This is the third book in the An Amish Beginnings
Series. The series focuses on the early
Amish and the hardships they faced in their new and wild country in what we now
call Pennsylvania. This particular book
begins in 1762. Many of the characters
are carried over from the other two books.
The author includes a list of characters and their relationships at the
front of the book that was very helpful.
The story begins with a love triangle. Tessa and Betsy both
love Hans, but Hans only has eyes for Betsy.
Unfortunately, Betsy and her brother are taken captive by a tribe of
Indians after her parents were brutally killed.
As the story unfolds we learn more of the details. The author does a
good job of conveying the horrible brutality without being overly gruesome.
While the Amish community live a pacifist life, the
neighboring Mennonite community does not.
One man stirs the emotions of many and encourages revenge. So, while Betsy and her brother are battling
with coming to terms with their situation, their friends and families are
battling amongst themselves.
This is from the publisher's website:
"In a wild country, the true cost of love may be more than they can bear
Beautiful and winsome, Betsy Zook never questioned her family's rigid expectations, nor those of devoted Hans--but then she never had to. Not until the night she's taken captive in a surprise Indian raid. Facing brutality and hardship, Betsy finds herself torn between her pious upbringing and the feelings she's developing for a native man who encourages her to see God in all circumstances.
Greatly anguished by Betsy's captivity, Hans turns to Tessa Bauer for comfort. She responds eagerly, overlooking troubling signs of Hans's hunger for revenge. But if Betsy is ever restored to the Amish, will things between Hans and Tessa have gone too far?
Inspired by true events, this deeply layered novel gives a glimpse into the tumultuous days of prerevolutionary Pennsylvania through the eyes of two young, determined, and faith-filled women."
This is a story filled with emotion, suspense, danger,
sorrow, love and hope. Through it all, the
faith of the characters holds them and carries them through some seemingly
impossible situations.
The author does a great job acquainting us with the customs
and lifestyles of the early Amish, Mennonites and Native Americans.
I wish the author had included a map, showing the
communities, towns and Indian settlements and camps. That would have been helpful.
I received a
complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books and Baker Publishing Group
through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive
review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in
accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides
Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
