The Photograph
-
-
4.7 • 29 Ratings
-
-
- $10.99
Publisher Description
Inspiring New Novel from the
"Biggest Name in Amish Fiction"
Eva Esch and her sisters are in a predicament. With the passing of their widowed mother, Eva's older brother Menno plans to move his growing family into the Eden Valley farmhouse where they all grew up, leaving little room for his three single sisters. Surely, Menno reasons, at least one of them will marry this coming wedding season. Eva does hope to marry, but she isn't sure she wants to give up her sweet shop for the life of a farmer's wife, and she has no other prospects.
When younger sister, Lily, disappears in the night, leaving only a brief note, Eva fears she has been wooed away from the People by an outsider. And when Jed Stutzman, a young Amish buggy maker from Ohio, shows up in Lancaster with a photo of a Plain young woman, Eva's world begins to tilt. She feels powerfully drawn to the quietly charming stranger--but the woman in the forbidden photograph is no stranger at all. . . .
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Lewis (The Love Letters), writing in her gentle, heartwarming fashion, unveils likable characters amid a richly described Amish culture of faith, community, and tradition. Eva, Frona, and Lily Esch, shaken by the untimely deaths of their parents, wonder what their futures will hold. The young women face uncertainty very differently, and soon Eva and Frona discover that Lily, the youngest, has run away. While the search for Lily progresses, the sisters must wrestle with the news that their brother intends to take over the family home. An engaging buggy maker, Jed Stutzman, arrives from a distant community, carrying a photograph of a young Amish woman. Such images are forbidden in their culture, and little does Jed know how it will affect his own future, as well as the lives of the Eva and her sisters. Lewis relies on her tried-and-true pattern (why change an award-winning style?), and her latest offering should more than satisfy her many fans.
Customer Reviews
An incredible Amish novel filled with heartache.
After Lily Esch disappears everyone connected with the family is heartbroken. I really loved the sensitive way that this subject was dealt with. She is considered an adult and she left a goodbye note for her sister Eva. Therefore the biggest concern is determining how far to go in trying to find her. When should they give up and let her live her life? How much should be done to try and bring her back into the fold of the Amish believers?
In the midst of this, Eva and Jed Stutzman meet. Is their meeting God’s direction for their lives? How will they know?
They are both dealing with grief. There is an amazing amount of sound advice given and received about this difficult issue as well. It is something that we will all have to face at some point in our lives and I really felt that the information about how to help others going through it was fantastic.
The characters are so well written that I connected with them almost immediately. There were a number of sweet gentle people that were easy to love. There were also a few that were overbearing and difficult. It was wonderful to read about how the different personalities interacted with each other.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.