I’m a Pennsylvania girl who lives a hop, skip and a jump from Lancaster County, so I no longer gawk at Amish or Mennonites in their plain clothes and buggies (though I do get excited about the horses). Growing up with knowledge of the Amish, I was eager to dig into Suzanne Woods Fisher’s book, The Choice, which is the first in her Lancaster County Secrets series.
The story follows Carrie Weaver, who plans to run off with her sweetheart Solomon Riehl to live the “English” life. That is, to leave the Amish (“plain”) way of life. However, after the death of Carrie’s father, plans change and she marries a man she doesn’t love, inherits a family she comes to adore, and finds herself challenged spiritually and emotionally by the Miller family’s cousin, Abel (who is an Amish-raised hottie).
An appealing strong-willed survivor, Carrie is a far-cry from the meek, shy women I’ve encountered on my Lancaster journeys. But, then again, Carrie is in her element—interaction with an outsider to the Amish world is much different than what happens inside its cloistered walls. While every Amish (and Mennonite) district has its own rules for governance, The Choice offers a glimpse into the practice of Rumspringa, shunning, marriage, and of course, a good ol’ Amish barn raising. (What’s a book about Amish, fiction or non-fiction without a good barn-raising?)
Suzanne Woods Fisher pulls together a good plot complete with great characters, and a little peek into the Amish culture. Actually, I was surprised I enjoyed The Choice so much and I would definitely recommend it to other readers, particularly those interested in “Amish-themed chick lit.”
*This book was provided for free for review by LifFuse Publicity and Revell Books.*
Enter to win a signed copy of the book!
Tweet this:
Psst… pass it on! Join @suzannewfisher for a Book Bomb & Author Talk! Details here http://ow.ly/W84r #thechoice
Please make sure to use the hashtag #thechoice to be entered.
She is Beloved 
Hi Amy! Popped by to say hello! Thanks for reading and reviewing “The Choice.” ~Suzanne Fisher
Suzanne,
Thank you so much for popping in!!! I really appreciate it!
Thanks,
Amy
Hey. I’ve started reading “The Choice” and it is my choice over the lots of Amish novel that I have read. Real live, real people with feelings = not this I can relate to. Can’t wait to continue reading it. but paying bills and doing laundry come first. I guess reading “The Choice” will be my reward for a job well done!
Loved your book! The Choice. When is the next one coming out. I can not wait. Thank you. Jo Ann
I’m not a reader, but finished this in less than a week. great book. want to see if it makes a movie ! I want more Amish books like this.
I really enjoyed this book. Im only 14 and am obsessed with the Amish. 🙂 I finished this book in 2 days! It is such a great book!!
Nice review!
I also enjoyed “The Choice” and look forward to reading Suzanne Woods Fisher’s next novel.
I thought the plot was great – robust and satisfying – like a flavourful wine. There were twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. There were love triangles, wise old grandmas, wise elders who gave loving counsel, caring sisters, jail birds, guarded secrets, mystery, and sweet, sweet romance. The chemistry between the two main characters was very believable and I enjoyed it immensely.
I wrote a more in-depth review on my own web-site http://www.tracysbooknook.com
-Tracy
Oops!
When I said a “more in-depth review” I meant more in-depth compared to the short comment I had made.
Sorry if that was unclear.
-Tracy