah holds a grief all her own; one very different from the suffering of her nieces and nephews. Can the sorrow that divides them ultimately unite the new family? Will Sarah discover that Lancaster County's Amish community is not only a simpler place, but also a healing place?

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

313 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2000

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Beverly Lewis, raised in Pennsylvania Amish country and both a schoolteacher and an accomplished musician, has been an award-winning author for over a dozen years. Her acclaimed novel, The Preacher's Daughter, was a 2006 Quill Book Award finalist in the romance category. Her books have appeared on numerous bestseller lists, including USA Today and The New York Times. She and her husband, David, live in Colorado."

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 3 out of 5]

About this book:

“A thoroughly modern woman, Sarah Cain had ridiculed her sister's choice of a Plain life-style, which served only to intensify the lifelong rift between them. Now, twelve years later, Sarah is stunned by news of her sister's death and baffled by Ivy's choice of a guardian. How can Sarah sacrifice her successful career and her life in Portland to raise five Amish orphans? And what of Bryan Ford, the man who loves her?
Upon her arrival in Lancaster County, Sarah holds a grief all her own--one very different from the suffering of her nieces and nephews. Can the sorrow that divides them ultimately unite them as a family? Will Sarah discover that Lancaster County's Amish community is not only a simpler place, but also a healing place?”


Series: No, but there is a movie based on this book with the same name.


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, remembered, read, & quoted; Prayers & Blessings over food; Sarah is witnessed to; Talks about God & peace; Most ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Some characters have strong faiths; Sarah gets offended at mentions of God and religion, *Spoiler* But near the end cries out to God *End of Spoiler*; Many mentions of God; Many mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of talking to God; Mentions of finding God; Mentions of Bible reading & those in the Bible; Mentions of churches, church going, preaching, & sermons; Mentions of Heaven; Mentions of sins;
*Note: A mention of Gandhi; A mention of a shrine.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘dumb’ and a form of ‘stupid’; Sarah mentions going to a club; Remembering lots of sister bickering; Mentions of a little girl’s death (up to semi-detailed); A few mentions of a farm accident & death (up to semi-detailed); A few mentions of a dead horse (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of drinking, alcohol, & a bar; A mention of tattoos & piercings; A mention of a possible cuss word.


Sexual Content- a forehead kiss & two semi-detailed kisses; Remembering a kiss (up to semi-detailed); Noticing, Closeness, & Embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of the old Amish courting custom called bundling (where the boy would be invited to the girl’s bedroom, and fully clothed they would spend times with her on the bed); Mentions of young people not engaging in sexual intimacy (before marriage) & instructions to stay pure for marriage; Mentions of being caught kissing; Mentions of flirting & charmers; Mentions of boyfriends, dating, courting, & getting married young; A few mentions of unmarried couples living together; Love, being in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A mention of lingerie.

-Sarah Cain, age 28
-Lydia Cottrell, age 16
P.O.V. switches between them (with the Prologue & Epilogue in Lydia’s 1st person POV)
313 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Two Stars (and a half)
This seemed very different from the past Beverly Lewis Amish books I’ve read. I personally thought that since this was an older book of hers that her writing has improved tremendously since this book was published. The typical reader probably will not like Sarah Cain for the first 150 pages or so because she comes across as selfish and materialistic…we do get to see her character development though! It’s been a long while since I saw the movie version of this book, so I don’t remember about differences or such. I liked the ending of this novel, though, it did seem a bit quick; the epilogue was great and my favorite part. ;)


Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book intrigued me because of the movie trailer. If I know that a movie is based on a book, I have to read the book before watching the movie. I haven't watched the movie yet but I'm actually hoping it's different.

I thought the character development was decent over the first half of the story but couldn't understand why Sarah changed her mind and attitude so quickly about Christianity and the Plain culture. It seemed unrealistic that she would go from materialistic and unbelieving to, well... the conclusion of the story... in less than two weeks. It doesn't make sense for anyone to change their deeply held beliefs that fast.

Also, nothing really happened in the story. It is entirely character driven and, as I mentioned, I thought the character development wasn't entirely believable. So, the story fell flat.

