The lives and love of Philip Bradley and Rachel Yoder captivate readers again in this 3-in-1 edition of the popular series featuring The Postcard, The Crossroad, and Sanctuary.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Beverly Lewis, raised in Pennsylvania Amish country and both a schoolteacher and an accomplished musician, has been an award-winning author for over a dozen years. Her acclaimed novel, The Preacher's Daughter, was a 2006 Quill Book Award finalist in the romance category. Her books have appeared on numerous bestseller lists, including USA Today and The New York Times. She and her husband, David, live in Colorado."
I loved the first two in the series and was thrown when the third book included didn't follow the series. The third book was really different from the first two which made it hard for me to enjoy as much as I did the The Postcard and The Crossroad.
Well written and, from what I can discern, true and on point. I even spoke with an Amish man regarding some thoughts I had in the book. The author did a good job representing the culture.
The 3rd book in the series, “Sanctuary” was the very best, presenting the unexpected and my attention throughout. Truly one of the best Amish books I’ve read in awhile.
This book is three novels about Amish (well, not necessarily Amish, but "Plain" people) and "fancy" (not Plain) people. I finished the first two books, and enjoyed them. The story was about a plain lady that lost her husband and son (and unborn baby) when her family's wagon was hit by a car (she had gotten out). The mystery in those books was a bit predictable, but good. I was confused because so many of the names were the same as the last series I read (Annie's People), but it wasn't about the same people. Also, art didn't seem to be a problem for this group of Plain people, and that was a major issue in the other series.
I'm on the third book and am not sure why it's included with the first two. It doesn't have any of the same people or anything like that (I figured it'd be the third in the series). It's good though--and more focused on the Fancy part instead of the Plain stuff. There is a big mystery about the Fancy lady running away. Actually, I'm getting a little impatient to find out why she had to flee. The little details about flowers and yards are easy to skip over when I'm just looking for "important" info.
I actually have not finished this book yet, but I felt like I had enough information to write a review. This is a collection of three different books, two of which are sequels. I've enjoyed the stories so far. The first two are a mini-series of 2 books. The reason I'm giving this three stars is because I felt the third story was very jolting and out of place. Thee first 2 are very much in an Amish country setting but the third is modern. A lot of the third book, the protagonist is staying with a Plain woman, but that is about all that's Amish about it. And the Plain woman is not even Amish, she is a Mennonite. The first two have much more focus on Amish traditions then the third. I'm pretty sure the author has written many a book about Amish people, so why did the publishers decide to put these three together? It is a strange combination, especially with the first two sequels. If the change does not bother you as much as it bothered me, the stories are fun and interesting.
Finished the book after it has been sitting on bookshelf for a really long time. I honestly didn't really like the third book, if you couldn't tell from what I said above. But the first two were cute!
This volume is made up of 3 books - The Postcard, The Crossroad, and Sanctuary. The first two books follow the same character and storyline. The third, while the most compelling of the three, had the weakest tie-in to the series.
The Postcard and The Crossroad follows the story of Amish woman Rachel Yoder and outsider Phillip Bradley. Phillip is a visitor to her parents' B&B when he finds a mysterious postcard, unravels an age-old family mystery, and tracks it down to its source. Meanwhile the widow Rachel deals with loss and physical impairment while learning to love again, aided in part by the distraction of Phillip's discovery. I have to say, Beverly Lewis threw in almost every twist and plot device she could find, but somehow she made it work.
Sanctuary finds Melissa fleeing her peaceful life in Connecticut to take refuge in Lancaster County, befriended by a Mennonite woman with powerful faith. It's a story of faith and salvation first and foremost, overlayed on a crime drama. Sanctuary is a real page turner and an interesting look at evangelism.
The first two stories are about a young amish lady who loses her husband and son and how she goes into a depression of sorts and loses her eyesight as well. She meets a reporter and they have an instant attraction but neither one of them realizes it. The story progresses well, the writing is believable, and the emotions are understandable. The third story in this book is by a different author. I found myself skipping paragraphs due to the detail the author went into. A good story but not one of my favorites. In all honesty though, to be fair to the author, it could be because I was tired of holding this huge book and wanted to be done with it.
I picked up these volumes at the library the other day, because I needed a book in a hurry and remembered some reviews about Beverly Lewis being a "clean reads" author. I am also intrigued by the Amish lifestyle, so it seemed a safe pick. The books were definitely clean, which I appreciated, and I gained some light education on Amish culture, but I am sorry to say that the writing felt simplistically sappy and the storyline contrived and though I was curious enough to invest another couple hours into the second volume to follow the plot, I couldn't bring myself to invest in the third.
Not the sort of thing I would usually read but my grandma loaned a whole pile to me...so there will be more. (I have some issues with the need to read books that have been given/loaned/recommended to me.) This was just a bit more saccharine than I prefer. I did enjoy the glance into Amish and Mennonite life.
AWESOME BOOK, COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. WANTED TO KEEP READING UNTIL THE END. WOULD HIGHLY RECCOMEND TO ANYONE THAT FINDS THE AMISH LIFE AS INTERESTING AS I DO. I GOT TO MEAT BEVERLY LEWIS A FEW MONTHS AGO SHE WAS SO NICE AND SUCH A TALENTED WRITER.
I liked this collection okay. I enjoyed Beverly Lewis' stories much better than the one that she wrote with her husband. Not her best stuff, but not horrible either. I think I might have liked these a bit better if I had not read Abram's Daughters first. That is by far her best series!
Well i am currently reading this book. Mom got it for me for Christmas...so far a really like it since I am from Lancaster county - You gotta love Amish Country in Pennsylvania!
Don't think when you buy this book that all three books are tied together, their not. The first two are about a long lost love and the evils in witchery. A page turner! The last book was about a little girl and a father with many secrets...the father dies and the little girl grows up and finds herself afraid of every turn, eventually finding herself living among the Amish/Mennonites. Very different, but loves it ! Not sure why it was a part of this tio 😶