The Sacrifice

Book 9 in 2018.

“The Sacrifice ” by Beverly Lewis

Well book three in Abrams Daughters and I was about to throw in the towel. Lots of spoiler alerts. Just when I thought Leah was getting over losing Jonas to her wayward shunned sister Sadie, Leah is headed to more heartache. There was a ton of trauma in this book. I just don’t know how much more I can take!

The Ebersol sisters are growing up. The twins Hannah and Mary Ruth both are courting brothers Elias and Ezra. Sadie is shunned and rumor has it she is now married to Jonas and having babies. Leah is planning on marrying smithy Gid, (finally happy) which also makes her dad happy. And poor mama at the age of 45 is expecting another little one! Then the crap really hits the fan. Ezra dies, people cry, Mary Ruth becomes a Mennonite (nooo!!!!!), Elias leaves the church, mama dies in childbirth and makes Leah promise to raise her babies as her own. Leah then breaks up with Gid because he wanted to move to his own house, and Leah had to raise her siblings, but her dad wouldn’t let her take the babes! (nooo!!!!!!). Drama. Fast forward a few years. Hannah ends up marrying Gid, Mary Ruth starts dating the doctors son who was responsible for her first loves death in an accident, Sadie becomes a widow and wants to move home, Leah is still alone. This is when I decide I hate these books and I never want to read another one again. Until Sadie comes home alone, childless, and we find out she really didn’t marry Jonas but someone else. Drama.

Now I need to know if Leah is ever going to find Jonas or anyone to have a love story of her own! She sacrificed her life on her mother’s deathbed and would never consider breaking that sacred vow. I can’t even stand the thought that I am going to continue reading this series. Ha. It is so slow and crazy all at the same time. Overall afterthought, I think I need a break from Abram’s daughters.

The Betrayal

Book 7 in 2018.

“The Betrayal” by, Beverly Lewis

Holy Mercy and all that is good.  What have I gotten myself into! This series is straight drama, that I have to know what happens.  The drama is so ridiculous I can barely stand it, but I need more. Ha.  I have officially been sucked in to this world of simple Amish living.

Spoiler Alert.  In book one, The Covenant, Leah Ebersol, her sister Sadie and their Aunt Lizzie all made a covenant with one another never to share.  Sadie had a secret baby that passed away (which really they only think it passed away, because the “English” doctor that delivered it thought it did, but then it started breathing again, I think maybe, he gave it to a family to adopt, without telling Sadie, because he thought it would be easier for her if she continued thinking the baby died!!!).  Now in this book,  Leah is about to make her baptism with the Amish church and marry her beau Jonas Mast, who is away in Ohio doing a carpentry apprenticeship.  In order to be baptized she feels like she cannot have any secrets in her heart, and tells her family and the bishop about her sisters sin!  (at this point Sadie was living in Ohio, near Jonas, because Leah thought she was so sad and needed a change of scenery).  Sadie finds out about Leah’s betrayal of breaking their covenant and is devastated.  In the spirit of revenge Sadie hides a critical response letter from Leah to Jonas about her with a possible relationship to the smithy boy who lives next door. (No!!! Sadie how could you!!!!)  Now everything is a mess and I am pretty sure Leah and Jonas are not getting married, because no one will just use the phone and clear the air!!!  Leah thinks now that Sadie is moving in on Jonas.  And, we find out that their “Aunt Lizzie” is really Leah’s biological mother! Due to a crazy rumspringa she had when she was a teenager. End  book two.

Whew!  I must get my hands on book three.  If you read that last ridiculously long paragraph, you have to go back and read it again as fast as you can, in a state of panic, because that is how I wrote it.  I live in a house full of boys who do not care what I read.  Any time I try to get it out, I feel like they might be mocking me…  I really do think these books have been great, despite the gag factor at how cheesy they are.  Overall afterthought, give me more please.

The Covenant

Book 5 in 2018.

“The Covenant” by, Beverly Lewis

I was at a basketball tournament for one of the boys.  We had a three hour window between games, and I forgot a book.  Tragic, I know.  I have the kindle app on my phone, and since there was not great cell service, or WiFi, in the country school we were at,  I had to settle for a free book I had downloaded a couple years ago.  I have not read many Amish fiction books, maybe one or two.  Not my usual cup of tea, but why not?

It is the summer in the late 1940’s,  Leah is the second born daughter to Ida and Abram Ebersol.  There are four sisters in the Amish farming family from Lancaster.  The oldest sister Sadie is just finishing her rumspringa, where her family will turn their eyes to youthful wild ways.  However, Leah knows Sadie is walking a dangerous path of rebellion that could affect the entire family.  Both sisters are struggling with growing into women and what the future may hold for them.

Mercy.  I am not going to lie.  This is not my usual thing I like to read.  It is full of drama, and it seems very… simple? I am not sure what that means, but lots of love daydreaming, domestic duty loving, lets have babies planning, quilt making, small town gossip, family secrets, and good ole fashion family feuds.  Which none of these things are bad, and there is absolutely no language, sex or violence!  Nothing to skip over, ha.  And now, Beverly Lewis has me hooked.  I must know what happens to the rest of Abram’s daughters.  Sorry to my four, maybe five readers, we are heading to a lot of Amish territory.  Overall afterthought, how will it all end?!