The Shunning (Heritage of Lancaster County) (Book 1) [Paperback]

Beverly Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1997 | Series: Heritage of Lancaster County (Book 1)

Katie Lapp only knew the Amish ways, but an unexpected discovery may tear apart her beloved community. Heritage of Lancaster County book 1.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

All her life she has longed for the forbidden things, but will her
dreams come at a price too dear to pay?
Why would Katie Lapp's mother, a plain and simple Amishwoman who embraces the Old Ways, hide a beautiful satin baby dress in the attic?

The staggering answer comes on the eve of Katie's wedding to widower Bishop John, throwing her life--present and future--into confusion.

Winner of the Gold Book Award (500,000 copies sold)
Winner of the ECPA Platinum Award (1 million sold) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Beverly Lewis was born in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. She fondly recalls her growing-up years, and due to a keen interest in her mother's Plain family heritage, many of Beverly's books are set in Lancaster County.

A former schoolteacher, Bev is a member of The National League of American Pen Women—the Pikes Peak Branch—and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Her bestselling books are among the C.S. Lewis Noteworthy List Books, and both The Postcard and Annika's Secret Wish have received Silver Angel Awards. Bev and her husband have three children and make their home in Colorado.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556618662
• ISBN-13: 978-1556618666
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (111 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #538,942 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

73 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absorbing story, September 30, 2004

By 

Christine J. Warner (Iowa, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Shunning (Heritage of Lancaster County) (Book 1) (Paperback)

The Shunning is a very interesting story all the way through, and it taught me quite a bit about the Amish way of life. It seems like a book that teaches one so much would have to be quite boring, but it's really just the opposite. At one point, I actually had to stop reading for a few minutes just because I couldn't stand all of the suspense!

Katie Lapp is a very real, believable heroine, something that can be hard to find (especially, I'm afraid, in Christian fiction). I felt, at the end of the book, that I really understood her.

One piece of advice, though: Don't read the rest of the trilogy. This is hard to do, as the book ends on something of a cliffhanger, but force yourself to do it. The Shunning is an excellent book, but the next two are quite disappointing and sort of ruined the series for me. I suggest you just make up your own ending for Katie.

56 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Coincidence and convenience driven, characterization lacking, July 21, 2005

By 

A. Reid (NC, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Shunning (Heritage of Lancaster County) (Book 1) (Paperback)

Obviously I am in the minority here, and this book has satisfied many a reader. Since my experience differs, I've been trying very hard to figure out exactly why this novel disappointed me. I think it comes down to the following:

The biggest problem I had with this novel is that the character felt plot-driven rather than the plot character-driven. A young Pennsylvania Amish woman struggles with a longing for a Fancy life. Plausible enough. But the way events unfold in her engagement to a widowed bishop and in her discovery of her own mother's Deep Dark Secret all felt organized to suit the author's end goal (to sell a sequel?). It's hard to say too much without risking spoiling the story. But as I read, I found myself questioning repeatedly what kind of person would do the things that Katie did. Certainly, we all want to be true to ourselves. But how many of us have as spectacularly a poor sense of timing (either that or disregard for the feelings of others) as Katie does? How many of us have that kind of knack for uncovering hidden objects at just the right time to move along the plot--not once, but twice? While, remarkably, at the same time Outside Forces Are Converging in a mysterious black limousine? In terms of the action, the story read like a soap opera, requiring a pretty high suspension of disbelief. But character presentation did not match the soap opera pacing. Emotionally flighty when required to be so by the plot, Katie was otherwise pretty stoic and rational. If only her story had been. The only things that kept me reading this novel to the end was an interest in the setting and a certain inoffensiveness in prose style.

It didn't repel me, but it didn't draw me in, either. I have absolutely no interest in finding out what happens to Katie next.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good series!, July 18, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Shunning (Heritage of Lancaster County) (Book 1) (Paperback)

I really like the Lancaster County series. It's such a unique story since it has the Amish setting. I read this book several years ago with the intent to finish the series but didn't get around to it. I just recently read the second book, and now I am anxious to get my hands on the third! It is a charming story and definitely worth anyone's time, especialyl if they are looking for a different story.