Covenant

The book sent me through a rollercoaster of emotions. A wonderful start to a series!

I purchased this book as a way to kill down time while at work. Once i started reading it, I felt as though i was standing right there helping in the kitchen and on the farm. It was wonderfully written, and impossible to put down. I am looking forward to the next book in the series to see what happens to Abrams daughters. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves christian fiction, and the amish culture. Truely wonderful.

This is the first book by Beverly Lewis I have read. I have to say that once I got started, I just had to keep reading. I enjoyed learning about the Amish culture. I would characterize this book as a cross between "Little Women" and "Fiddler on the Roof" with a dash of "The Scarlet Letter" thrown in. It is simple and sweet with just enough turmoil to make it interesting. One of the things I took away from reading this book is that no matter our religion, race or background, we all share similar emotions (though our trials may vary) while we try to find our way through life. The author is good at developing her characters in such a way that you feel you know them and even though they are all so different, you are rooting for each one. Her style is also such that she leads you along just enough so that you can't wait to see what is going to happen next and which secrets will be revealed. She does leave the first book with somewhat of a cliffhanger so don't read the first if you are not interested in reading the second. Happy Reading!!!!

This is a must read if you are interested in the Amish.This book is wonderful and so hard to put down once you start reading it. I ordered the second book in this series before I finished this one and I can't wait to start the next one. The suspense is killing me! This book is also a great source for learning about the Amish. There is so much to learn about the Amish in this book and you will also learn some Penn. Dutch that they speak. I went to Lancaster County right when I heard about the book and bought the book while on vacation there. The book makes everything I saw there come to life again. Go to Lancaster County if you can and the book will come to life right before your eyes!

The Covenant is the tale of Abram and Ida Ebersol two oldest daughters, Sadie and Leah, during their rumschpringe. This is a time when Amish teens are allowed to run wild and free before taking their baptismal vows. Sadie, the eldest of the Ebersol's four daughters, is making her vows in the fall, and she is not at all sure this is the path she wants. Truth be told she has been sneaking into town asking for trouble. She knows her parents would be shamed if they knew where she had been, but this doesn't seem to bother Sadie in the least. Especially after the night she meets the fancy English boy, Derry. She could not stay away from this boy who whispered sweet nothings in her ear. Sadie at first does not understand the danger that everyone tries to warn her against, but it is not long before Sadie learns first hand what can happen when you are lead astray from God by temptation. Unlike Sadie, Leah, the second oldest, was not raised to woman's work in the house but to man's work out side with her father. She has always been her father's son since her parents did not have any boys. As Leah watches her sister Sadie going through her rumschpringe, she begins to worry about her sister, but all she seems to get from Sadie these days is indifference. Not knowing what else to do, she starts to look forward to her own upcoming rumschpringe. Her father has it in his sites that she will marry the Smithy's son, but unfortunately Leah has another boy in mind. How can she break the news to her father without breaking his heart? As Sadie and Leah are both going through their rumschpringe, they both learn that some times you can not stop the fall, but you can be there to help pick up the pieces. Beverly Lewis has brought her readers a wonderful heartwarming story of two teenage girls, who learn first hand the heartbreaking consequences of going astray from God and family. Sadie and Leah are two characters that readers will not soon forget. Throughout this story the reader is allowed to see how the Amish lifestyle is built on their love for God. This reviewer must admit she was a little shocked by the turn of events in the end of the book. However this reviewer was not disappointed. For fans of Beverly Lewis The Covenant is a must read! --- reviewed by JoAnn Miller for Christian Bookshelf

In 1946, the four Amish daughters of Abram and Ida Ebersol were on the verge of becoming women. Sadie, the oldest at 19, had been allowed to attend the public high school where she was exposed to modern society and with it, everything her Amish culture opposed. Though she was raised to adhere to the strict church rules of dress and conduct, Sadie longed for the freedoms of the outside world, the world she had come to know in school. When she met a handsome, sweet-talking Englishman, she knew that she would give up everything she had ever known to be by his side and join his world forever. Leah, sixteen, was the 'sensible' one. She was more sturdy than the other girls and her role in the family was to help her father. Instead of learning the womanly chores, she worked in the fields with Abram. During those long hours with her father, she learned of things the men often discussed, but she never forgot she was a woman, soon to be married and starting a family of her own. Though she longed to please her father, she couldn't marry the boy he had chosen for her for her heart belonged to another. The twins, Hannah and Mary Ruth, were 10 and shared a bond only twins could share. But the girls were very different in personality. Hannah was quiet, but very talented with a needle and thread. Mary Ruth was the outgoing one and intrigued with learning. Her greatest desire was to become a teacher, but she had a huge obstacle - Abram would not make the same mistake with his other girls that he made with Sadie. None of the other girls would complete school past the 8th grade. Hannah knew of her sister's dream and she was determined to help. She sewed and stitched and every cent she could squander, she held in secret for Mary Ruth. Maybe one day her money would help Mary Ruth stay in school. All four girls, though Amish, were anything but 'plain.' Their appearance and lives were simple, but their deepest desires are not. Their lives are intricately woven together by family, tradition and love.