Customer Reviews

The Thorn (The Rose Trilogy, Book 1)

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The Thorn by Beverly Lewis is the first novel in The Rose Trilogy, her newest Amish fiction series. Young Rose Ann's best friend is a young man named Nick who was adopted by the bishop's family nine years ago. They are neighbors and Nick employed by Rose's father, but Nick is not Amish and does not want to be. Rose Ann's sister, Hen, who married an English man now wants to be Amish again despite her husband's protests and their poor daughter Mattie Sue is caught between them. Rose Ann's employer is hiding something and Rose Ann is interested in being courted by Silas Good. Will Nick leave the Amish and will Hen return to her rightful place with her husband? How does Rose Ann handle all of these changes?

I was very intrigued by all of these forbidden situations among Rose Ann's family. I felt as I read through this novel that things were very unsettled and actually it didn't seem like there was a conclusion to many of these situations which is why I'm really looking forward to the next book. I thought Beverly Lewis did an excellent job developing characters and creating conflict. She really captures the spirit of the Amish and weaves a very entertaining novel with plenty of drama and a few surprises.

This is one of those books that grabs your interest and refuses to let it go!! More than once I thought "oh I know where this is going" only to be pleasantly surprised. I loved the insight into the Amish ways and loved reading about real life places that I've seen in my travels. I loved everything about this story!

I think this is the best book of any that Beverly Lewis has written because it shows how important it is that people really take a long look at the things they share and respect before they get married. This book tackles some of the list that people must discuss: values, views on everything from what is acceptable behavior from their children to what religion their children will be taught.

Not because it is the most interesting, although it is a very interesting book. And I think that it is very realistic.

But the reason it should be required reading for all people thinking of getting married is because it shows what happens when the "newness" of married life wears off and what happens when children are born.

I am not talking about falling out of love, but when a couple becomes very comfortable with each other and they are actually themselves. Everyone is a product of his/her background.

And when people age this background always seems to come out in people.

For better or worse we all have a past and that past does help determine who we are. I can't be anymore specific about how these issues are handles in the book, because I don't want to spoil the book for others.

THEN the differences really matter. Everyone presents their best and agreeable side when dating. It is just the way it is, but this book shows the downfall of that very thing. And of not thinking through decisions. That is the reason I think it is Beverly Lewis' best work.

The Thorn by Beverly Lewis is the first book in the Rose series. Rose Ann Kauffman has always been the good daughter in her Amish family. The youngest of several children, at twenty-one, she' responsible for caring for her disabled mother since her brothers are all married with families of their own and elder sister Hen left the community to marry her Englischer husband. Rose's long friendship with the bishop's foster son, Nick, may be the only thing keeping him from leaving the Amish, but what she sees as good friends, Nick may see as something more. Hen, who now has a nearly five-year-old daughter Mattie Sue, suddenly sees all that she gave up when she married Brandon and turned her back on her family. Brandon doesn't understand her desire to begin dressing Plain and spend time with her family, and their fighting causes a fissure in their marriage that may be irreparable. Lewis who is well-known for her Amish novels, isn't resting on her laurels with this new series. I know that a book is engrossing when at night I find myself almost praying for the characters because I've been so completely pulled into their world. Her writing captures the beauty of Amish life, as well as the struggle its young people face to choose the Plain lifestyle. Hen's return to the life she left accurately renders the stark differences between modern culture and the values of the Amish. Rose, as a young woman who doesn't know her own heart, is fresh and thoroughly likable. I'm fascinated to see where the next book, The Judgment, takes these characters.

I was so excited when I was asked to review this book. Beverly Lewis is one of my absolute favorite authors, so to be given the privilege of reviewing one of her books was an honor!! I have become so fascinated with the Amish lifestyle from reading her books. She definitely makes me long for a simpler life.

With this book, she doesn't disappoint. It is well written and easy to read. It focuses on an Amish family with typical daughters. One, Hen, who longed for the English way of life and finds herself in marries to an "Englisher", but after having a daughter she longs for the simpler way of life she was raised in. The other daughter, Rose, wants nothing more than to be Amish. She longs for an Amish marriage and to live her life out with all the traditional Amish ways she is accustom to. In the midst of all this though, Rose finds herself in a serious relationship with the son of an upstanding Amish family, but also attracted to the Bishop's foster son, Nick, her long-time best friend. The only problem - Nick is attracted to the English way of life he was accustom to before being place with the bishop.

As with all Beverly Lewis trilogies, she makes you feel like you know these people and leaves you longing for the rest of the story. I highly recommend this book or any other Beverly Lewis book. If you don't already have an interest in the Amish way of life, you will.

