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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
No Wonder the Religion Died Out!, March 3, 2010
I have to admit I found what I learned about the Shaker religion interesting ... wierd but interesting ... no wonder it died out! I have to admit this was not my favorite christian reading by far ... normally I really enjoy my books but I can't say I did ... I enjoyed the knowledge more than anything ... but I would not recommend this book ... it held my interest more from a learning prosepective but I don't think I will be reading anymore of her books or about this religion ... I normally follow my authors ... and was disappointed ... I am sure others feel the complete opposite however and am glad . .. I feel guilty but it just was not something I truly enjoyed. I felt sad that the family was broken apart .. I felt bad that so many died ... I just was not happy throughout the book and I read my books yes for knowledge but also for enjoyment and happiness which I did not feel I got in this book. Other's however I am sure read for other reason ... and are going to feel otherwise fortunately! Sorry!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Recommended for Historical Fiction Fans, December 30, 2009
As a young boy, Ethan escaped from what promised to be a life of violence and dishonesty when he was rescued by a kind man who took him to live in a Shaker community near Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Ethan embraced the Shaker life, grateful for the peace and plenty his Shaker brothers and sisters provided. But fifteen years later, another orphan arrives and sends his well-ordered life into a tailspin.
The death of Elizabeth's father has left her at the mercy of a man who terrifies her. In order to provide for her younger brother and sister, Elizabeth has no choice but to marry him. Until she remembers her father mentioning the Shaker community, a kind and peaceful people who turn no one away. Elizabeth leads her young siblings to Harmony Hill, where they try to conform to the strict and sometimes harsh rules of the Shaker life. But the Lord she loves is vastly different from the deity the Shakers worship. Still, she could probably conform to their odd beliefs as her little brother has done, except for two loves that the Shakers tell her are both sinful: her young sister, whose wild spirit will have to break before she becomes a Shaker; and the handsome young man she can't seem to stop thinking about - Ethan.
Ann H. Gabhart is an amazing writer with a gift for bringing history to life. As I read The Believer, I felt as though I stepped backward in time, to the deceptively peaceful Shaker village of Harmony Hill in the 1800's. The characters are vivid and real - from the very first pages, I shivered in fear with the young Ethan, and my heart broke for Elizabeth at the loss of her father. Ann Gabhart skillfully blends so much fact into her stories that I came away feeling like I've been given a glimpse inside the Shaker meeting rooms. I loved The Believer, and I recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction with a satisfying touch of romance.
If you enjoy Shaker fiction, be sure to look for Ann's other Shaker book - THE OUTSIDER
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Shaker novel, August 20, 2009
I really didn't know much about the Shaker's, so I found the belief system that they had to be a bit weird. They got the name Shaker, because they do these dances to shake the sin off of themselves. (Ethan was thinking to himself about how he must find dance to rid himself of his weird feelings he was having for Elizabeth)
There belief in no marriages, to live a life of celibacy is very strange to me too. If we all believed this way their would be no next generation. I find this belief hard to accept and contradictory to the bible. The way the Shaker community would grow was to accept orphans or people in need of refuge and hope that in time they would accept the Shaker ways.
In the book Elizabeth seeks shelter for her and her siblings because she doesn't want to marry her grubby landlord. He father had told her about the Shakers and so she thinks this is the answer to her prayers. Ethan was found by Brother Issachar when he was six and now he is twenty one and has truly accepted the way of the believer.
When Ethan meets Elizabeth he feels very differently around her than he ever did with the other women in his community. Its a struggle that he deals with and one that Brother Martin picks up on immediately and makes Ethan feel bad.
I don't normally read these types of books, but I thought I would give it a try and it was very hard for me to read. Not that it wasn't a good book or written well, just not my type of book. It was a very nice heart felt story, just based on a strange belief that I am not use too.
I would also like to make sure that people understand that this is not a Amish book despite the lady wearing a covering on her head.
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