Hopefully the movie is better.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading ‘The Redemption of Sarah Cain’. I have not
yet seen the movie and I haven't been able to find the original book,
as this is the movie edition of the book. I do look forward to reading
the other version of the book as well as watching the movie to
compare. Beverly Lewis is one of my favorite authors of the Amish
genre and the story didn't disappoint. Most of the books I read are
about the Old Order Amish so I was rather surprised that this one is
about the New Order Amish and to learn some of the differences,
include having telephones and other basic electric amenities. All of
that aside, the thing that stands out to me in this book is the
message of forgiveness through Christ and the importance of His
salvation.

In this book we meet Sarah Cain, a rich real estate agent who is very
caught up in a material way of life, which contrasts with her five
orphaned nieces and nephews who have been raised in a Plain Amish
community. Sarah remembers her sister as being cold hearted and
cruel. She doesn't realize the change that has taken place in Ivy's
heart, because while her sister was alive she wouldn't give her sister
a chance to prove she had changed. And Ivy had surely changed, from
the inside out. When Ivy leaves Sarah as the children's caregiver,
she is stunned and put off. To be honest, Sarah is selfish and she
doesn't want her lifestyle threatened. Yet, she finds herself in the
heart of Amish country, if for nothing else, to find a home for her
sisters children so that she can go on with her life. I won't
completely ruin the story for those that haven't yet read but, as the
title suggests, Sarah will find her redemption. Whether this means she
will become Amish and give up her fancy life, well I'll leave that up
to the readers to find out for themselves!

**On a side note, a lot of folks down rate this novel for the very
Christian themes and opinions. To those, I have to say, if you dislike
Christian themes and the Bible, this book and author is not for you.
She is a Christian writer; her books are published by a Christian
publishing company. The Amish are a very religious people with a
strict lifestyle that allows very little straying from the fold. It
would serve well to keep those facts in mind before picking up any
Amish fiction.

[Ilka · Rating 1 out of 5]

I totally did not enjoy this book. I don't want to give any spoilers so I won't go into detail about the plot. I didn't like the main character, Sarah Cain. I didn't like the plot. I hated that it wasn't until the epilogue. That's page 300 people is where the main character decides to do her redeeming. Ummm...call me silly but isn't the book called the redemption of Sarah Cain. Why the heck did it take her to the end of the novel for her to find her redemption!!!! I was so frustrated about this. I only finished the book because I was waiting for the redemption that came in the end of the book.

[Andrea Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just as charming as the movie, though they were each their own story. Oh, the core of the book, the heart of it, is definitely present in the movie. Some key things were altered, though. But I love each for its own merit.

I adored the kids. Yep, they were awesome and kept me invested from page one through to the end.

The contrast between Amish and English was great, and it was especially fun to see Aunt Sarah on the journey of discovery through grief and regret as she was learning about the Amish way of life.

The fact that family responsibilities took on a huge role in this story made my heart sing. So many times in fiction, the leads seem completely irresponsible and only choose it because they have to. That might have started out the case here, but it quickly morphed into something indelibly sweet.

Emotions played another huge role in this story. I loved how charming it was even as the kids struggled through grief and Aunt Sarah joined them in searching for heart healing. The weight of emotion was well handled, and more than once my heart pinched right along with one of the characters’.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose this to complete the "Read a book about a religion not your own" in the Book Challenge. So, all right, Amish is still Christian as I am. But like my religion, the two live in such ways that distinctly separate us from other Christian religions. In my religion's case, that's only one thing that separates us, though! And from this book, I really didn't get too many details on specific beliefs of the Amish. Just that they believe in the Bible, and prayer, and the Holy Ghost. Nothing foreign to me. Now I knew when picking a book, I should have gone with one that was much more different than my own. Yet I've been needing to read something in the Christian Lit genre for some time, and having lived near Amish communities throughout my life I had always been intrigued to see how they were portrayed in literature. I really didn't gain much more from this book than I already knew.

