The Covenant (Abram's Daughters #1) [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Beverly Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2002

Beverly Lewis Does it Again!

Following such bestsellers as The Shunning and The Postcard, Beverly Lewis's explosive new novel, The Covenant, unveils the layers of deeply rooted Amish tradition as seen through the eyes of Leah and Sadie Ebersol, two courting-age sisters.

The Power of Family, the Miracle of Hope

The Amish community of Gobbler’s Knob holds everything Leah has ever desired until a pact with her older sister, lured by the outside world, leaves her clinging to God’s promises.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Inspirational novelist Lewis begins Abram's Daughters, a Lancaster County series about four Amish sisters, in the tradition of her previous novels. It should please her fans, while not offering much in the way of fresh material. It's 1946 in Gobbler's Knob, Pa., and Sadie Ebersol and her sister, Leah, are exploring the joys of "rumschpringe" the period of relaxed rules and running around that Amish teens enjoy prior to their baptism into the church. Tomboy Leah's first love is Jonas Mast, but her father Abram has determined she'll marry Gideon Peachey, whose father's farm adjoins the Ebersols'. Her beautiful sister Sadie's defiance crosses the boundaries when she becomes involved with Englischer Derek Schwartz. Heartache is inevitable. The dialect (perty, redd, Dat, ach, wonderful-gut, jah) is as dense as sugar cream pie, as are the italicized terms. There are further challenges for the reader: multiple points of view and cumbersome Amish definitions make the novel a bumpy read for the uninitiated. The characters are flat and unchanging, and the plot functions mostly as a setup for the series. There are factual errors, as when Ebersol's home garden produce stand features early spring vegetables in the month of August. Several events, including a hidden pregnancy that remains unobserved by the family until almost the eighth month, require enormous suspension of disbelief, and readers will see the key plot developments coming from the earliest pages. However, none of these troubles may deter Lewis's enthusiastic audience. (Sept.) Forecast: With nearly three million novels sold, Lewis is a staple on the CBA bestseller charts. Bethany plans a major marketing push for the new series.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Fans of Lewis's "Heritage of Lancaster County" trilogy will cheer her return to Amish country with this new series. When the teenage daughters of Abram Ebersol begin courting during the summer of 1946, Sadie furtively sees smooth-talking, non-Amish Derry, who impregnates and then abandons her. After keeping her pregnancy hidden from all but her younger sister Leah and Aunt Lizzie, Sadie goes into premature labor, and Derry's father is the doctor called in to help. At the same time, Leah defies her father, who has chosen her future husband, by becoming engaged to Jonas Mast. Meanwhile, younger twin sisters Hannah and Mary Ruth struggle with their own hopes and fears for the future, and a fifth daughter is born to mother Ida. Unfortunately, Lewis's scattershot approach focuses too briefly on too many characters, making it hard for the reader to keep them straight. It's also difficult to be sympathetic to a family who weaves its own web of deception, but Lewis is a master of eliciting empathy for characters caught in troubles of their own making. The Amish community with all of its intricacies is vibrantly drawn (Lewis grew up in Pennsylvania Dutch country), and the tension between it and the encroaching English world is palpable. "Jahe" readers will be impatient for the continuation, even if it won't be "perty." Recommended for all collections.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764223305
• ASIN: B00112C6PI
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #664,789 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've had my nose in a book, for as long as I remember. When I was about 9 years old, I started writing my own stories. By sixth grade, I'd hand-written a 66-page semi-autobiographical book titled, "She Shall Have Music."

After I was married and our three children were in middle school, I began submitting articles and short fiction to various magazines.

My first book (Holly's First Love) was published in May 1993, the start of a 14-book series for pre-teen girls. Soon after, my first chapter book was published for 7-10-year-old readers ("Big Bad Beans") which later became part of my 24-book series, The Cul-de-Sac Kids. I wrote another long-running series for girls, titled "SummerHill Secrets," which was set very close to Neffsville, PA, where I grew up--near the heart of Amish country.

But it was the story of my grandmother Ada Buchwalter's shunning by her ultra-strict father and subsequently her old order Mennonite community that nudged me toward writing adult fiction. THE SHUNNING was published in 1997 by Bethany House Publishers, and along with its sequels, has touched a nerve in millions of readers intrigued by the Plain culture of Lancaster County, PA. The Hallmark Channel will air the movie, "Beverly Lewis's The Shunning" on April 16, 2011 at 9 EDT/8 Central.

