Plain Pursuit

I've been a fan of Christian Amish fiction since I first picked up one of Beverly Lewis's books over 10 years ago. Beth Wiseman's "Plain Pursuit" continues in Beverly Lewis's tradition. Not only does one get to have a glimpse of life among an Amish community... one also has a strong message of faith, of trusting in God. The book tells the story of a Houston reporter, Carley Malek, who recently lost her Mom in a car accident. She is forced to go on vacation by her editor, and ends up visiting a friend in Lancaster county who had converted to the Amish faith and married a widower with a young son. Their son has a health crisis which brings Carley in touch with a handsome ex-Amish doctor. What draws me to books like this, as well as Beverly Lewis and even Grace Livingston Hill (a Christian Romance author from the early 1900s) is the underlying story of faith.... of learning to trust in God and trust God. I think Beverly Lewis does a better job of interweaving faith into her novel, yet the message was still there in Beth Wiseman's book. I appreciated the glossary in the beginning...although I know many of the terms from having read numerous Amish fiction books, there were still a few new ones. I also really appreciated the few recipes in the back... raisin puff cookies, bread (five loaves!), meatloaf, and baked corn casserole. I also get so hungry reading the descriptions of the yummy food, that the recipes were a welcome bonus!

This is the second book in the Daughters of Promise series. I liked the first book Plain Perfect but I loved this book Plain Pursuit. It can stand on its own fine. Carley Marek is forced by her work to take a month off because they do think she is recovered from the car accident and her mothers death. She is a newspaper writer. She decides to go visit her friend Lillian in Amish Country. Lillian is from Texas the way Carely is and they were good friends. Carely envys the peace her friend Lillian has now. Lillian's husband Samuel has a brother that he has not told her about. His name is Dr. Noah. They meet when their early teenage son falls ill and they have to take him to the ER. Carley and Dr. Noah feel an instant conection. Dr. Noah has been shunned from the Amish community for leaving after his baptism to become a Doctor. Samuel does not want him treating his son or being around his family. This is a well written story with interesting characters and plot. I love the romance between Carely and Dr. Noah. I am not a fan of all Amish books but I am a fan of this series. I cannot wait to read book three in this series. I highly recommend this book. :)

This is a don't miss book. I loved it. You feel like you are sitting on the porch in Amish country and experiencing life with them. I particularly enjoy the interaction between a non-Amish friend and the Amish. It helped me see how it would feel to go from my world to theirs. Beth writes so well that you feel the breeze, see the beauty of the land and hear the peaceful quiet. Noah was my favorite character. I think I too fell in love with him. He makes you want to be all that God wants you to be. I did not want my time with them to end. I look forward to book 3.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Plain Pursuit. Not having read Plain Perfect (although it's on my list)I was happy to discover that this book, although part of a series, stands alone. Wiseman does a particularly great job of dealing with shunning, a controversial Amish practice that seems cruel and unnecessary to outsiders, but is a part of the Amish faith. The characters of Noah and Carley are well drawn, and the secondary characters are interesting and vital to the story, but don't overwhelm the major players. If you're a fan of Amish fiction, don't miss Plain Pursuit!

Plain Pursuit, second in the series, is just as riveting as the first book Plain Perfect. Ms. Wiseman has a way of making the characters real and full of life. You feel involved with them as they go through the trials of life. The characters you know and loved from the first book are carried through to this book. Ms. Wiseman lets you know more about Samuel and Lillian and their new family which is just where she left me hanging with the end of the first book. You feel a connection with the characters and just want to know more, I couldn't put the book down. I had to finish it in one day because I had to know how it ended. I can't wait until the rest of the series comes out. I would recommend this book to everyone, young and old.