Customer Reviews

The Postcard (Amish Country Crossroads #1)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I enjoyed this book, but it took me awhile to get into it. It doesn't have the interest level of her Heritage trilogy, but it is interesting and I am sure in the next books to come that more mystery will be unraveled and questions answered. Basically, I felt this was more of an introduction to the series and I can't wait to read the next book to find out what happens with Rachel and Phillip.

The book opens rather dramatically with the death of Rachel's husband & son. Then it fast-forwards 2 years later and Rachel & Annie are living in her parents' B&B when a NYC journalist, Philip Bradley stays and finds a postcard. This postcard leads him on a journey through Amish customs, lost loves, and his own spirituality.

There are plenty of active characters in this book. Rachel is blind because of the trauma of the accident; Annie wants her Mom to be able to see. Rachel's parents are stuck in their beliefs--powwow doctors, strict, and I caught a hint of reliance on Rachel's blindness. I have to admit that Rachel's mom Susanna really started to annoy me.

A wonderful book with a great mystery.

The Postcard begins with Rachel Yoder an Amish women finishing off a letter to her cousin. Rachel and her family jump in the buggy and begin going to town. While stopped at an intersection named the Crossroads Rachel's letter is taken away by the wind. While catching it Rachel's family is in a terrible accident and only her daughter survives.

Rachel having witnessed this terrible tragedy becomes blind. Now forced to rely on her parents who run an Amish bed and breakfast, Rachel distances herself from everyone on everything, the only spot of joy in her colourless world are her daughter and the tape recorded messages her cousin sends.

Meanwhile Philip Bradley a columnist for a newspaper decides to write an article on an Amish Christmas. While staying at Rachel's parents bed and breakfast, Philip becomes enthralled by the lifestyle and Rachel. While fixing a drawer in his bedroom he stumbles upon a postcard written in old order Amish. Returning it to Rachel's mother , Philip is brushed off. Finding this a little odd, for Rachel's mother has always been polite courteous and eager to please. Philip still in possession of the postcard searches for someone to translate the message. Finding it to be a love letter from one of Rachel's deceased relatives he plans to return it to the women named in the letter, finding this hard to do so he enlists the help of Rachel. Rachel reluctant to do so agrees and so together they unravel the mystery surrounding the postcard.

I read The Postcard in one day! Kept my attention is puttin it lightly! I cried so hard I woke my husband up. The sequel The Crossroad is even better! But will make no sense without The Postcard. A must READ!

I got this book because I'd read a few of Beverly Lewis' books and enjoyed them. I was not disappointed!

This story begins with a tragedy- and the main character is trying to cope with it. Then suddenly, a stranger steps into their life and starts uncovering a dark family secret.
Meet Rachel, who was widowed at an early age because of a driving accident.
Meet her daughter Annie, a rambunctious, talkative 6-year-old girl who always manages to say the wrong thing at the wrong time!
Meet Susanna, Rachel's overprotective mother. She's determined to have Rachel find her "hidden gift" and will go to any length to accomplish that.
And finally, meet Philip. He's a writer for a magazine, and he's on a mission. But he never dreamed that he'd be on this mission!

A tale of suspense and mystery that is worth reading! Can't wait to read the sequel!

In this book, Beverly Lewis brings you back into the culture of Amish society with redemption/healing story with a bit of intrigue. About an Amishwoman who loses both husband and son in a buggy accident, leaving her with her little daughter and the loss of her sight. The stranger who comes to stay in her parent's B&B befriends her and helps her. He discovers a old postcard lodged in a small drawer of his rolltop antique desk in his room at the B&B. The postcard brings strange reactions from the owners of the Amish Bed and Breakfast owners, urging him on a trail after the history of the postcard. Another great book set in the heart of Pennsylvanian Amish Country. Be sure to check out the sequel to this book, "The Cross Roads".

Beverly Lewis did a superb job in her 3 book Amish series, Shunning, Confession and Reckoning......I suspect this new series will be equally as good when it actually gets into the story line.......but I really felt The Postcard wasted way too much time getting to the heart of the 2 main characters. However, there are a lot of unanswered puzzles still to be explored when the sequel comes out next month, September or maybe October. END

This is a fine book which I can enthusiastically recommend about the life of the Amish in Pennsylvania. Superstitions such as pow-wowing and sympathy healing are thoroughly delved into. The differences between religion and good works vs. a close personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ are another theme. Despite these serious issues, the writing is light-hearted and thoroughly enjoyable Christian fiction.

I really enjoy these Christian books about the Amish and I really enjoy the books by Beverly Lewis.

The Postcard and The Crossing were very easy reads and hard to put down.

However, that said, I can only give this an 'average' review. Why? Beverly Lewis has some very flawed ideas of 'generational sin' in a word/faith church (bad, bad church). I was raised with these teachings of 'generational sin'. It took me years to heal from them. I would equate these generational sin teachings with the powwow doctoring in the books. If you are a Bible-believing Christian, read Ezekiel 18:20. Also please read Exodus 20:5-6

"You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments."

If you love God, you are loved and not cursed. However, as those verses suggest, if you have idols in your life (i.e. money, false gods, etc...), you do need to get your life straightened out quickly.

I have to agree with one of the other reviews posted. This book doesn't hold your interest like "The Shunning" did. It took me double the amount of time to read, and I pretty much had the plot figured out early on. Still- I am sure I will read the follow up book coming soon from Beverly Lewis.