The Parting

Beloved bestselling inspirational author Lewis kicks off The Courtship of Nellie Fisher series, dishing up her usual sort of Amish meal. Amish teen Nellie Fishers grief over the death of her sister, Suzy, in a drowning accident is just beginning to heal. It helps that Caleb Yoder has asked her to be his girl, and wedding bells ring in her imagination. Her baked goods shop also provides solace. But change blows through her Pennsylvania Amish community, threatening to divide families and thwart her newfound romance. Other storylines are set up: Rosanna King seems unable to have children, but is promised a forthcoming baby by a woman who has many; Nellies father reads forbidden scripture and becomes intrigued with salvation by grace. Amish dialect is used judiciously throughout, and although some items (like an old journal) seem like tired clichs, Lewis creates the tension necessary to get the series started. Some Christian readers will wonder about a theology that finds Suzys death and a crop failure part of Gods plan, and there may be confusion for readers unfamiliar with the Amish about the boundaries of Rumschpringe (rumspringa, or the running-around period for some Amish teens). Lewis has a gentle narrative style, however, and her fans will line up for this latest fictional slice of Amish life.