phyllish
Written on Jul 15, 2018
Laura V. Hilton
A humorous, yet insightful Amish adventure
Bridget’s daed had made a big mistake. In an attempt to get his daughters away from a creepy stalker, he purchased land and a house in Northern Michigan. Sight unseen. So the family ended up having to live in tents. In Michigan. In November!
What a book! I was laughing and then pondering and then swooning and then laughing again. And I kept marking lines to create quote images; far too many to use without being sued for plagiarism. Seriously, Gabe and Bridget were such a fun couple to read about. Also fun were the subtle plays on Bridget’s family name, Behr.
I was drawn in by Gabe’s flirtatious, cocky, arrogant and yet insecure ways. His behavior, a cry for acceptance and attention from his dad, was so painful and yet touching. I really loved the way that he still had a heart searching for a relationship with God; that he was willing to really talk to the bishop and the way that things ended up working out between Gabe and his daed.
Bridget’s dad’s temper was quite amazing, but not necessarily in a good way. He kept saying things he regretted later but had so much pride it was hard for him to apologize. I enjoyed seeing how God worked in his heart, especially when he was so angry with Noah. Again. And again.
It is interesting to realize how the Amish have such an appearance of holiness and a close relationship with God, but they often know so little about Him or even the Bible. The very fact that Bridget feared that she would get into trouble for even wanting to read the Bible was shocking.
It made me smile to find out where the quote I saved from Plain Everyday Heroes came from about calling the black lab Butterscotch. Yes, I read the books in the wrong order but it just may have made that even more fun doing it this way. I’m glad that Noah got his own story there. I might have to re-read it now despite having just read it. . .
One of the things that I enjoy about Laura V. Hilton’s Amish stories is the life that is in them. Maybe it is the other Amish stories I have read but it seems like most are very serious with the characters being very staid and proper. This author’s characters are playful, they have fits, they tease and have thoughts sometimes bordering on “improper” (yet totally clean) about those of the opposite gender. Like real people.
This review was originally posted on Among the Reads
I would like to thank Celebrate Lit for giving me this copy of the book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.