Well, after deciding a religion that I wouldn't mind reading about during this reading rush that I've been in--plus I wanted it to be an audio book since I didn't have any at the time--I then went about choosing from one of Beverly Lewis' books, knowing that I'd be safe with a clean book. But I didn't want to get involved in any series or trilogies. And then I saw the title of the book which movie adaptation I had seen within the last year. The movie hadn't been bad, so I figured I'd give the book a try.

I have to say--I enjoyed the movie more. And the two were very, very different. I think I preferred the movie because it was more realistic in some ways. But then I preferred the book because you got to know the children so much better. It was a seesaw of which I preferred as I listened. Yet I never really got into the book. Especially as confused as I was that it wasn't going anywhere close to where the movie had gone. Plus, everything was too neat and cheesy. And the minute romance parts were still enough to make me roll my eyes.

Of course, while listening to it, I was reminded of all the LDS Lit I'd read growing up, and how there were definite similarities in some things. So probably I would have enjoyed this book when I was 11. But now, not so much. Definitely one I would have stopped reading if I were not so lazy to not want to have to pick a different book. I also did not enjoy the narrator. While she didn't detract from the story, she didn't add to it either. And some of the ways she pronounced words--especially charaters' names.

And one last little beef about the book--considering what I've been going through in my life lately, there was one thing that made this book especially hard to bear. I'm glad it's over with. When my reading rush dies down, perhaps I'll take up Meredith's recommendation of "Confessions of a Closet Catholic" to "replace" this one.

[Keri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I prevoiusly saw The Redemption of Sarah Cain as a movie on Lifetime and thought it was really cute. I picked up the book and decided to give it a try and ended up being really disappointed. In a rare occassion, I found the movie to be better than the book it was influenced by.

The Redemption of Sarah Cain tells the story Sarah Cain, an "Englicsher," and her five Amish nieces and nephews she is forced to look after. I expected the book to be more like the movie, but it was completely different. Instead of the children experiencing the modern world, Sarah lives at the farm and experiences the Amish way of life.

The writing was boring and the characters were very annoying. There was not one likeable character. Lydia, the main character throughout much of the novel, was just so whiny and always expected others to see things her way. Sarah was no better, always being serious and stern. The flaws in the characters did not help the reader emphathize with them in any way. They simpply annoyed the reader. Also, I understand this is a contemporary Christian novel, but I found it extremely preachy. In my opinion, the message was lost because I simply became bored by the constant preaching and praying the characters engaged in.

Being a fan of the movie and always looking for a glimpse into the fascinating world of the Amish (being a nearby resident of Amish Country), this book was a huge disappointment.

[Madilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book not knowing what I was going to think of it. I was afraid it would end up being slow or dull, but I had no reason to worry! This is the first Beverly Lewis book that I've actually read (I've listened to 2 others on audiobook). I enjoyed so much more than I would have ever thought possible! I could hardly bear to it down to do things like school and eating. XD
I love Beverly Lewis' works so much, they make you think about life in ways you haven't before. This story had such a deep meaning and I loved it.
I'd recommend this to pretty much any girl 13 and up. I'm not sure that guys would like it as much since it's based from Sarah and Lyddie's point of view.
I really want to see the movie now, and I'll hopefully be getting it within the week. :)

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has been a long time since I read this book. I do not recommend it.
The entire plot was made of fluff. Absolutely nothing delved deep. Lewis skimmed along the surface for all of the characters. Each character, especially Sarah, felt flat and ill-developed. For a book with the title of "The Redemption of Sarah Cain," the narrative devoted little time to the title event. Everything worked out perfectly, of course.
This book went immediately into the donate pile.

[Samantha McNulty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Redemption of Sarah Cain is one of the best books I've read in recent weeks. The storyline is simple, yet portrayed in such a way that you feel the book holds a much deeper meaning.
Beverly Lewis shows great compassion over feelings, and I love how she intertwines her heritage into her writing.
Iwill definetly read more of her books.

