The Guardian by Beverly Lewis Book Review

 
ABOUT THE BOOK

When schoolteacher Jodi Winfield goes for a morning run, the last thing she expects is to find a disheveled little girl all alone on the side of the Pennsylvania road, clad only in her undergarments, her chubby cheeks streaked with tears. Jodi takes the preschooler home with her, intending to find out where she belongs. But Jodi is mystified when no one seems to know of a missing child, and the girl herself is no help, since she can’t speak a word of English. It’s as if the child appeared out of nowhere.

As the days pass, Jodi becomes increasingly attached to the mysterious girl, yet she is no closer to learning her identity. Then an unexpected opportunity brings Jodi to Hickory Hollow–and into the cloistered world of the Lancaster Old Order Amish. Might the answers lie there?

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Beverly’s first venture into adult fiction is the best-selling trilogy, The Heritage of Lancaster County, including The Shunning, a suspenseful saga of Katie Lapp, a young Amish woman drawn to the modern world by secrets from her past. The book is loosely based on the author’s maternal grandmother, Ada Ranck Buchwalter, who left her Old Order Mennonite upbringing to marry a Bible College student. One Amish-country newspaper claimed Beverly’s work to be “a primer on Lancaster County folklore” and offers “an insider’s view of Amish life.”

Booksellers across the country, and around the world, have spread the word of Beverly’s tender tales of Plain country life. A clerk in a Virginia bookstore wrote, “Beverly’s books have a compelling freshness and spark. You just don’t run across writing like that every day. I hope she’ll keep writing stories about the Plain people for a long, long time.”

A member of the National League of American Pen Women, as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of Evangel University, Lewis has written over 80 books for children, youth, and adults, many of them award-winning. She and her husband, David, make their home in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking, biking, and spending time with their family. They are also avid musicians and fiction “book worms.”

My thoughts: 

This is the fourth installment of the Home to Hickory Hollow series which comes out this fall, “The Secret Keeper”.  You do not need to read the previous two books in the series; you will be able to jump right into this story without reading the other books in the series. 

Beverly Lewis has always been one of my favorite Amish writers. She knows how to capture your imagination and trows you into the plot. This story will inspire you in your faith as you see the characters deal with real life situations that anyone can struggle with.

I enjoyed Maryanna Esh’s character and her daughter Sarah. Sarah had a lot of spunk and personality. She was heartwarming from the start of the story.

Jodi Winfield is grieving over the loss of her sister. She has walked away from the Lord. Her fiancé wants children after they marry but that is not what they agreed upon when they first got engaged.  Now Jody struggles with how that will affect their relationship.

Jodi and Maryanna find companionship with one another and learn to let go of the past so they can move forward and let God guide their lives.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I do most of Lewis's books. Although this book wasn't my favorite of Lewis' books, it was still a good book. The only downfall of this book is the ending of the book it seemed like it wasn’t complete and it ended too quickly without filling in certain aspects of the story. Other than that, the book  I would certainly recommend it to others.

This book has been provided to me my by Bethany House Publisher free of charge and in no way was I asked to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.