I would like to thank Bethany House for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was recently provided the opportunity to read and review this book by Bethany House. I haven't read very many books by Beverly Lewis, but I do enjoy the occasional Amish-centered novel, so I thought I would give this one a try. I thought the character of Rose Ann was likable. She was kind and considerate and had a willingness to love those who were different. My favorite character was Nick. I feel like he was really misunderstood and misjudged. I felt really bad for him. To me, he was the character with the most depth. Everyone, with the exception of Rose Ann wrote him off as bad and never even gave him a chance. His own brother, who was constantly terrible to him, seemed to me to be the one who had the bad attitude, not Nick. The character of Hen really bothered me. I found her to be selfish and I thought she treated her husband unfairly. I also think he was painted in a very negative light simply because he was not Amish. It just seemed drastic that Hen would completely forsake her faith to marry someone who was agnostic and didn't want anything to do with her family. She wanted nothing to do with her own Amish roots and family and completely embraced the non-Amish life until 5 years later. Now, suddenly, she can't stand the "worldly" English ways and wants to go back, and she seems clueless as to why her husband might be confused about this.

I've read my share of Amish fiction and I kinda felt this one was a bit predictable. The story moved rather slowly and then felt rushed at the end. The characters just lacked dimension to me. It all just seemed too typecast. I don't want to give it a negative review. I'm sure most Beverly Lewis fans will enjoy it, but this book just wasn't for me.

*This book was provided for review by Bethany House.

This story is about two Amish sisters living in Pennsylvania. The younger, Rose Ann, has been baptized into the Amish faith and is currently dealing with courtship along with the daily care of her handicapped mother. The older sister, Hannah (`Hen' for short), left her Amish faith five years earlier to marry a non-Amish (English) man and is currently living in the `modern' world.

Rose Ann's best friend is the adopted son of the Amish bishop, Nick, who has not embraced the Amish ways. She also has somewhat of a relationship with another Amish boy, Silas, and he is the one with whom she can envision a future. Rose Ann seems compassionate and caring, and she is totally devoted to her faith.

Hen is married to Brandon, and is living in the modern world with him and her daughter, Mattie Sue. However, recently she feels conflicted with the way Mattie Sue is being raised in the modern world versus the way she was raised in the Amish world. She has a desire to return to her Amish roots, but she is not able to convince her husband to become Amish.

To me, this book was bewildering. Maybe I am just not used to reading Amish books, but there were so many characters involved (especially minor characters who were mentioned once and then you were expected to remember who they were ten chapters later) and so many Amish words that I didn't know that it made me dizzy at times. Also, the character of Hen frustrated me. She chose to leave the Amish way of life to marry someone else, but now five years later she wants to go back and wants her husband to convert to the Amish faith. She says that she wants this so that her daughter can be raised is a moral way. So, the only way to instill values and morals in your child is to be Amish? (According to Hen, I guess my parents didn't do a very good job!)

Also, I understand that this book is the first in a series of three, but none of the storylines were wrapped up at all. Almost every question was left hanging. With trilogies, there needs to be some carryover from one book to the next, of course, but this one just stopped abruptly.

Even though this book had some frustrating parts for me, the story was still pretty good and fairly well written. If I had more knowledge of the Amish ways, I think I would have enjoyed this book more. If you are a fan of Amish fiction, you will probably enjoy this book. I will not purchase the future books in this trilogy, but I would consider getting them from the library.

Thank you to Bethany House and Baker Publishing Group for the review copy of this book!

I have not read a Beverly Lewis book in awhile and was really excited to read The Thorn (Rose Trilogy). I purchase this book on June 16 and was finished in a week. I just couldn't put the Kindle eBook down. Rose, Hen and Nick are the main characters in this book. Living in Pennsylvania reminds me of the Amish that I see in Lancaster which helps visualize what the characters look like and how they are in their lifestyles. I have always been interested in their life styles and Beverly Lewis invites me in through her eyes when reading her books. I can't wait to read the next book.

I've read nearly all of Beverly Lewis's books ... and love them. They're funny, well-written, painstakingly researched, and engaging. This one is too - and yet, it's in a different tone from her earlier novels, and I'm not entirely sure I like it. I'll still read the sequel coming out in April, but it's not a series I'm going to rush out and buy. Nick's side storyline just didn't quite sit right with me - it's not in character for Beverly and is just generally unsettling. While the Amish community is by no means immune from situations like those portrayed in the book, I just expected more - or maybe less - from Beverly. I'm not usually so affected by her books, and I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't read it, but I'm hesitant to see where she's going to take this series and I'll likely read it with a grain of salt/apprehension.

I have read every single series written by Beverly Lewis, and the start of The Rose Trilogy, The Thorn, surpasses them all. I'm not gonna give away anything that happens, but if you love Christian Fiction, this book is a must read!