Forever. . .

Sally Bingham is the fiancee of Donald--a self-important man with a horrible temper, the daughter of Honest Ed--a used car salesman, and a breeder/shower of Welsh Corgis, but her life is about to spiral out of control. She's been getting emails from Lizzie Zook, an Amish girl in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and the emails have piqued her interest. After an argument with Donald, she decided to go see Lizzie and find out what these emails are all about. This is where her life gets interesting. I can't really divulge much more of the plot without giving away the whole book. On the surface, Lizzie's emails seem to be about Sally's Welsh Corgis, but underneath, Lizzie is wanting so much more from Sally, and this leads to Sally finding out so much more about herself that she never knew, but it also leads to Sally finding a place that her heart has longed for--a place to belong.

Kate Lloyd is an author of Amish fiction and other Christian novels. I've read one of her previous novels and absolutely, positively, no question about it, LOVED it.

Kate writes with a depth of soul that is hard to find in many novels. Her characters are as real as real life, and their issues are things we all face in our day to day lives, so they are relatable and sympathetic. Woven into Forever Amish is the story of a prodigal returning home; the story of never fitting in, but finally finding home; the story of a family tiff that is reconciled; the story of a narrow escape from a destructive relationship; and the story of a heart finding its true home in God. That sounds like a lot to put into a book, but Kate has done this with finesse and grace. In some Amish fiction novels, the bishop of the community is sometimes seen as a hard man, but Bishop Troyer is a man who seeks God fully and yet is very gracious, even tender-hearted when dealing with his flock. I am obviously not Amish, and, to a degree, I have an "Englisch" view of the Amish being a legalistic sect, but there are so many aspects of Amish life I can admire. They are a hard-working lot, with an ability to play and have fun. They are a loving lot--there is no length to which they will not go in order to show the love of Christ.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a Welsh Corgi puppy for a companion.

David C Cook has allowed me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.