[Harisa- EsquiredToRead · Rating 2 out of 5]

This seemed to end very abruptly and it was very short. This didn't really seem like much of a novel when it comes to things that actually happened, and everything that did happened was just kind of quickly tied up then THE END EVERYTHING IS PERFECT. Weird. Could've been a lot stronger given the subject matter.

[Kelli Santistevan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here’s what this book is about:”Sarah Cain is a strictly modern woman living in Oregon and developing a burgeoning career in real estate. Her sister, Ivy, left to pursue a "Plain" life in Amish country 12 years ago. But when Ivy dies, Sarah is shocked to learn that she has been appointed guardian of her sister's five children. Lydia, the eldest, senses major difficulties for the new family. Neither she nor Sarah are truly prepared for the drastic changes they will have to make in order to honor Ivy's last wish.”

I own a physical copy of this book but I decided to listen to it on audio. I liked the narrator and I liked this book. I found it to be heartwarming and I liked that it’s a Christian book.

[Kristen Hungness Hedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of Beverly Lewis. It would be hard for me to say I didn't like one of her books. The way she writes about the Amish community always has me picturing a beautiful serene life. One I want to be a part of. This book is beautifully written about a sister who is an Englisher, Sarah, and another sister, Ivy, who joined the Amish community. After Ivy dies, Sarah is put in the position to decide what to do with her nieces and nephews. It is a beautiful ending and one that touched my heart.

[Jaina Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

All right, I just finished this book, so I probably shouldn't be writing a review before I have time to absorb it. But there are some things I want to say before I forget, so I'm doing it anyway!

I picked this book up because I've read Beverly Lewis' Shunning trilogy (and seen the movies), which I enjoyed more. I enjoy amish literature. And (OK, this is the real reason) I saw the trailer for the movie. Only later did I realize the book and the movie are two very different things, and I still think the movie looks really good even if the book didn't really reach my standards. Taking the kids away from Amish-country would have been very interesting.

So, Sarah's estranged sister dies, leaving all five of her Amish children to Sarah - who's single, bitter, and very un-Amish. Not to mention that whole horrible even she feels really guilty about, which is sort of pushed around a lot. Sarah is at first disgusted at her sister for pushing this on her, but she eventually finds time in her busy schedule to fly down to Amish country, meet the kids, and get things figured out. Blah, blah, blah, I'm going to stop summarizing now and assume you can google this on your own.

This was an okay book, but I have to say my major problem with it was probably more about the religious part than anything. I am a Christian, 100%. My problem is not that there is religion, but that some of the points that seem to be made are kind of weird. Like, the Amish kids are under the impression that going out into the "english" world is the end of the world, there is nothing good about it, and it can only mean bad things. Yes, Sarah is not a believer at that point, which probably affects these feelings, but us believers out in the - I suppose "real world" isn't the right term, but I can't think of what to call it - are not entirely evil. Maybe the Amish are a little too judgmental, hmm? Speaking of, Lyddie (the eldest Amish girl, who takes care of her siblings and runs the house after her mother's death) is almost appalled at her aunt's love for shopping and number of different (fancy, in their opinion) outfits. She finds it a symbol of her un-Amishness and worldliness. Not to say that shopping cannot become a sin if held above God, but there is NOTHING in the Bible saying a woman can't enjoy buying new clothes, or that she has to wear the same three outfits her entire life. And when Sarah starts to struggle internally with everything going on, she finds herself not drawn to her new outfits anymore. Guys? Do all Christians really take no joy in shopping? I most definitely do not, but I have friends who do.

And then I have one more bone to pick: Can't the children just move to Sarah's home? Moving sucks. I know that really, really well. I've moved many times, and I'm still a teenager. It hurts. But (as I said earlier) there is nothing sinful about having more stuff or owning a dryer. And there are so many more ways to spread the Gospel out here than in the small communities.

Now, I did enjoy reading it. But I had enough bones to pick to make a chicken, and I didn't necessarily enjoy that. The resolution was not the one I was hoping for, and I feel bad for a certain someone, to think that is the way to go. But that's just me.

