Review - The Love Letters by Beverly Lewis

 

The Love Letters
by Beverly Lewis
Publisher: Bethany House
Pub. Date: March 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0764212468
Pages: 352
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

I had never even knew there was such a thing as Amish fiction until I read The Covenant (book one in the Abram's Daughter series) by Beverly Lewis, which was either in 2001 or 2002. I had joined one of the those book clubs where you get five or six books for $.99 and you have to buy three or four books during the next two years at full price. The Covenant was one of the books I got for joining the club. I recall I was short one book, so I just picked The Covenant as it looked an interesting read. Let's just say that I became a fan of Beverly Lewis's writings very quickly. I ended up purchasing her previous novels and I have continued to read each and every new release of hers.

While many of the author's novels are part of a series featuring three to five books, she does occasionally write a stand alone novel, which just happens to be the case for The Love Letters. (No, this isn't the made-for-Hallmark movie from the late 90s.)  This story is set in 1966 and centers on Marlena Wenger, a young woman with a lot on her young shoulders. She was set to marry Nathaniel Zimmerman shortly after she finishes her classes prior to being baptized into the Old Amish Order, well, that is until she learns that her grandfather has passed away and someone needs to go to Brownstown, Pennsylvania and assist her grandmother, Mammi Janice, for the summer. Guess whose going?

Yep, you guessed it - Marlena must put her life on hold to help out her grandmother. Not too long after arriving in Brownstown, Marlena learns that her estranged sister Luella has died in a car crash. Luell had left the Amish lifestyle to marry her sweetheart Gordon Munroe, who is currently serving his country in Vietnam. This leaves Marlena the guardian of her baby niece, Angela Rose.

Her grandmother's neighbors are Ellie and Roman Bitner, who have a mentally-challenged son, Jake (known as Small Jay). Due to the Jake's problems, Roman has emotionally distant himself from the boy. All the boy wants is father figure, and eventually he finds one - Boston, a homeless man with signs of Alzheimer’s. Jake talks his parents into letting Boston stay in the small house on their land that once belonged to their late Dawdi, where Jake reads Boston's old letters to him.

Meanwhile, Marlena must decide what is more important - marrying Nathaniel or taking care of her family.

The Love Letters is a completely different novel for Beverly Lewis. While the majority of her novels is about the romance between an Amish girl and her beau, the novel is about faith, family and trust. For me, it starts out a little a slow for the first several chapters, but I eventually got swept into the story. Overall, The Love Letters is an emotional tale from beginning to end.

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



About the Author:

Beverly Lewis, born in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, has more than 17 million books in print. Her stories have been published in eleven languages and have regularly appeared on numerous bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today. Beverly and her husband, David, live in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking, biking, making music, and spending time with their family. Learn more at www.beverlylewis.com.