A Plain Man by Mary Ellis Book Review

A Plain Man is about a young Amish man, Caleb Beachy, who has lived as an Englischer for several years and decides to return to the Amish way of life. He soon learns it’s not as easy as he thought to give up all things English and return to the simple lifestyle of his childhood.

Josie Yoder shows quick interest in Caleb and her keen attention gives him new hope and encouragement for a better future. As a couple they soon struggle with Caleb’s past decisions. Can they learn to trust each other enough to spend a lifetime together or will Caleb return to the English world that held him captive in the past?

 My Thoughts: This book was a well-written and insightful look into the return of a young man to his former Amish lifestyle. I found Caleb’s external and interior struggles authentic and thought-provoking as I followed his journey to leave his English past behind. In the book, he struggles with the need to use power tools to make his work faster and easier, convincing his girl she can trust him, and with his father who has lost all confidence in his son. Can Josie Yoder trust a man who left their lifestyle for such a long time? Can Caleb convince Josie he means what he says or should he return to his English ways and leave all this heartache behind? Be sure to get this book so you can find out. The characters in A Plain Man were fascinating and real-to-life, delighting me with unexpected plot turns and surprising character insights.

I enjoyed this book by award-winning author, Mary Ellis, a lot and highly recommend it. Romantic Times must agree with me since they gave it a 4 stars review.

Mary Ellis can be found online at:

www.maryellis.net

www.maryeellis.wordpress.com

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mary-Ellis/126995058236

Her books are sold at CBD, Amazon, B&N and anywhere Christian books are sold.

   

 

The Quaker And The Rebel - A Book Review

I’m excited to tell you about a wonderful historical romance by Mary Ellis, The Quaker and The Rebel. Since yesterday was Lincoln’s birthday and tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be fun to review a romantic adventure set in the Civil War period.  

In this story, Emily Harrison loses her Ohio homestead to foreclosure and accepts a position as governess with a family in slaveholding Virginia. Despite the danger, she continues her efforts as an underground railroad conductor to rescue slaves from her new home.

Alexander Hunt, the owner's nephew is attracted to Emily, but he is a man loyal to the Confederacy and has secrets of his own. He is the elusive Gray Wraith who steals Union supplies and diverts them to the Southern cause. As Emily and Alexander grow closer, danger and betrayal brings complications to their relationship and they must trust God to carry them through challenges they never expected.

Mary Ellis is a multi-talented author and I’m a big fan of her award-winning Amish romances. Eager to see how she used those talents in a different genre, I couldn’t wait to read this book. I wasn’t disappointed. I loved it. Romantic Times Book Reviews must agree since they gave it a 4 and 1/2 stars review. Stop by Mary's website, www.maryellis.net  for some behind-the-scenes insight about her writing journey for this story.

I won’t be surprised to see The Quaker and The Rebel receive awards this year. This is a great read and I hope you will pick up a copy to enjoy.

Don’t forget to look for her novella, Always in My Heart, released on Kindle for 2.99 at Amazon. Please note, if you bought the anthology, An Amish Miracle, you don’t need to buy the novella, since it's included in the anthology.

Do you like to read historical romances? If you do, what do you like best about them?

 

 

An Amish Miracle - A Book Review

I’m excited to tell you about An Amish Miracle published by Thomas Nelson Publishers. This heart-warming collection of three Amish novellas by three award-winning authors--Mary Ellis, Ruth Reid, and Beth Wiseman-- is one you don’t want to miss.

First Novella: Always in My Heart by Mary Ellis is a poignant story about Hope Bowman, an Amish wife who gave up her firstborn when she was a teenager. She believes God is punishing her for past sins by not giving her family the son they long for. When Hope prays, God provides the miracle of a son in a way she never imagined.

Second Novella: Always His Providence by Ruth Reid is a compelling and romantic story about Rosa Hostetler, a widow in danger of losing her farm for delinquent taxes. She refuses to request money from the community widow fund and tries to survive from the income of selling eggs. When that source of income falters, Rosa soon discovers God can work miracles to provide her every need in ways she never expected.

Third Novella: Always Beautiful by Beth Wiseman is a powerful story about Becky Byler who is eighteen and overweight. Lost in despair, she decides to take her life. When she prays for a miracle, God answers her in an amazing way. But the true miracle is found when Becky discovers what real beauty is and discovers who loves her for the person she is inside.

I find that reading novellas is a great way to discover a new favorite author. And don't forget, this book would make a wonderful gift for anyone you know who loves Amish fiction. Check out the discussion questions in the back and some great recipes too. In this season of miracles what better read than one like this? I highly recommend An Amish Miracle and once you’ve read it, I know you will too.

What do you love about Amish fiction?