A Simply Enchanted Life

Amish Prayers: Heartfelt Expressions of Humility, Gratitude, and Devotion by Beverly Lewis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amish Prayers includes a selection of prayers that have been translated from the original German and is introduced by Beverly Lewis. Each prayer is accompanied by a scripture from the King James Version of the Bible and includes beautiful black and white drawings of the Amish throughout. I found the prayers to be very insightful and with the inclusion of scriptures I think I may make use of this book for devotion guide.

About the Author:
Beverly Marie Jones (Lewis) was born in the heart of Amish country—Lancaster, Pennsylvania. At the tender age of nine, she began writing short stories and poetry.

Beverly's first venture into adult fiction is the best-selling trilogy, The Heritage of Lancaster County, including The Shunning, a suspenseful saga of Katie Lapp, a young Amish woman drawn to the modern world by secrets from her past. The book is loosely based on the author's maternal grandmother, Ada Ranck Buchwalter, who left her Old Order Mennonite upbringing to marry a Bible College student. One Amish-country newspaper claimed Beverly's work to be "a primer on Lancaster County folklore" and offers "an insider's view of Amish life."

A member of the National League of American Pen Women, as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of Evangel University, Lewis has written over 80 books for children, youth, and adults, many of them award-winning. She and her husband, David, make their home in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking, biking, and spending time with their family. They are also avid musicians and fiction "book worms."

You can find out more about this author by visiting her website at http://www.beverlylewis.com/



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"Place your future-and your past-in His hands. Life will never go the way you plan. But putting your total trust in God is the answer."

His Love Endures Forever by Beth Wiseman

The Memory Jar by Tricia Goyer
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I really dislike writing a review for a book I did not enjoy and it's with a deep feeling of dread that I'm having to do so now. This is the first book that I've read by Tricia Goyer and I'd really hoped I would like her Amish fiction as I have heard fantastic things about her historical fiction. Unfortunately, this book did not make a good first impression. At the risk of sounding absolutely terrible--I think this is one of the lowest rated books I have read this year. I am so disappointed. I'll try really hard not to judge her historical fiction based on this book as I'd really like to try her WWII books. I do not think that I will pick up any more of her Amish Fiction.

What I disliked about this book--pretty much everything. I really hate saying that but when I set out to be a reviewer I promised myself I would always be honest about my feelings. This book just didn't click with me. The biggest gripe I had was the stereotypical southern accented speech used for the characters. I have lived in the south my entire life and even if I have heard people say "yer" or "fer" or "jest" those people would never dream to spell it that way. It comes off as dumbing down the characters and making them look stupid. I know that isn't the intent but that is how I read it. I can imagine these poor characters having a "git r dun" sticker on the back of their buggy. It took away from the entire story and I nearly laid the book down on account of it within the first couple of chapters.

I also thought that the characters were flat and lifeless. Jathan was as wishy washy as a termite in a wooden yo-yo (sorry, I couldn't resist to throw in a southern crack) and Sarah fell in love with him entirely too fast. Her overnight swooning made her seem desperate for the first guy that would look her way. The only character with some life in her in this story was Patty which is very ironic considering her character died. I really wish I could say something more or think of something positive to add but I honestly just can't. There wasn't a single character in the story that I liked. They were all bitter and hateful people that seemed too much like stereotypical hillbillies. I won't be reading the rest of this series.

About the Author:
Tricia Goyer is the author of thirty books including Songbird Under a German Moon, The Swiss Courier, and the mommy memoir, Blue Like Play Dough. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like MomSense and Thriving Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in Little Rock, Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife.

I received this book free from the publisher through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own

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