An Amish Family Reunion [Paperback]

Mary Ellis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2012

During a rumschpringe visit to Niagara Falls, Phoebe Miller meets Eli Riehl, a young man who charms her--and everyone else--with his exceptional storytelling ability. When Phoebe sketches scenes to illustrate one of his tales, Eli encourages her incredible talent, and together they embark on a lofty and unlikely business venture for two young Amish people--writing and illustrating a children's book.

Eli's kindness and appeal extend beyond his knack for words to reach inside Phoebe's heart. But he is an only son with five sisters, and when his father suffers a heart attack, Eli gives up his writing to assume responsibility on the farm. Though willing to abandon his dream of becoming an author, he won't give up his beloved Phoebe.

Can their love for a good story develop into something that lasts forever, or will Phoebe's deep-seated fear of desertion stand in their way?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A sweet contemporary romance with amazing characters who are beginning to figure out who they are and what they want out of life. The Amish are interesting to read about, as they live their lives according to the Bible, simpler and free of distractions. The details of Amish living reflect Ellis' meticulous research."
--RT Book Reviews


"Ellis revisits her Miller Family Series (A Widow's Hope; Never Far from Home; The Way to a Man's Heart) with this character-driven, quaint romance. Amish fiction fans can never get too much of the Plain People, and they will be pleased with Ellis's latest."
--Library Journal


"There's more than you can possibly imagine going on in the Miller family so prepare to dive in! And don't miss the delicious sounding recipes in the back; I can't wait to try out the Fresh Lemon Sheet Cake one!"
--Five Star Book Reviews


"Readers will appreciate Mary Ellis' tale as the Amish lifestyle makes for an engaging contemporary."
--The Midwest Book Review


"This is a great book written with such honest characters. You feel as though you know them! I was rooting for each and every character to get their happy ending. I especially enjoyed Phoebe and Eli's story. Absolutely wonderful!"
--DestinationAmish.com

From the Author

"Writing An Amish Family Reunion has been like visiting old friends after time spent apart. I reconnected with all my favorite characters from The Miller Family Series, and added a couple new ones I know you'll like. Best of all, I was able to include my favorite vacation destination, Niagara Falls, in my story. Hope you enjoy the adventure!"
--Mary Ellis, author of An Amish Family Reunion

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harvest House Publishers; Original edition (February 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0736944877
• ISBN-13: 978-0736944878
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #409,592 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Ellis grew up close to the eastern Ohio Amish community, Geauga County, where her parents often took her to farmer's markets and woodworking fairs. She loved their peaceful, agrarian lifestyle, their respect for the land, and their strong sense of Christian community.

She and her husband now live close to the largest population of Amish in the country--a four-county area in central Ohio. They often take weekend trips to purchase produce, meet Amish families, and enjoy a simpler way of life.

Mary enjoys reading, traveling, gardening, bicycling and swimming. But her favorite pasttime is snorkeling, which she seldom gets to do living in Ohio. She is a former middle school teacher and a former saleswoman for the world's best chocolate company. Now she writes full-time and wonders why her house is still dusty and her garden has so many weeds. She is currently working on the New Beginnings series. Book 1-Living in Harmony is set in Maine and released in August. Book 2-Love Comes to Paradise is set in Missouri and will release in Feb 2013. Book 3-A Little Bit of Paradise is set in Kentucky and will release in July of 2013.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Portrays Amish as humans February 5, 2012

By SingleCrochet

Format:Paperback

I read An Amish Family Reunion all the way through the very day it came in the mail. Mary Ellis is a gifted storyteller and her writing just gets better and better. I love the characters in this book. Not having read all of the Miller Family Series, I was meeting some of these people for the first time. But that was not a problem, this book is capable of standing on its own. What I love best about these characters is how real they are. Mary does not glorify the Amish way of life, but neither does she demonize it in any way. She merely writes the people as they are - real human beings like everyone else. They just happen to be Amish. And Mary Ellis obviously knows a lot about their culture. The humor in this story is spectacular. I found myself laughing with nearly every page turn. The author's dry, witty sense of humor shines brilliantly through her characters.
But An Amish Family Reunion is not just about characters. The plot is also fascinating. When a chapter ended with a cliff-hanger and the next chapter changed to a different subplot, I thought I'd have to rush through--skimming--to get back to the cliff-hanger. But I'd find myself so engrossed in that next chapter that I didn't think about the poor girl hanging from the precipice until her point of view started again.
Another positive (and I have nothing but positive to say about this story) is the high quality writing. As a writer myself, I am often distracted by poor or careless writing styles. I reached the end of this story without once critiquing the writing techniques. In my book, that spells success for an author.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good medicine for the heart. February 3, 2012

