The Reckoning (The Heritage of Lancaster County #3) [Paperback]

Beverly Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Series: Heritage of Lancaster County | Publication Date: February 1, 2008

Unknown to Katie, her long-lost love seeks her even as she has another interest. Yet she yearns for peace, which requires facing her plain heritage. Heritage of Lancaster County book 3.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The Powerful Conclusion to
The Shunning and The Confession!

Shunned from the Plain life of her youth, Katie Lapp (now known as Katherine) delights in the modern world, yet she longs for the peace that reigned in her mother's heart. Though her life is far removed from Lancaster County, she must come to terms with her Amish heritage...and the man she once loved.

About the Author

Beverly Lewis, born in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, is The New York Times bestselling author of more than eighty books. Her stories have been published in eleven languages worldwide. A keen interest in her mother's Plain heritage has inspired Beverly to write many Amish-related novels, beginning with The Shunning, which has sold more than one million copies and was recently made into an Original Hallmark Channel movie. In 2007 The Brethren was honored with a Christy Award. She has been interviewed by both national and international media, including Time magazine, the Associated Press, and the BBC. Beverly lives with her husband, David, in Colorado. Visit her Web site at www.beverlylewis.com for more information.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers; Repack edition (February 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764204653
• ISBN-13: 978-0764204654
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #52,948 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

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A worthwhile continuation of Katherine's experiences, December 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Reckoning (The Heritage of Lancaster County 3) (Paperback)

If you've read The Shunning and The Confession, you've got to follow up with this new title! As with the first two books in the series, this was a page-turner. While the previous titles left me with a negative feeling toward the Amish (in relation to their beliefs and practices), Lewis digs a little deeper into the hearts of the Amish characters in The Reckoning. In it, she shows that, though under the hand of the order, the men and women are truly individuals who can see the imperfections in the Amish beliefs but still revere the traditions. Also, it's good to see Katherine mature in The Reckoning. She opens her eyes to the world and to the Lord. Just as with the last two, I can't wait to see where Lewis takes Katherine/Katie in the next title in the series.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't read this review if you don't want to know the ending!, May 21, 2007

By 

Missouri Reader (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Reckoning (The Heritage of Lancaster County #3) (Mass Market Paperback)

The story itself wasn't that bad, but pretty much a typical romance formula. Young lovers run into problems, part, reunite... Of course this one had an Amish flavor, and I enjoyed reading the speech patterns. My main gripe with the series wasn't the story or it's predicatbility. It is that the story could have been told in a single book, or maybe 2, if the author had fleshed it out some.

(Here's the 'spoiler' part; for those who don't want to know the end...quit reading NOW!) Katie and Daniel do, of course, reunite, but it seemed the story dragged out forever before they got there! It seemed totally out of character for Katie to not see what was up with the stranger the first time the butler turned Daniel away. And for NO ONE to realize he was speaking of the REAL Katie Lapp, and not the imposter, was totally unbelievable! Then, when Katie finally DID meet Daniel, her reaction was NOT what I would expect from someone who'd been in love with his memory all those years. I'm not Amish, but Katie was, and I would think that at least some of the 'confession and forgiveness' thing would have rubbed off to the point that she could have accepted him as a friend, if not her mate.

Getting past that, for a 3 book series, the author left way too many things unanswered. Forget that the stepfather and imposter daughter were not prosecuted in the 2nd book. But what about Justin Wirth. Many times the author hinted at the idea that he may have been more interested in Katherine's money than Katherine. We never find out if he really loved her, or if he wanted to marry into her wealth as her 'step'father had marreid her biological mother. How does Katherine turn down his proposal and how does he react? Katie's mother attended her wedding, but what about her 'dat' and her brothers? Is she able to maintain a friendship with Mary, and how does the Bishop react?

As I said, the story itself wasn't really a BAD story...just incomplete, and way too long for the material covered.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This entire series made me marvel at God's Awesome Love, October 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Reckoning (The Heritage of Lancaster County 3) (Paperback)

The Lancaster county series enticed me into the amish way of life. Beverly Lewis truly did her homework before writing these books. I love when an author can truly captivate the Lord's love and grace. Mrs. Lewis certainly did this. It was very interesting to see how the amish live and the bondage that they lived in. Also, it's good to see that the bondage and the feeling of capitivity can be transformed through Jesus Christ. A heart warming series that will stay in my heart.