“The Photograph” by Beverly Lewis

The Course of True Love….Never Did Run Smooth

Eva Esch wants to marry for love, the kind that makes her heart sing.   That was the type of relationship her parents had.  However, her only prospect, Alfred Dienner, doesn’t even make her heart flutter.  This Amish girl lives with her two sisters, dour Frona and fun-loving Lily, on the family farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Recently, her beloved mother passed away, and her father died on her sixteenth birthday.  Twenty-year-old Eva copes with her heartache by making and selling candy in the small shop her father built for her.

Is love really necessary for a good marriage?

Eva’s life is further turned upside down when her brother, Menno, announces he and his family will be taking over the farm soon, and closing the candy shop.  He tells the three sisters there will only be room for one, the other two need to move somewhere else–or find husbands!

The next morning, Eva is heartbroken to find Lily has left home.  A massive search is begun to find her, but it is feared she has left the Amish life for good.  On top of that, Eva receives a letter from Alfred Dienner who says he wants to court her long distance.  Despite not loving him, should she take him up on it now because of her brother’s plans?

Meanwhile, in another part of the county…

Jed Stutzman is coming to Lancaster County to temporarily work in the buggy shop.  On his way there, he finds a novel that has been treated like a diary.  A girl has written her thoughts, along with her heart’s desire for romance and love, in the margins of the book.  Her words immediately draw him to the writer, although he is shocked to find a picture of an Amish girl stuck in the book, since photographs are a serious violation of their faith.

This is the first girl he has felt attracted to since the death of his fiancé two years earlier.  Finding this girl seems hopeless since there is no identification in the book, or on the picture.  However, that all changes when he is in Lancaster County, and sees the girl in the photo. 

He spends as much time with her as he can before he returns to Ohio, promising to write her.  But once home, events that took place at their parting are causing him to have second thoughts.  He questions his feelings for her.  Maybe he should just quietly distance himself from her, and not communicate at all.

This tale contains misunderstandings, mistaken identities, failed romances and a bit of mystery.  The characters are likeable with an interesting story-line.  This book is a page turner that keeps your attention up to the last page. I think The Photograph is a very enjoyable, and highly recommend it.  This 5-star book will appeal to anyone who likes stories about the Plain people, or well-written fiction.

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of The Photograph through Bethany House Publishing for the purpose of review.   I have not been compensated in any other manner.  All opinions expressed are my own, and I was not required, or influenced, to give anything but an honest appraisal.

The Author’s Website:  http://www.beverlylewis.com/

The Author’s Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/officialbeverlylewis