A Road Unknown

She winced at the word. Home. She was leaving everything and everybody she knew to go to a place she’d never visited in her life. It was exciting. It was terrifying.

Book: A Road Unknown by Barbara Cameron, Abington Press, 2014

Genre: Amish Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 17-25

Subjects: Amish Culture, Selfishness, Trust in God, Dating Relationships, God’s Will

Summary: It feels so wrong, but she is to the point of not knowing how to do anything else. Life has just gotten to be too much at home. Being the oldest of nine children Elizabeth spends all of her time and focus helping mother her siblings. It’s not that she doesn’t love her siblings, she does. It’s just that she wants more out of life. She has hopes and dreams just like every other young girl. So she sets off for another world, the world of the English. She moves in with a pen pal and finds a job working for other Amish, including a very good looking single boss her age! But there’s still a tug back towards home, a tug towards finding peace, being sure of who she is and where she is supposed to be. It’s time for Elizabeth to figure out just what God wants of her.

Notes: Like many Amish stories, part of the focus of this one is on the comparison between the two cultures and the rigid rules of some of the Amish communities. This one has a strong focus on the personal element, Elizabeth figuring out for herself who she is supposed to be rather than the church leader telling her who to be. And it’s not a decision of whether or not to remain Amish, simply a decision of whether or not to grow up, fall in love, get married, move out, etc. instead of stay at home and continue raising her siblings.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 3/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Matthew 6:26 – Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Thank you to Litfuse for sending me a free review copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.    

Landing page: 

http://litfusegroup.com/author/bcameron

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Barbara Cameron is celebrating the release of A Road Unknown with a $200 Visa cash card giveaway and a fun "Amish Roads" Facebook party.

One winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa cash card
• A Road Unknown by Barbara Cameron

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 27th. Winner will be announced at Barbara's "Amish Roads" Facebook Party on February 27th. Connect with Barbara for an evening of book chat, Amish trivia, laughter, prizes, and more!

So grab your copy of A Road Unknown and join Barbara and friends on the evening of February 27th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

My Amish Boyfriend

I know what it feels like to be the only person who’s acting responsible when everyone else is acting like immature juveniles. Yet at the same time, I think maybe it’s my turn – maybe it’s time for me to enjoy being a teenager. I suppose it’s ironic I would experience this sort of thing in Amishland.

Book: My Amish Boyfriend by Melody Carlson, Revell Publishers, 2014

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-18

Subjects: Amish Culture, Family Relationships, Dating Relationships, Faith in God

Summary: What happens when a teenage girl is suddenly forced to start being the adult in the family? In the case of Shannon, it develops an extreme responsibility but also a desire to throw off responsibility and real life and lose herself in romance. So when her mom’s illness finally gets so out of control that they are forced to go to the Amish family that shunned her mom for leaving the Amish culture at age fifteen, Shannon opens herself up to playing and dreaming. When a cute boy gets her attention she begins to think maybe there is something to this Amish culture after all. No matter what happens, it’s going to be one interesting summer!

Notes: Never having even known her mom’s family was still living, Shannon is quite shocked when they pack their bags and head off to live with them for the summer. As with many Amish books, there is a strong focus on comparison of cultures. Shannon decides to see what it would take to be Amish and makes an effort to wear the clothes, learn the language and do the chores like an Amish girl. She fantasizes about marrying the boy she just met and staying here and joining the Amish church. She even shuts down the nagging voice telling her to go slow and cautious. One night she finds herself lying in a wagon alone in the dark with the boy she likes kissing her and starting to move his hands all over her body. She reasons that she will have to eventually draw the line, but has no problem going right up to that line. That’s the big moral issue going on in the story – a young girl is fleeing all the responsibility she has been living in and chooses to live in a fantasy world of her own making. The spiritual issue is her struggle to keep growing in her faith. She speaks of having a close relationship with God until a year ago, when “her mom got sick and instead of going to God for help, continued pulling away from Him.” Eventually she faces enough trials and is surrounded by enough people that deal with trials by praying and trusting God, that she recommits herself to following her faith. Overall, there are some spiritual elements in the story. There’s a lot of the Amish relatives implying that she can’t be a follower of Christ due to not being Amish and some questioning of that by her. There’s her recognition that she needs to pray and return to her faith more. And there’s a miracle that can only be explained by God. It just isn’t necessarily the main point of the book. The main point is her being torn between the dream world and the real world.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 4/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Romans 5:3-5 - Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.