Fall Reads: The Road Home by Beverly Lewis

*This is a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% mine.

I wasn't even aware there was such as thing as "Amish romances" or an "Amish genre" until I read The Covenant by Beverly Lewis (a.k.a. the first book in the Abram's Daughters series) in either 2002 or 2003. Since then, I've read many Amish stories by many authors but my favorite happens to be Beverly Lewis. That being said, I've fallen a bit behind with the author's recent releases. However, I was able to do a bit of reading catch up in September, which is when I finally got around to reading the author's 2018 novel The Road Home (320 pages; Bethany House).

Set in 1977, the novel centers around Lena Rose Schwartz, a young Amish woman from Michigan who's forced to move to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to live with a new family after the death of her parents. Lena wanted to take care of her nine siblings but the bishop disagreed and sent all of them to different families. Adjusting to a new settlement has been a huge challenge, especially since she has been separated from her siblings and left behind her beau, Hans Bontrager.

Final Thoughts

It's been awhile since I'd read an Amish genre title, let alone one written by Beverly Lewis. The Road Home's plot feels a little bit unrealistic. Would a bishop actually separate 10 siblings? Well, sadly, that does happen in this tale and the plot works alright for the most part. The main character, Lena Rose, is likeable from the very beginning. While I don't know what it's like to have 9 siblings or how it feels to lose your parents, I do know a thing or two about heartaches, so i was able to connect with her.

Overall, The Road Home is another well-written Amish story by Beverly Lewis; though it's not her best work. Personally, I thought there were too many characters for one novel. The author could have easily expanded the plot into multiple novels instead of having a standalone. There could have been ten stories in a new series, with each novel focusing on one Schwartz sibling. Nevertheless, The Road Home is still a decent read; one that I should've waited to read in November as the latter half involves a Thanksgiving reunion, which for some reason reminded of The Waltons.

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 twelve 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.