Fiddler, The (Home to Hickory Hollow) [Large Print] [Paperback]

Beverly Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 10, 2012 | Series: Home to Hickory Hollow (Book 1)

New from #1 Bestselling Author Beverly Lewis

Amelia "Amy" DeVries, a 24-year-old violinist, is disillusioned with life and love after the collapse of her long-running romance. Weary of endless rehearsals and performances, Amy sets out on a road trip through the Pennsylvania mountains. She leaves her cell phone behind so life's demands can't intrude on her solitude. She doesn't know, nor care, where she will end up.

When her car breaks down deep in the mountains, Amy realizes the flaw in her "no cell phone" plan. She abandons her car and walks the winding roads, searching for help. Following the smell of woodsmoke and the sound of music, she finds a rustic log cabin. There she meets a young Amishman--and through him a community--that will change her life forever.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

I studied my reflection in the mirror over the sink. Clean-shaven...blond hair cropped just below my ears, with the usual old-fashioned bangs. I looked like all the other young Amishmen I knew. And it made me feel even more lost.

Deserting the mirror, I went to kneel beside one of the bunks in the main room. "Hear my prayer for guidance, O God," I whispered, feeling guilty as I was reminded of my disobedience to the wishes of my parents. Could I expect my prayers to reach past the ceiling?

A single gas lantern brightened the gloom. There was really no need for the lantern when the cabin had electricity, but having my old lantern from home reminded me of the very thing that had brought me to this momentous day. Because I knew full well if I continued to walk the fence, I might end up on the other side--the outside, looking in. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Come home to Hickory Hollow, Pennsylvania--the beloved setting where Beverly Lewis's celebrated Amish novels began--with new characters and new stories of drama, romance, and the ties that draw people together.

A wrong turn in a rainstorm leads Englisher Amelia Devries to Michael Hostetler--and the young Amishman's charming Old Order community of Hickory Hollow. Despite their very different backgrounds, Amelia and Michael both feel hemmed in by the expectations of others and struggle with how to find room for their own hopes. And what first seems to be a chance encounter might just change their lives forever.

"Lewis's presentation of Amish life portrays the advantages and disadvantages of a community with definite rules and a solidarity that can be both enviable and constraining. The musical motifs offer welcome variation on very familiar Amish themes that Lewis renders in virtuoso style. This opens the Home to Hickory Hollow series, but stands alone nicely." --Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (April 10, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764209779
• ISBN-13: 978-0764209772
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (273 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,336 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Large Print > Romance
  • #5 in Books > Large Print > Religion & Spirituality
  • #12 in Books > Large Print > Literature & Fiction

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Return to Hickory Hollow April 12, 2012

By Ashley Mott VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I preordered The Fiddler as soon as I read the last book in The Rose trilogy because I really wanted to see if I wanted to continue to read new Beverly Lewis books after the somewhat abrupt conclusion to that series, and I'm glad I did. I think The Fiddler is enough of a mix of all of Beverly Lewis' different books that it felt comfortable without feeling like a rehash.

In this volume the main characters of Amelia and Michael encounter each other one night while each is trying to work through feelings of discontent with their life's path while not wanting to hurt their parents and families with their choices. This part of the book was actually really endearing to me because it happened almost immediately and because there was a lot of actual dialogue instead of quick conversations followed by internal discourse. It was delightful just to have two characters chatting through an evening instead of thinking.

I've read most of Beverly's books, but some of the older ones I read nearly a decade ago at this point, so I don't remember everything about them...but I will venture that this volume reminds me more of those older books because they aren't following lives of dedicated Amish or Amish who are definitely going into the church. Instead, we have returned to a place with questions.

I loved that in this book Beverly actually ventures into (through dialogue on religion) the fact that Amish life and the faith isn't all quiet, peaceful tranquility where life is wonderful all the time. I think a lot of authors of this type of fiction have left fans idolizing this lifestyle. While there are certain elements of it that are quaint and that us Englishers could choose to implement in our day-to-day lives, it isn't all tea and skittles and a lot of it is quite harsh and dogmatic. A dose of realism never hurts readers!

Both Amelia and Michael were quite likable in this book and the potential for romance existed from the get-go but not in a typical gushy kind of way. It was more of a peaceful acknowledgment of contentment versus flutters and shortness of breath. Very sweet.

When I read the last book in The Rose Trilogy The Mercy (The Rose Trilogy, Book 3) and left my review, I commented that I didn't like the abruptness of the ending after having been drug through a trilogy built around these people. With The Fiddler, that will not be a problem as this book is the complete story. While the characters in here may appear in other books in "The Home to Hickory Hollow" series, they are unlikely to be a focus as the main players went full circle. I have two speculations about who will be the star of the next book, "The Homecoming": Elizabeth or Joanna. However, it could be an entirely new person...always a possibility when an author is mixing up their writing formula.

The only reason I am docking a star on this book is for a portion of several pages toward the end that almost began to feel like reading a brochure. I can't talk about it in depth here because it would be a plot spoiler, but an astute reader will see what I mean when you get there. However, I still highly recommend this book despite my nitpick.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Does Your Life Magnify or Minimze Christ?" April 17, 2012

By PegFlint

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Wow. Let me say it again - WOW!

The title of my review is a quote from page 206 of the book and it so well expresses the theme that carries throughout the book. It is nice to see both an Amish-raised (but not yet member of the church) man and an "Englisher" woman struggle with this.

Some might say it was "circumstances" that brought these two together - as Amelia gets lost in a storm and has a flat tire near the cabin where Michael is staying and trying to sort out his life. Others would see it as "providence".

I am not going to share about the plot in this review because I want to focus on a couple of other things that I think are good to know.

First of all, if you have never read any of the other books from the Hickory Hollow series - read them ASAP because the references to certain characters will make more sense when you read this book. (I recommend all 3 books from The Heritage of Lancaster County series).

Secondly - while this is part of a series - and specifically the first book in the series - trust me - the ending is quite satisfying and you will feel like you've read the complete story and not be left hanging. I suspect the other books in the series will cover two characters that are introduced in this book: Elizabeth - the girl who "runs away" to the English but winds up coming home - and Joanna - the Amish girl who has already been baptized into the church and is being courted. I hope Joanna's story is next because I truly fell in love with her character and feel like Elizabeth needs to be developed more in the second book. However - that is just me....

Finally - let me state that I did not get the impression at all that the Amish lifestyle is better or the English lifestyle is better. Both lifestyles are described and talked about but neither one was stressed as being more "spiritual" than the other

Thanks to Beverly Lewis for a GREAT read! I just realized I have read ALL of the rest of your Amish books (I was checking to see what I had left to read). Now I have to wait for your next book to be released!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Not what I'm used to from Beverly Lewis July 11, 2012

By stein8

Format:Paperback

I hate to write a negative review for a Beverly Lewis book, because I have so enjoyed her books in the past. However, I was keenly disappointed with this book! The storyline was just so unbelievable, right from the start. As I kept reading, I was waiting for it to improve, certain that it would, but I found myself reading quickly just so that it would be over! It just seemed like every circumstance the characters found themselves in was too unbelievable. Though I liked the idea of an 'Englischer' being transformed by Amish life and an Amishman being transformed by an 'Englischer', the situations and decisions the characters made seemed just too far-fetched, which ruined the whole premise of the book for me.