The Brethren by Beverly Lewis

Annie’s People 3

Secrets in the Amish community…this novel will uncover them all!

Annie is itching to paint again…and there is only one face that comes to mind.  Will she be able to keep her promise to her father?  Will she ever see Ben again?  Of all the secrets around her, why can’t she forget the tragedy of Isaac Hochstetler?

Ben is struggling with a secret revealed.  His first reaction is anger.  His second reaction is seeking answers.  Will he find what he’s looking for by returning to the Amish community he’d recently fled?  Will Annie be pleased to see him?  What will her reaction be to the news he has to share?

Louisa is getting back into the grind of her English lifestyle.  While she settles back in she begins to wonder if there is a way to keep the peace she found while in Amish country with her all the time.  Will Julia have the answers Louisa seeks?

Lewis does a great job of bringing all the mysteries to light in this novel.

The Englisher by Beverly Lewis 

Annie’s People #2

Lewis presents a continuation of Annie’s life in this novel.  Annie is torn by so many desires…she loves her art, she’s discovering and interpreting her feelings for Ben, and she’s trying to figure out how the church fits into her life.  Will the rules of the ordnung be enough to make her submit?  Will her future hold love and happiness?

Ben is always trying to do what is best.  In this novel he is trying to decipher the feelings in his own heart.  Could he love Annie?  Is there any way to make that love work if she decides to join the church?  Will he be strong enough to give her up if she needs him to?

Louisa is struggling to soak up the peace that is all around her.  She’s having man troubles.  Trey, a long lost affection, is striving to get Louisa to give him a chance to discover all they had lost in the past.  Louisa is pleased by his attention.  Will she choose to love again?  While she is on her extended stay in Amish country, are there no other “love” interests?  Could an Amish boy catch the eye of an English girl?

Lewis does a great job of continuing the story and answering several questions readers may have.  I really enjoyed this book.