Plain and Fancy

"Our worlds are very different Laura. I'm Plain and your'e Fancy. ( from Wanda Brunsetter's Plain and Fancy Book 3 of her Brides of Lancaster County series) What would happen if a young, modern design student met and fell head over heels for a young Amish man. That is what the book Plain and Fancy is about. Young Laura Meade meets young Amish, Eli Yoder at the local farmers market and they become very attracted to each other. When the both realize that they want to be together always and be married, Laura must first learn how to be a good Amish wife, and that includes giving up all the modern conveniences that she has been used to. Laura learns that being an Amish wife is hard work, but she hangs in there with the idea that she can convince Eli to leave his Amish up bringing and live in the English world. Can these two young people make this relationship and a marriage work despite their different background. I love the way the author describe how hard it could be for some to convert from being English and live in the world of the Amish

Everything was as stated and book arrived promptly. Would buy again from this seller.

All of Wanda Brunstetter books are wonderful. This book was fun to read because the main character was not Amish but fell in love with an Amish man. It is about her converting to the Amish ways. It is informative and yet tells a story you can't put down.

Reviewed by Linda Benninghoff for Reader Views (6/07) If marriage meant forsaking the only way of life one had known, doing without conveniences such as electricity and modern plumbing, and even losing contact with one's parents, how many people would ever get married? In "Plain & Fancy," when Laura, a young woman studying design in Lancaster, Pennsylvania meets Eli, a young Amish farmer, it is just such sacrifices that are being called into play. In this compelling novel by Wanda Brunstetter, love is never easy and its rewards are not always obvious. Eli does not want to become "fancy;" he does not want to leave the Amish community where he grew up and where he worships God in the style in which he is accustomed. Laura, not particularly religious, but head-over-heels in love with Eli, must also think about giving things up. The novel explores whether or not such a love can work. Brunstetter's characters are deftly drawn. I get a sense for Laura and Eli and their families, and the conflicts that arise between the young couple and these families. Importantly, the book delves into what happens after marriage--and this time in life is also realistically portrayed, Brunstetter has done a marvelous job painting a picture of two lifestyles--and the difficult place where they intersect. The novel held my interest throughout. The romance was not idealized and the issues it brought up were thoroughly addressed. The Amish lifestyle is something the author has personal knowledge about and it is vividly imagined. "Plain & Fancy" is an excellent and informative tale.

Great book. Had a hard time putting this one down. Really a feel good book and brought you right into Amish life.

Laura Meade is attending a scool for interior design in Lancaster County and hopes to pick up some decorating tips from the Amish who live there. She goes to a market and meets Eli Yoder, resulting in an instant attraction between them. Although Darla Shelby, who lives in the same dorm with Laura, and is familiar with the Amish and their lifestyle, warns her against becoming involved with Eli, Laura can't seem to avoid him. She disregards Darla's warning that plain and fancy don't mix. After all, there aren't any problems too big for love to solve. Neither his parents nor hers are happy about the growing friendship, and even Laura and Eli have reservations. Is the gulf between his world and hers too deep to cross? This is a compassionate story about a man and a woman caught between two cultures. Another good book from Wanda Brunstetter