My latest post for Bethanny House Bloggers is A Plain Leaving.
A Plain Leaving is the story of Jessica Bachmann who decided to leave her Amish faith for an Englischer life years ago and now must return home for her father's funeral. Her shunning split the loyalties of her family. Her sister Leisel and brother Amos are more sympathetic - Amos also left the Amish community for life on the outside and Leisel is contemplating the same - but sister Marie is still bitter about Jessica's decision, as is her brother Arden and her mother. Jessica carefully navigates the waters of family tensions as she returns to the homestead; being forced to sit at the shunned table in the corner for family dining and dealing with her sister's and brother's cold attitudes towards her.
But Jessica has someone else in her corner - Silas, her old boyfriend, who is now involved with another girl from the Amish community. Jessica tries not to let his love for someone else bother her, and reminds herself that she was the one who decided to make her life elsewhere, and that she has a happy and fulfilling life in Harrisburg with her new Englischer boyfriend. But.....being home reminds her of the life that could have been.
Jessica spends time with her peace-loving Aentie Suz who tells her a long ago tale of a girl who originally lived on their family homestead - Ruby Bachmann - and her troubles during the Revolutionary War. The stories intertwine and Jessica finds answers to her own problems in Ruby's story's ending.
I loved that this book was not all pie baking and quilt making Amish perfection. It focused on some darker sides of being shunned and turned away by your own family. It presented a new angle to the typical Amish stories. I also loved the two overlapping stories of Jessica and Ruby, they were both equally enjoyable.
I recommended this for anyone.
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