My passion for Amish-related stories continues to keep me up at night, and I'm presently writing the third book in my new series: The Rose Trilogy, due out September '11.

When I'm between writing deadlines, I enjoy hiking in the Rocky Mountains with my husband. Cooking from scratch, playing Mozart at the piano, and making family memory albums, as well as traveling to meet my devoted readers during book tours, are some of my very favorite things. I also adore reading biographies and memoirs, as well as classic literature.

Book Two of my present series: THE JUDGMENT, will be released on April 5, 2011.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent Beginning to a Series, May 11, 2004

By 

Tammy L. Schilling "tammyl84" (MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Covenant (Abram's Daughters) (Hardcover)

The Covenant is my first Beverly Lewis novel, and I have to say that I enjoyed it immensely. Set in the Lancaster County, PA "Dutch Country" area, the novel is the first in a series about four Amish sisters - Abram's Daughter's.

The plot focuses mostly on the two eldest daughters, Sadie and Leah. Sadie is a typical innocent young girl, intrigued with the wordly ways that she has been sheltered from, and running wild during her rumsprunger (the time when Amish teens get to do what they want before they commit themselves to an Amish/Anabaptist way of life). Leah, younger than Sadie, has not yet come to the age of rumsprunger, but is much more staid of temperment, and worried terribly over Sadie's running around. While dealing with these worries, Leah is also dealing with the pressure that her father is putting on her to marry Gideon and join the two families farms, when she comes of age. Leah, of course, is in love with someone else.

Beverly Lewis is an immensely sweet and realistic writer. She manages to portray Lancaster County in an attractive, but thankfully not syrupy, manner. Her characters are real people who have passions and worries, but still have floors to sweep and cows to milk. Like us, they must struggle to function *with* their passions and problems, rather than calling a time-out on their lives for a plotline. And like real people, these characters do not go into euphoric swoons, nor have nervous breakdowns. Instead, they laugh, cry, get mad, forgive, love, and pick up the pieces.

The Covenant is steadily paced, but not at all fast. It feels like a leisurely walk down the beach with a good friend. The story provides for satisfying moments, but as the beginning of the series, does not wrap things up in a neat package. Instead, this is a true series, rather than a trilogy, and the next book will pick up where this one leaves off.

I very much enjoyed The Covenant and look forward to reading the next book in the series, as well as all reading other of Lewis' books. This book will be highly enjoyed by most women who have had children, as doubtless was it's targeted audience. I would also recommend that mothers consider giving a copy to their teenage daughters. It would provide an nice connection for the daughters to see what it is that mothers truly worry about, and possibly provide some meat for interesting discussions.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amish teaser, February 12, 2003

By 

Lynn Young (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Covenant (Abram's Daughters #1) (Paperback)

This is not the kind of book I usually read. (A story about the Amish? Yawn!) It was a gift . I probably wouldn't have bought it myself. But I'm glad I read it. The book was a bit slow paced at first-like what we imagine Amish life to be - but before long I was hooked! If Ms. Lewis doesn't hurry up and write the sequel ( Abram's Daughters 2), I'll break out in a rash. I guess I'll just have to read her other books in the meantime! Did I mention there is no graphic sex, violence, or swearing? And you DON'T CARE!! There is love, mystery, happiness, tragedy, loyalty, all the ingredients of a good read. Just what I like in a book. I'm itchin' to read the next installment in the lives of Abram's daughters!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read, February 25, 2003

By 

NancyLeeIL (Chicago Suburb, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Covenant (Abram's Daughters #1) (Paperback)

I just finished reading The Covenant...and had NO idea when I picked the book up that it was a series. Whew. Am I glad. I got to the end of the book at 2am...and thought..."BUT, WHAT ABOUT....?"

I found the book an interesting challenge to my preconcieved ideas about the Amish. I think I always thought that their life was idyllic, simple...and something a part of me longed for in this "look at your calender to see what thousand things you have to today" world.

I found very human characters with very good hearts and intentions struggling with teenagers, freedom, dreams,work, expectations and love. Although the Amish choose to live differently than we do, we are all tied together whether "plain" or "wordly" in simply being human.

This is not a profoundly deep or thrilling book, yet it will leave you wanting more. You come to care for the characters and their tears and joys...just as you do your best friend. You know her secrets and know her heart and just pray that it all works out in the end...

So you'll be looking very forward to your next visit in Book 2. :-)