Product Review

If you know me at all, you know I'm an advid reader. I read a lot. A whole lot. I joined Good Reads two years ago and have 161 books listed so far! So when Mom Central asked if I would be interested in reading and reviewing a book, I jumped on it.

The book I was sent is titled Beside Still Waters by Patricia Goyer.

(From her website - Marianna Sommer believes she knows where her life is headed. Nineteen years old and Amish, her plan is to get baptized into the church, marry Aaron Zook, and live in the only community she's ever known.

When Marianna's family moves from Indiana to Montana she discovers life and faith will never be the same. As she builds an easy friendship with local guy, Ben Stone, Ben not only draws her heart, he also gets her thinking about what loving God and living in community is all about.

As Marianna struggles to find "home", she also encounters God in intimate ways.)

Marianna's older brother has left the community for an English life and her younger siblings are becoming more and more drawn to the English ways as well. Hoping to get them away from those influences, her Mem and Dat pack up the family and move to Montana. While Marianna doesn't have to go with them, she feels an obligation to her family. She packs up and moves away from everything she has known. Including Aaron. The man she thought she would someday marry.

I have always enjoyed reading books about the Amish and their ways. This book was not the "typical" Amish book to me. I guess I have never thought about the Amish moving away from their hometowns and being more integrated with the English.

Ms. Goyer's descriptions of Montana as seen through Marianna's eyes was spot on. I could imagine her coming from the relatively flat plains of Indiana to suddenly coming upon newness of all of the streams and mountains.

It made me sad to see Marianna struggling against everything she was raised to believe now being just a bit different. She also struggles with herself and her inner turmoil of starting to question her parents and their decisions.

I very much enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the next installment of the Big Sky Series!

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I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of the Beside Still Waters Campaign and received a copy of the book and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.