Book Review: The Waiting

Amish fiction. Who’d’ve thunk it would become its own genre with a whole store of its own at Christianbook.com?! I’ve been reading Beverly Lewis’s books for years and recently discovered Cindy Woodsmall's, too. But then I thought, “That’s enough.” There are other kinds of stories to read.

Then the Litfuse Publicity Group offered me The Waiting for free to review. I couldn’t resist—and I’m glad I didn’t. This was a very fun read!

Though it’s the second in a series, The Waiting stands alone. I haven’t read the first, but I never felt I’d missed anything—though I will go back and read The Choice as soon as I find time!

Not only is The Waiting Amish, it's also historical. Setting the story in 1965, author Suzanne Woods Fisher, shows how events of that time—the Vietnam war, racial tensions, and such—impacted even the Amish communities.

The Waiting shows that life can get complicated even for people who strive to live simply. The story line is intriguing and unpredictable—truly hard to set down. The heroine, Jorie King, loves her family, their horses, children, and her community. Though pressured to marry, she refuses to settle for less than true love. Caleb, a young leader in the community, struggles to balance ministry, managing his farm, and caring for his brothers after the death of his parents, while raising his own daughter, too. The adventures and concerns of the children, Ephraim and Maggie, are a bonus delight in this book.

If you like sweet stories, Amish or not, I recommend The Waiting to you.