The River by Beverly Lewis ~ An Amish Fiction Review

The River

Beverly Lewis

Contemporary Fiction / Amish

She looked once more at the dreaded river. Since Anna's death,

it had been such a barrier . . . a place and a moment

she could not seem to move past. . .

The River

Tilly and Ruth, two formerly Amish sisters, are plagued by unresolved relationships when they reluctantly return to Lancaster County for their parents' landmark wedding anniversary. Since departing their Plain upbringing, Tilly has married an Englisher, but Ruth remains single and hasn't entirely forgotten her failed courtship with her Amish beau.

Past meets present as Tilly and Ruth yearn for acceptance and redemption. Can they face the future in the light of a past they can't undo?

My Thoughts
It is the fall of 1977 and Tilly finds herself contemplating going back to a place she thought she had left behind forever. Years ago she left her family's Amish farm in Eden Valley and expected to never return. But a letter from her older brother requesting that she visit has weakened that resolve.
Tilly's sister Ruth followed Tilly out of the Amish lifestyle and is settled nicely in the Englisher community near Tilly's family. She's hesitant to go back for a visit as well, but not for the same reasons. Can the two sisters go back home for a visit without tearing open old wounds?
Family ties go deep in the Amish community. Lester and Sylvia Lantz have spent their days raising a godly family that they assumed would carry on the family's Amish faith. When first Tilly and then Ruth leaves their home to seek a life outside of the community it deeply affects the entire family. Can old hurts ever be healed? Can things be brought to light that will free everyone from the burdens they have been carrying?
Beverly Lewis has once again penned a beautiful story of a broken family in need of healing. She reminds us that love does heal and forgiveness frees both parties. The story of the Lantz family in Eden Valley is fresh and new even though this author has written numerous accounts of Amish fiction. The story has a familiar setting, but the characters are unique. The situation is as old as time itself.
I think you will be blessed and uplifted by reading this account of a flawed family in need of grace. I always enjoy a journey into the world that Beverly has created for her readers.
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