Andrew

May 1, 2019
A pregnant young prodigal daughter returns to her Amish hometown and acts as a lightning rod for the community even as a handsome, confused neighbor falls for her. "After not seeing her family for two years, she'd shown up wearing jeans and a Maroon 5 T-shirt. And pregnant....She should have thought that one through a little better." You think? When Mary Coblenz shows up at her Amish home, her mother closes the door in her face, so Mary plods down the road in her flip-flops to her neighbor Bitsy's house. Bitsy--who married into the community and still sports brightly colored hair and nail polish--takes her in, and Mary moves back with her head held high. Some neighbors, the nice ones, show her love and acceptance, while mean, judgmental neighbors shun and shame her. Meanwhile, the rascally 8-year-old Petersheim twins decide to engage in some matchmaking for their older brothers. First up is Andrew, who leans toward the camp that feels a little disturbed that Mary "didn't see the need to repent." Until she convinces him that she doesn't need to repent. Until another neighbor convinces him that she does. Until his mother convinces him....On the surface, the book has amusing elements--those impish twins! And deep, spiritual conversations--shouldn't Mary be ashamed? Didn't Jesus die to take our sins away? But at heart, the book feels like an oversimplified morality play the rest of the world worked through decades ago; Mary seems wise when she needs to be for the plot but ridiculous many other times (see first line of this paragraph); and Andrew comes across as a man who doesn't know his own mind until his mother guides him to the right answer. If it's your thing, you'll be entertained.

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May 6, 2019
Beckstrand (Home on Huckleberry Hill) launches her Petersheim Brothers series with this pleasing tale set in an Amish community in rural Michigan. Alfie and Benji Petersheim are eight-year-old twins who, after their grandparents move in to their home, are forced to sleep in the basement. Determined to get a room back, they decide they need to get their three older brothers married off. As far as they are concerned, Mary Coblenz would be the perfect match for their oldest brother, 23 year-old Andrew. Mary is around Andrew’s age and pretty, but there are a couple problems. She recently returned to the Amish community pregnant after two years away, and she’s been banished from her parents’ home. As the twins plot to bring Mary and Andrew together at festivals and gatherings around the city, Andrew spends time with Mary and is shocked that she doesn’t seem remorseful for her sin. Mary wants her baby to grow up in a place of love and security, but the majority of the Amish are determined to ostracize her. As Mary and Andrew spend more time together, Mary challenges Andrew’s understanding of sin and punishment and causes him to question his upbringing, and Andrew begins to respect Mary’s plans for her baby. Fans of Dee Henderson will relish Beckstrand’s clever plot and moving ruminations on the nature of forgiveness.