The Fiddler - Beverly Lewis

Amelia Devries is an extremely talented classical violinist whose life has been planned for her from the time she was very little.  Unbeknownst to her family and manager, she also plays a few concerts as Amy Lee, a talented fiddle player.  Driving back from one such concert, she gets caught in a rainstorm and ends up completely lost with a flat tire.  She comes across a cabin and meets Michael Hostetler, a young Amishman with struggles of his own.  Michael comes from an Old Order community and struggles with the idea of pleasing his family  by taking his kneeling vow, and his love of learning, something that is forbidden.  Amelia accepts his invitation to come back with him to Hickory Hollow and immediately falls in love with the peace the small community with a simple life brings.  With both feeling the pull of duty to honor their parents expectations yet the desire to follow their own heart, will Michael & Amelia be able to find lasting contentment and peace?

I am a huge fan of Beverly Lewis and jumped at the chance to read this novel.  I was very excited to see that we were returning to Hickory Hollow, the setting of her first novel The Shunning. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.  The characters of Amelia & Michael were so well written.  Their individual struggles with the choices that they each had to make were heart wrenching at points.  Neither wanted to disappoint their fathers, but both felt a strong pull to be true to who they felt called to be.   I loved seeing Ella Mae, the wise woman again.  Her conversations with Amelia about that the only person she should try to please is God so stuck out in my head.  Too often in life we are so consumed with pleasing those around us that we forget there is only One who matters.   I cannot wait until September, when the second book in this series , The Bridesmaid, comes out!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group