The Atonement by Beverly Lewis Book Review

 

The mistakes of the past haunt Lucy Flaud, who years ago stopped attending the activities for courting-age young people in her hometown of Bird-in-Hand. Now twenty-five and solidly past the age of Amish courtship, Lucy has given up any hope of marriage, instead focusing her efforts on volunteering in both the Plain and fancy communities of Lancaster County. Yet no matter how hard Lucy strives, she feels uncertain that she'll ever find redemption.

Dale Wyeth has a deep mistrust of modern-day "advances" and the dependency they create. The young Englisher's interest in living off the grid is fueled further when he meets Christian Flaud, Lucy's father. Dale appreciates the self-sufficient ways of the Old Order Amish, and Christian invites him to learn more about them by staying at the family farm.

As Christian and Dale grow closer, developing a father-son rapport, Lucy begins to question what Dale's being there might mean for her. Could God be testing her? Or is it possible that even the most unworthy heart and mdash;and two people from very different walks of life and mdash;can somehow find a new beginning?

My Thoughts:

I love Beverly Lewis’s books and have read all of her books. This one was very slow and I had to force myself to keep reading. It just took forever to find out what was driving Lucy to do what she was doing. I kind of figured out what must have happened. It was over half of the book until the story started really flowing and the pace picked up some.

As always Beverly Lewis makes you love the character and the plot. All the depth of the characters is brought out. She just makes you feel like you know the characters within the pages. That’s what I love about her stories.

I wouldn’t say that I disliked the story. I loved the content and characters. I still felt the depth of each character. The story showed a beautiful example of forgiving yourself and others and letting God work in your heart during hard times.

It was hard getting over the endless chapters of fluff. I wanted more of Lucy and Tobe. I loved the bridge and the story around it. I loved when Tobe and Lucy met on the bridge towards the end. The reason why Lucy’s father attended the grief class was so unexpected and yet so touching.

This wasn’t my favorite book by Beverly Lewis. As always I look forward to her next book.

Bethany House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. In no way was I asked to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.