[Sally Lindsay-briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will make a lovely Christmas gift to pass on to a good friend. It was a story of Sarah (love the name) who has no friends, no boyfriend and is immeshed in her business world. Her sister Ivy dies leaving her five children in Sarah's care. There is a rich dialogue of Ivy's conversion to God and her Amish change in life. Sarah does not want to care for children but with prayer, love and her sister's diaries, many facets work for good. I loved the children in this novel, and their realism. There is much to warm the heart. The ending felt a little rushed but it was all good.

[Dee Toomey · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was a good one until the ending. I felt like the author was in a hurry to find a solution to the conflicts making the ending "flat" and unsatisfying for me. You may very well love the story, and even the ending. I am not saying do not read this book. I am just saying the way I felt about the book.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoy fictional books about the Amish.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book before and still enjoyed it now!

[Dorothy Caimano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story of personal growth.

[The Unwanted Book Club · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not going to lie, I skimmed through a lot of this book halfway through. It was very repetitive, very one note, and I thought the characters were all extremely unlikeable. The main character went through a tough time, it's never expanded upon. The second eldest daughter is traumatized and exhibiting schizophrenic behavior, it's never expanded upon. Typical Christian story where the whole point is for the mc to convert for absolutely NO reason, except that she's finally able to unload five kids on an Amish women who, a mere couple of chapters before, firmly refused EVERYONE'S request because she was 'close' to Sarah's sister and made her promise her kids would stay together...
NOTHING and I mean NOTHING makes sense in this stupid book. I don't know how it got made into a movie, but the reboot that film gave this book must've been it's ONLY saving grace (no pun intended) because I seriously don't understand how nobody could pick up on the number threads left unwound and frayed to just be discarded. A more abominable use of plot devices and last minute "because-it's-so" only reminds me of movies that do things just because it's "in the script" when it contributes nothing to the story.
As far as the unlikeable characters, this isn't the first Beverly Lewis novel I've found that problem. I've struggled to like her writing, even though her stories are SO close to being original. Movies do the books a favor. I might finish reading the Shunning series, but only because I'm invested in the movie. If I'd read the book first, I would've neither seen it nor cared.
This woman might do a success to the christian amish writers too afraid to leave their comfort zone for fear of angering God with sinful behavior and any message other than evangelism, but the thing is- WE GOT THE MESSAGE! CENTURIES AGO! Your only audience are those same christians with little to no imagination and fear for digging too deep into a story because they'd rather keep God at arm's length rather than asking the most IMPORTANT QUESTION a writer or a true child of God could ever ask- why?

[Martin Meek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book intrigued me, because of the lifetime movie based upon it. I picked it up because I had seen the movie years ago. And I had read a couple of Beverly Lewis's books. This one has been sitting on my TBR for years. After seeing a couple of movies based on books and seeing how the books were better I decided to read this one.
Her future, her life and the lives of her young siblings, is in the hands of a fancy "Englischer" from Portland Oregon...Sarah Cain. A mysterious aunt the children have only heard about from their beautiful mother. Who is this mystery Woman?
Sarah Cain is a modern woman who ends up with custody of her Amish sisters children. After She and Husband passed away. The oldest of the children promised there momma to keep her and her siblings together at all costs.
Sarah is not ready to be a mother. She does everything wrong in the beginning. But can God help her with honoring her commitment. You'll have to read on to find out the whole story. I found this entertaining and uplifting. Love the uplifting tone spread through out this well crafted novel. I rated it four out of five stars. I thought the ending was a little rushed. It's not my first book by Beverly Lewis's and it will not be my last.

[Kelly-Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just okay. I read this as a buddy read so it's not the type of story I would normally pick up, but still, I was hoping it would be better than it was. The author told the story at a snail's pace, and Sarah came off as cardboard. Then, even though the author teased that there may be some intrigue Sarah observed Levi and Lydia together and had suspicions that Levi was more "experienced" than he was letting on and might NOT be a virtuous suitor for Lydia after all. I thought that this might develop into a side story and introduce a plot twist and a more interesting story line for Lydia. Wrong. The author never went anywhere with it; she just dropped it altogether. Why even bring it up then, if you are not going to follow up on it? , everything is predictable and at the end, is tied up with the tidiest little bow you ever did see.

