Customer Reviews

The Prodigal (Abram's Daughters #4)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I preordered this book, reading two thirds the first night I received it. This series is the best of Beverly Lewis's adult books. Via her website I contacted her and there is one more book to be available next summer (2005). The Ebersol family have become friends of mine. Another reviewer is correct, there are secrets revealed but just as many left uncovered. The characterizations are so rich and deep. Beverly Lewis is quite knowledgeable of the Amish and you will learn a lot about them as you read this book. The downside to reading this book in two nights is that I have to wait a year to learn more about the Ebersols and their community.

Momma Ebersol is dead, and Leah has assumed that role for her two youngest siblings. Sadie has returned home and is in her Proving period. Lyddie is just approaching teen years and Leah fears for her safety in the Amish community since her friends seem to be Mennonite. However, a turn of events between Sadie and Leah keep the reader on edge. An old letter reappears after all these years. A letter that would have made the difference in several lives many, many moons ago. But can it now, or is it too late?

Intermarriage has brought too many negative situations and several communities are thinking of a solution. Can any of them really work? Will our Jonas be involved when some of the local boys are sent to his area in Ohio? Will Jonas' position under the Bann prevent him from a happy future?

Dr. Schwartz, an Englisher, figures HIGHLY in this fourth installment. Leah is still working for him and his wife and she is close to finding out the real truth about some long held secrets. What she finally learns is almost more than she can bear and which the reader would never have guessed for the author kept some secrets through all 4 books.

Sadie is a widow, a motherless woman who is contrite but depressed with her lot in life. Why would a wild teen period have such long lasting results? A huge surprise involves Lizzie, known to all the family as Aunt. Yet, another secret goes unrevealed.

Beverly compressed so much interesting, intriguing knowledge into the last few pages that I am certain she cannot end this series without book 5. HOw about it Mrs. Lewis?

Thanks for another spell-binder.

I have to agree with one of the other reviews about book #3 in this series. It dragged and could have been better. This book made up for that and I look foward to more in this series. In book #4 we find Lydianne and Abe growing up with Lydianne starting her "running around years". Aunt Lizzie finds happiness with a husband. Abe has a traumatic experience. Leah after years of sacrifice for her family *might* be back with Jonas.. Dr. Schwartz's secret is revealed..

In my opinion, "The Prodigal", by Beverly Lewis is the best book in her series, "Abram's Daughters." Being an x-Amish woman, I could relate to this book. It really has true Amish content. I find this especially true in the part about the Mennonite friends; conflict of interest; and shunning of family members. For all of these things were so real in Lancaster when I was living there. It brought me back in time, as I turned every page! I enjoyed reading about the experiences that the Ebersol family has endured. It really hit home. I hope she has more books!

THE PRODIGAL is the fourth story in the saga of Abram's Daughters.

These books tell the story of the Ebersol family who live in Gobbler's Knob, Pennsylvania. It's easy for the reader to get involved in the lives of the five daughters because the characters are all interesting. The stories go through their courtships, loves and family secrets. Leah, the main character continues her life of caring for her younger brother and sister. Her Baby sister, Lydiann is growing up and may be heading for some romantic problems. This is an excellent series and I've found them to be very entertaining. All of the books are cliffhangers and keep the reader in suspense until the next book comes out. Fortunately, the author, Beverly Lewis, seems able to write quickly. She's also able to keep coming up with different problems for the Ebersol family to handle.

I don't want to give away any of this particular story, but in many ways it didn't come up to the other books. I felt that the author dragged out THE PRODIGAL a little too much. I think that this book should have wrapped up the series, but there's at least one more book to read. Of course, I will read the next book, but I think that it may be time to tie up all of the loose parts and end this series.

I got hooked on the series of Abram's Daughter's by Beverly Lewis over the summer. I couldn't get through books 1-3 quick enough! Waiting for "The Prodigal" to be released seemed like an eternity -- and I can imagine that my wait for "The Revelation" will be the same. I look forward to finding out what's next for Leah (and Jonas), Sadie and the other Ebersole family members.

With her beloved mother dead for seven years, Amish Leah Ebersol raises her two younger siblings who consider her their mom. Her sister Sadie has come home as a widow having married in Ohio; she must prove herself to the community especially the Bishop, after being shunned for an affair with an English person that led to a stillborn child before she fled town. Leah is concerned that her nine year old sibling Lydiann will choose the wrong path having made close friends with a Mennonite child her age.

Jonas Mast resides on Ohio where he still reflects on what could have been if his beloved Leah was not married. However, unbeknownst to him, a misconception and a misfortunate event caused by Sadie, who feels guilty for doing what she did, has kept him away from Leah. If he only had known she was single things would have been much different. Soon a letter never reaching its destination will bring these two together, but is it enough to keep them together for she has two siblings who need her.

The third Abram's Daughter tale, THE PRODIGAL, is an engaging look at life in an Amish community during the Eisenhower administration. The story line invites the audience to follow the daily living, which also enables the reader to admire Leah's strong faith though she has taken some blows in her life; she believes that God works in mysterious ways, but needed her with her family for the sake of her brother and sister. Though there is no action, Beverly Lewis writes an appealing and inspiring glimpse at a 1950s Amish community.

Harriet Klausner

In the Prodigal, the Ebersol family is growing up and away. Mary Ruth has turned Mennonite and married Robert, the doctor's son. She is expecting her first child.

