16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I just love this series!, October 27, 2009
This review is from: Plain Promise (Daughters of the Promise, No. 3) (Paperback)
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Beth Wiseman has done it again! I've read and loved the first two books in this series and this book was no different. Beth always keeps the plot in motion, creating a page turner. I love how characters from the first two books are revisited in this book. There was only one scenario in the entire book that I found to be totally cheesy and didn't enjoy. It was when Lizzy went to help Jonas when he fell. Other than that, I enjoyed the book very much. The book is a work of fiction and I enjoyed it as such.
As with the other books in this series, the book contains a helpful Pennsylvania Dutch glossary at the beginning, as well as a reading guide and Amish recipes at the end of the book.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Promising...but lacking realism, November 1, 2009
This review is from: Plain Promise (Daughters of the Promise, No. 3) (Paperback)
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"Plain Promise" is the third book in Beth Wiseman's "Daughters of the Promise" Amish series. I have read the prior two books in the series, but this could be read as a stand alone book.
Although there were portions of the book I liked, it is my least favorite so far in this series. The story of the friendship between the young widow Sadie and outsider Kade is sweet, but not believable. I did enjoy seeing how Sadie and the rest of the Amish community related to Kade's autistic son Tyler. These were some of the best parts of the story.
Since Kade is not Amish, he questions Sadie about some of the Amish practices that are confusing to him. Sadie seems to agree with some of the opinions expressed by Kade, but she doesn't explain her beliefs wholeheartedly, but then these doubts are not addressed again which is disappointing. In addition, I found the side story of the romance between Jonas and Lizzie to be distracting from the main story and I found myself skimming through those pages.
Overall, I found the book to be okay, but not great. The ending is upbeat even though I didn't think it was realistic. Readers that are able to suspend disbelief may enjoy the book more than I did.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Reads more like a Harlequin Romance than an Amish Story, December 7, 2009
This review is from: Plain Promise (Daughters of the Promise, No. 3) (Paperback)
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I have enjoyed Amish stories and romances for quite some time, and looked forward to reading and reviewing this one.
There are two areas I struggled with as I read this story of Sadie and her struggle between two men.
First - early in the book, I felt that the book portrayed the Amish life incorrectly. The Ordnung was portrayed as burdensome, the Bishop was seen as a punitive father figure rather than an adviser and counselor, and the shunning was viewed as a punishment instead of a method of calling someone back into fellowship. Sadie even worried about being "spied upon" by her friends and deliberately misled them. There was a sense that the Amish life was rule-driven rather than protected by the boundaries of simplicity. This is not the Amish life I know.
Second, while most Amish novels are conversation driven, this particular novel is action driven. This is particularly true in her relationship - the strong physical connection she feels is primary, and the love and respect only happens secondarily. One area that makes this particular novel different is that Sadie does not have any family with which to connect, and even though she is portrayed as having friends, we do not hear the conversations between Sadie and the friends who love and support her. As a result, you never feel totally connected to the reasons for Sadie's struggles.
Without giving away the storyline, I do want to mention that I found portions of the story sounded forced, and once again I longed for a deeper glimpse into Sadie's soul as she made certain choices, wishing that the story and conversation supported those choices. This disconnect made the story feel unrealistic at times.
On the positive side, the Gospel is clearly presented, and some of the aspects of Amish faith are seen in a different light later in the book, although the simplistic nature of the life are emphasized over the daily living that makes the simple life actually work.
If you are looking for a kind, gentle romance with Christian overtones, you will likely enjoy this book. However, I do not recommend it as your only glimpse into the Amish world, since it is most assuredly written from an Englisher point of view.
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