Almost Amish

August 1, 2012

Julie Charlton is thrilled when her sister-in-law Susan is chosen to participate in a reality-TV show about living like the Amish. Susan needs another family to join her, so Julie volunteers hers and they move near an Amish community in Tennessee. Soon, the cameras are rolling and Julie realizes that the simple life might be more complicated. VERDICT Well-developed characters and a heartwarming story make Cushman's fifth novel an enjoyable read. Recommend it to fans of Fannie Flagg.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2012
Stuck in the all-too-familiar grind of moving fast but going nowhere, Julie Charlton confesses to herself that she hates her life. Although she loves her husband and children, she can't see the point to the rat race. So when her sister-in-law, Susan, offers her the opportunity to escape for the summer, Julie jumps at it. She, Susan, and their children end up in rural Tennessee, living in a reality-TV experiment. Stripped of the essentials of modern life, Julie and Susan begin to discover what's really important to them, while their children, initially horrified at the idea of months away from their Southern California lives, soon embrace the simpler pleasures at hand. But life on-camera is hard work, while private moments make for great public viewing. Readers will be eager to see how the pressure will affect Julie and Susan, who couldn't be more different. Cushman excels at creating easily relatable characters facing challenges that will make them stronger in this fast-paced, engaging inspirational novel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)