By Mary K. Johnson

Format:Paperback

Phoebe Miller,17, loves her large Amish family but sometimes feels that there are "just so many of them." A girl who is cultivating an artistic talent like Phoebe's is not always eager to have company. Her deacon uncle has made it plain to her that drawing pictures of people is no different from taking their picture with a camera, something good Amish folk simply don't do. But the urge to draw is Phoebe's passion. She just doesn't know what to do with it. Maybe she'd better get away for a while. After all, she's the age for a little freedom. Perhaps she'll find a solution to her future along the way.
Phoebe's aunt, Julia Miller, has a problem, too. Her daughters, Emma and Leah, are married and occupied with their families. Her son and daughter-in-law, Matthew and Martha and their children have moved to New York for Matthew's work. Son Henry is the right age for marriage, but is so shy that she wonders if he'll ever have the nerve to propose. Julia decides this family separation has gone on long enough and declares a family reunion for the coming summer.
Phoebe's rumschpringe trip to Niagara Falls includes a meeting with Eli Riehl, a young man with a secret of his own: writing. Her drawings illustrate his children's book perfectly--but can they get permission to publish it? Is Eli meant to be a writer to happens to be Amish, or an Amish farmer who cares for his family above all else?
Julia's children and their families agree to come to the reunion, but each brings a secret heart-ache along: Emma needs to learn to stand up to her mother in law, Leah's happiness is threatened by a potential move, and Matthew and Martha are in conflict over the best place for their family to live. Will the reunion strengthen the extended Miller family or break it apart?
Mary Ellis' new book, An Amish Family Reunion, recently released by Harvest House, deals with these conflicts within the Miller family, as well as the solutions that arise from the cohesiveness and love among them. Like all the books in Ms. Ellis's well-researched Amish series, this novel is good medicine for the heart. She never downplays the inevitable difficulties of her characters' lives, but she ably depicts the integrity of their decisions. It's obvious that the author enjoys and respects the people about whom she writes and her characterizations are never saccharine or trite. Although written for, and perfectly suited to, the adult reader, Phoebe's character as a seeker of the right future for a person of her abilities, and Eli's charm and wit might also allow this book to cross over to a teen audience. On the other hand, the yearning that Julia feels to have her family together again is an emotion grandparents can readily understand. This multigenerational novel is positive, hopeful, and filled with likeable characters who seem vivid and lifelike to the reader.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love Just Happens May 3, 2012

By Shelly Itkin VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Phoebe Miller who lives with her father, brother and step mom, Hannah has always been rather shy and sticks to herself. She is a good daughter and does not give her family any trouble and her one pleasure is drawing and when her chores are down she takes her pad and pencils and can sit and draw for hours.
When Phoebe learns of a trip to Niagara Falls that some Amish girls are taking she begs her family to let her go. Seth, is totally against it and when she explains to Hannah, her step mom, she promises to talk to her father and see if she can convince him to let her go. After much talking about the trip, what it will cost and how careful she has to be to stay with the Amish girls her father finally agrees to let her go. It is from that moment on that we see a Phoebe nobody has seen before. She meets Eli Riehl who is also going on the trip and has a way of telling stories that mesmerizes everyone. They meet on the bus and are immediately attracted as he likes to talk and she likes to listen and draw. They see the sights together and when they return they embark on something that is definitely not practiced in the Amish tradition, writing a children's book. They will use Eli's story and Phoebe will illustrate the book. As they are working on the book closely we notice a different relationship develop between the two of them.
We also learn that Julia Miller is missing her children and grandchildren very much and so her husband , Seth suggests she plan a family reunion and bring all her family back home for a reunion. While planning the reunion we find out how her son and daughter are living in different areas and the problems and different situations going on in there own lives. As in almost any culture a mother misses her family and the Amish are no exception.
I found this story very warm and refreshing and enjoy the wonderful things we learn about love, family and relationships. A wonderful read.