The Gist:
Rose has always felt secure in
life. As a young, Amish, woman
growing up in the times of World War II, she was devoted to her faith, family,
and Jonathan, the man she loved and was hoping to marry. However, when Jonathan chooses to
volunteer to go into the Army, Rose, egged on by her bishop and other members
of the community, decides that he is not the man meant for her, and goes about
trying to forget him.
When the war is
over, and Jonathan returns home, Rose sticks to her convictions and refuses to
have anything to do with him, but when an unexpected secret about Rose’s past
is uncovered, he might just be the only person that she wants to turn to.
What I thought:
This was a wonderful quick
read, and my first experience with Miss Goyer. I have recently become a fan of novels depicting Amish life,
and it was interesting to me, reading a book that was not set in present day,
yet noting the similarities in the way that the Amish people still live their
lives. This story held a lot of
emotions, love, and forgiveness, making it an ideal read for the Christmas
season.
I was
particularly affected by the struggle that Rose endured between listening to
her heart and taking to heart the thoughts of people outside of her
relationship. I thought that Miss
Goyer handled the situation beautifully by having Rose give the outside voices
power in her life- like most people have done- and then showing her through a
twist in the plot, that there are more important things than the opinions of
others.
My only critique
of this book is that I wish that it could have been a little longer. I felt like as soon as I developed a
kinship with Rose, the book was almost over. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good, clean
story that will take them to a simple time where the only things that mattered
were faith, love, and family.
