The Secret By Beverly Lewis Book Review

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S e a s o n s    o f    G r a c e   B o o k  #  1 

 

B y   B e v e r l y   L e w i s

{ R e v i e w   B y   M a d i }
 
Title: The Secret
Author: Beverly Lewis
Source: Purchased From Local Bookstore
Number Of Pages: 364
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0571-2
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication Date: 2009
My Rating: 5 Out Of 5 Stars

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"In the seemingly ordinary Amish home of Grace Byler, secrets abound. Why does her mother weep in the night? Why does her father refuse to admit something is dreadfully wrong? Then, in one startling moment, everything Grace assumed she knew is shattered. Her mother's disappearance leaves Grace reeling and unable to keep her betrothal promise to her long-time beau. Left to pick up the pieces of her life, Grace questions all she has been taught about love, family, and commitment.
Heather Nelson is an English grad student, stunned by a doctor's diagnosis. Surely fate would not allow her father to lose his only daughter after the death of his wife a few years before. In denial and telling no one she is terminally ill, Heather travels to Lancaster County--the last place she and her mother had visited together. Will Heather find healing for body and spirit?

As the lives of four wounded souls begin to weave together like an Amish patchwork quilt, they each discover missing pieces of their life puzzles--and glimpse the merciful and loving hand of God."

 

 

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Beverly Lewis is one of my favorite "go-to" authors. If I'm on a "bad book" streak and I just can't seem to get into any of the stories that I'm reading, I always scan my shelves for one of Beverly's titles. They never fail to draw me in (drag me really), take my heart through the wringer, then leave me feeling like I lost a dear friend after a I finish the book a few short hours later. I have yet to find one of Beverly Lewis's books that I did not thoroughly enjoy, and I have read several. I actually must sheepishly admit that I have an entire shelf in my bookcase dedicated to her books. I highly recommend this author. Doesn't matter which book, just get one. I promise, you won't regret it. She will have you oblivious to the world in a Mississippi-Minute.

  

The way Beverly crafted this story was marvelous. The plot was original, the characters seemed real, and the story-line was perfection. She described everything in such believable detail that I felt like I was right there with Grace and her family through their struggle. This one definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. 

 

Grace Byler has noticed that her mother has been acting mighty strange lately, and she didn't know what to do about it. Her mother is drawing further and further away from her family, when suddenly, she's gone. Grace finds a note on her dresser one morning and opens it to find a farewell from her mother. She runs down the dirt lane and sees her mother entering a van, and despite her screams for her to remain where she belongs with her family, she is out of her life indefinitely. Way to put a damper on her engagement (as of the night before). Grace and her family look for her mother to no avail. None of their neighbors or family has seen her, and they just have to accept her departure and face the community of close knit Amish people with all the grace that they can muster.

  

This trial it pushing Grace to her breaking point. She is torn between love for her mother and not wanting to become bitter towards her and wondering why she would see fit to leave her family. Between working at the local general store, the extra chores at home left to her by her mother, her father's lack of participation in family affairs, and her sisters depression, Grace doesn't even know what to do anymore. Maybe she should just postpone her wedding . . . She could wait for the next wedding season. Her wedding wasn't set to happen for seven months, but she wanted to make sure she had it after her mothers return.

 

Like all of Beverly's novels, I highly recommend this one. It's a tear jerker for sure, and it is never inappropriate in any way. If you like clean, mysterious Amish Fiction, then you would love this series! Or any of this authors books for that matter. She mainly rights Amish Fiction. I hope that you found this review helpful, and if you know of and authors like Beverly, please share! 

 

 ~ T h e    L i t e r a r y    M a i d e n s