Lydiann is up to her rumpspringhe years already, and has met up with Jake, who unbeknownst to both of them are aunt and nephew. It will be discovered by Leah that Sadie's so-called stillborn son is still very much alive. She makes that discovery by accident while working for the doctor. What she soon discovers is that the doctor had switched the babies around when Fannie Mast really did have a stillborn child, and one living boy. Then when Sadie's baby begins breathing suddenly, he gives Sadie's boy to Fannie, knowing it would avoid disgrace to the Ebersol family and more severe punishment to Sadie herself at that time. So Jake grows up in the Mast family all these years as their own boy along with his twin. It wasn't until Leah discovers that Lydiann is dating him, and to her horror, she must break these two apart. So Jake is sent away to the Ohio Amish community there to work as Jonas's apprentice. The Mast family and the Ebersol's are estranged anyhow as Fannie and Peter felt that Leah was the cause of Jonas's shunning, and they never forgave for that.

And poor Sadie. In order to get accepted fully again into the Amish community and her family, she has to go through a period of proving which means she must not wander far away from the house. Something happens that she does break the rules a little bit when she goes outside to far after her sister Mary Ruth. The bishop Bontrager catches her in the act, and very cruelly wants her out away from her family. She goes to live with the Nolts for awhile until the bishop is talked into bending a little by Gid, Hannah's husband. But this time is really her last chance.

Hannah and Gid are expecting their fourth baby and Hannah has postpartum depression very badly. Gid is very concerned about her until she finally sees the doctor.

Abe, the youngest in the Ebersol family who was Ida's last child when she died right after birth has a serious accident in the ice after a slip and fall. He has a very bad head injury from which he is knocked comatose and almost doesn't recover. Leah consults the scripture that her mother always read, that is against Amish rules. The prayer works, and Abe does wake up. But afterwords, it takes a long time for him to come back and recover fully.

Abram himself is beginning to mellow a lot in this book, and as you read, you'll find he is more relaxed and gentler in spirit. He and Aunt Lizzie actually fall in love and marry in the book. And surprisingly, he even likes Mary Ruth's husband Robert a Mennonite, welcoming them into his home whereas he would not have before at a certain time there.

The book has so much rich detail and is very very well written that it is hard to lay down once you start reading. Every book in this series has been great. I am sure that the last one, Revelation, will be just as good as the stories of the Amish Ebersol family comes to a climax there.

I have now read all four books in the Abram's Daughters series and can't wait for the next one in the summer of 2005. I really didn't expect to enjoy these books because they're so different from what I usually read. I'm a fan of true crime and thrillers almost exclusively and, of course, Lewis' books couldn't be more different. But I found that when I finished one, I couldn't wait to start the next one and the next one until I had finished all of them. Besides the enjoyment of reading them, I learned a lot about the Amish culture which has always fascinated me. They are wonderful stories and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

In the Prodigal, the Ebersol family is growing up and away. Mary Ruth has turned Mennonite and married Robert, the doctor's son. She is expecting her first child.

Lydiann is up to her rumpspringhe years already, and has met up with Jake, who unbeknownst to both of them are aunt and nephew. It will be discovered by Leah that Sadie's so-called stillborn son is still very much alive. She makes that discovery by accident while working for the doctor. What she soon discovers is that the doctor had switched the babies around when Fannie Mast really did have a stillborn child, and one living boy. Then when Sadie's baby begins breathing suddenly, he gives Sadie's boy to Fannie, knowing it would avoid disgrace to the Ebersol family and more severe punishment to Sadie herself at that time. So Jake grows up in the Mast family all these years as their own boy along with his twin. It wasn't until Leah discovers that Lydiann is dating him, and to her horror, she must break these two apart. So Jake is sent away to the Ohio Amish community there to work as Jonas's apprentice. The Mast family and the Ebersol's are estranged anyhow as Fannie and Peter felt that Leah was the cause of Jonas's shunning, and they never forgave for that.

And poor Sadie. In order to get accepted fully again into the Amish community and her family, she has to go through a period of proving which means she must not wander far away from the house. Something happens that she does break the rules a little bit when she goes outside to far after her sister Mary Ruth. The bishop Bontrager catches her in the act, and very cruelly wants her out away from her family. She goes to live with the Nolts for awhile until the bishop is talked into bending a little by Gid, Hannah's husband. But this time is really her last chance.

Hannah and Gid are expecting their fourth baby and Hannah has postpartum depression very badly. Gid is very concerned about her until she finally sees the doctor.

Abe, the youngest in the Ebersol family who was Ida's last child when she died right after birth has a serious accident in the ice after a slip and fall. He has a very bad head injury from which he is knocked comatose and almost doesn't recover. Leah consults the scripture that her mother always read, that is against Amish rules. The prayer works, and Abe does wake up. But afterwords, it takes a long time for him to come back and recover fully.

Abram himself is beginning to mellow a lot in this book, and as you read, you'll find he is more relaxed and gentler in spirit. He and Aunt Lizzie actually fall in love and marry in the book. And surprisingly, he even likes Mary Ruth's husband Robert a Mennonite, welcoming them into his home whereas he would not have before at a certain time there.

The book has so much rich detail and is very very well written that it is hard to lay down once you start reading. Every book in this series has been great. I am sure that the last one, Revelation, will be just as good as the stories of the Amish Ebersol family comes to a climax there.