Judith Miller Book Review

I have read many of Judith Miller books as well as many books on Amish Life; I was surprised at the twist in this story. Set in the late 1880's, the story is of a family who belong to a group of separatists called Amanians. Often mistaken for Amish, Amanians have similar ideologies and beliefs; living in communal villages, keeping separate and believed in being self-sustaining. The story begins in Kansas City where the Rhoder family lives a very affluent but humble life. Jancey Rhoder, the daughter of a well known business man, has a comfortable life-volunteering at the local orphanage but her mother and father choose to move back to a simpler lifestyle in the Amana village that they were married in and started their family. Jancey doesn't know whether she should remain in Kansas City and continue teaching in the orphanage or move with her parents in order to care for her ailing mother. It doesn't help that a suitor of Jancey's is pressuring her to remain; are his reason purely selfish or do they have a future? Jancey chooses to stay with her parents and wonders if she will find happiness in this new life. Time proves that a simpler life can be better and a certain friend in the community makes that choice easier. There are twists and turns to this story that make it intriguing. I found many similarities between the Amish and these colonists. Judith has done another great job keeping us spellbound until the end. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing, provided this book to me for my honest review; I did not receive any compensation.