[Bo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. It didn't grab me. The story itself, I thought was a bit unrealistic.

I felt the portrayal of the Amish was idealistic, both in the spiritual realm as well as the physical/practical realm. e.g. none of the Amish have glasses, because they eat so healthily.

Additionally, I felt their were inconsistencises and loose ends. e.g. this Amish family has electricity, and when Sarah (non-Amish) comes to stay, she checks email on her computer. Electricity does not necessarily equate with internet. Also, her sister, who has treated her poorly growing up, but as an adult becomes a Christian and becomes Amish, while she writes her letters, never makes a verbal or written apology to her for the way she treated her. Just didn't really add up to me.

(This book bears very little resemblance to the movie based on it.)

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Redemption of Sarah Cain is the first book that I've read by Beverly Lewis. I am a fan of Wanda Brunstetter books, so my mother thought I would like to read this one. I did not like the main character, Sarah Cain, from the beginning. Her world of working to get more clothes, cars and furniture only for herself was not attractive to me. I felt sorry for the man who loved her and her Amish nieces and nephews whose mother named Sarah guardian when she died.
As the story progressed and I learned more of Sarah's background I hoped that she would have a change of heart. However, I felt more connected with Lydia and Bryan than I did with her throughout the telling.

[Jasmine Shadows · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay confession. I saw the movie before I read the book, very unusual for me. Usually I always prefer the book over the movie. This book however is an exception. Just a little side note, if you have seen the movie and plan to read the book most of the content is quite different. I did not enjoy the book, and part of this could be that I am not of the norm. I actually do not like much of what I have read by this author. I have only read a few, and I hope to pick up a few more and give them a try. She is popular among many that I know. However, at this point I am not really impressed. I know that among the reviews I am definitely in the minority.

[Gayle · Rating 1 out of 5]

A disappointing book on a few levels. Character development is average. The plot is average, but at times drags to the point of being insulting. I wonder if Lewis wanted to quit writing the story, the ending seemed so abrupt. I found it exasperating to see Sarah’s vanity and self-centeredness a constant for most of the book only to find it vanish in a few last pages. At times I felt this book was written at the 3rd grade level. I won’t read another book by Lewis.

I’d like to find the movie version. I hear it’s quite different. The musical score is gorgeous. Maybe there will be some redemption for this story in the film version.

[Lola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sarah Cain is listed as the guardian when her sister's will is read.
A one time school teacher, Sara avoids children after the accident
of one of her students which led to death. There's an uproar among
the parents of the students & Sara leaves her profession.
Sarah has no church or no faith. Her sister was devout as are her
children who Sara has been appointed to raise.
Sara sets out to find a family who will take the children but the
chances are slim since there are five kids & their mother wanted them
to be allowed to stay together.

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had never read a book by Lewis but today one was available on my Overdrive app and I downloaded it an listened to it while I finished a quilt.top. By the time I finished the quilt I had finished the book. I will have to say it was written well and I enjoyed the Amish accent the narrator used. As I was listening, I liked the way Lewis wove Christian beliefs throughout the story. I enjoyed a break from reading Best Dealers and will definitely listen to another one...just saw that Lewis has written 156 books!!!!!!!

[Pam A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read. Good depiction of Amish culture (or Mennonite or Brethern). The parts that I really liked were perspectives on sibling relationships from childhood through adulthood, same with parent/child relationships. So I read this book literally but also on another level as some of the themes may have intertwined in my own life (I love reading books on two levels simultaneously). As other reviewers have mentioned, there was a seemingly too quick jump from diva to devout; however this was woven into the story in a somewhat realistic way.

[Courtney Erskine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The reason I read this was because it was suggested by a friend. I was a bit hesitant because I wasn't a Beverly Lewis fan to begin with. I've tried other books by her, and found them just as boring as this one.

I think Beverly just isn't my type of author/writer. I like different types of books, different characters. Or maybe it's just how it was written, as I said. Which is unfortunate. Since I tried so much to like it.