Review - The Photograph by Beverly Lewis

 

The Photograph
by Beverly Lewis
Publisher: Bethany Hosue
Pub. Date: September 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-0764212475
Pages: 329
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:
 
To me, Beverly Lewis is the master of penning Amish romances and she continues her creativity with the recently released The Photograph, a standalone novel. Though I read the book back on Labor Day, which happened to be my birthday, I'm only getting around to writing the review for it today.

Like many of her novels, The Photograph is set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It centers on the Esch sisters (Eva, Lily, Frona), whom are still mourning the death of their widowed mother. The farmhouse was left to their younger brother, Menno, who took over the farm after the death of their father. He plans on moving into the farmhouse with his wife and kids, so there will be only room for one sister to live there; the other two will have to leave. Unfortunately, this all means that the sisters will have to give up their candy store, The Sweet Tooth, which is in a small room in the farmhouse that their father had built for them.

The youngest sister, Lily, wastes no time as she packs her back and leaves the day after Menno announced the family's changes. However, she does leaves a note behind for Eva, stating that she no longer wants to be Amish and that she is leaving for the outside world.

Meanwhile, an Amish man, Jed Stuzman, leaves his Ohio community and travels on a train to Lancaster countryside to learn how to make buggies. While on the train he stumbles across a photo of a young Plain woman that was hidden inside a copy of Little Women. While the Amish aren't supposed to keep photos, he is intrigued by the pretty young woman and keeps it. This a romance novel, so of course Jed runs into Eva and is slightly shocked as she resembles the woman in the photograph.


Beverly Lewis's books are never straight up romance novels as her plots involve emotional dramas, hidden secrets and great storytelling. The Photograph is one of her best writings to date. The plot is extraordinary; featuring a deeply moving tale with beautifully written characters, all of which is enriched in a mystery of an old photograph. Overall, The Photograph is a topnotch novel that I loved reading.

*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Beverly Lewis penned her first story at age nine while living near Lancaster County Amish farmland, where she grew up. She welcomes her any reader-friends each aday on Facebook and personally replies to a fan mail. She lives with her huband near their family in Colorado. Visit her website at: www.beverlylewis.com.