A Simple Change

The Home to Amana Series has been one of my recent favorites. I began reading the series because I have a friend who was raised in the Amana Colonies in Iowa. Judith Miller has researched and written this series with all the respect it deserves. In A Simple Change, Jancey Rhoder's parents have decided to move back to the Colonies for her mother to spend her waning days. Jancey is caught between her love for teaching the orphans and being with her sick mother. Complicating the decision is Nathan--her father's employee and self-designated boyfriend. Nathan wants to buy her father's construction business and thinks that his relationship with Jancey will aid his cause, but when Jancey moves with her parents, a monkey wrench gets thrown into Nathan's plan.

When Jancey's family arrives at Middle Amana, they are assigned to live with the Hertigs. Sister Hanna works in the kuche, she has time to check on Jancey's mother periodically throughout the day, so that Jancey can work with Sister Margaret in the "outsider's dormitory." The Hertigs have a young daughter Madelyn and an older son Ritter. Madelyn needs help with her school work and Jancey is recruited to help her out. Ritter sits in on the lessons because he likes Jancey and wants to be near her. Pretty soon, Madelyn's friends come to Jancey for extra help too.

Jancey's father has to go back to Kansas City to see about some things that have been happening with his business in Kansas City, Missouri. When he returns, he brings Nathan back with him and Nathan feels that he can change Jancey's mind about staying in Middle Amana. He hates the rules and sees them as restrictive and unfair. He can't understand why Jancey has chosen to live under them or how much Jancey's family means to her. He thinks that he can just tell Jancey what he wants her to do and she'll jump to do it. What he fails to realize is that Jancey has her own mind and she's seeing what Amana has to offer, especially after the elders ask her to teach the younger children.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book as I have enjoyed the other books in the series. Judith Miller writes with a compassionate and engaging style. She draws the reader in and doesn't let go until the book is done. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a child to teach.