The Fiddler

By Beverly Lewis

Book Description

Amelia "Amy" DeVries, a 24-year-old violinist, is disillusioned with life and love after the collapse of her long-running romance. Weary of endless rehearsals and performances, Amy sets out on a road trip through the Pennsylvania mountains. She leaves her cell phone behind so life's demands can't intrude on her solitude. She doesn't know, nor care, where she will end up.

When her car breaks down deep in the mountains, Amy realizes the flaw in her "no cell phone" plan. She abandons her car and walks the winding roads, searching for help. Following the smell of woodsmoke and the sound of music, she finds a rustic log cabin. There she meets a young Amishman, Michael --and through him a community--that will change her life forever.

My Review

This is the first book in the new Home to Hickory Hollow Series by Beverly Lewis.  As far as Amish books, this one was different.  I have always loved Amish fiction but was slightly disappointed in this book - quite a different reaction to earlier B Lewis books read.  It was definitely not one of my favorites.  I can't really put my finger on the reason why but the story was difficult to become interested in and it took effort to finish it.  My first thoughts are for you to read this book if given the opportunity or if you want to get it free from you local library but I would not recommend that you rush out to purchase the book.

The Amish character of Michael is in his twenties but still can't make up his mind about joining the church.  He is torn and admits that he has to make a decision.  In the end, he does - but it is very surprising.

Amelia is not Amish but is also straddling the fence about a decision in her life.  She is dissatisfied because her boyfriend and parents have dictated her life and she longs for something totally different.  She doesn't want to disappoint her parents (as Michael does not want to do) but doesn't seem mature enough at the beginning to tell them how she really feels.  There is a lot of time spent on Amelia, her musical ability, her upcoming tour, her secret "fiddling", etc.

I guess my overall conclusion is that this was written as "Amish" fiction but it was lacking in Amish content because a majority of the book dwells on Amelia, her life, her decision, etc.  I did find myself rooting for the "Happy Ending" and my idea of how it should be - which is not how it turned out.  So I was also surprised and disappointed at the ending. 

If you are a Beverly Lewis fan, you will enjoy the book just because she wrote it.  However, I am only giving this one a three out of five stars due to the reason above.  I will leave you with this thought - Beverly Lewis can do much better - and I'm sure she will in her future endeavors. 

NOTE:  I received this book from Bethany House publishing in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions stated here are my own and I was in no way influenced or expected to provide a good review.