One moment, Carrie Weaver is planning to elope with Lancaster Barnstormer Solomon Riehl, leaving their Amish community behind. The next, she is staring into a future as broken as her heart. Now Carrie faces a choice. An opportunity. But will this decision, this moment in time, change her life forever?
“Fisher kicks off a refreshing new series, Lancaster County Secrets, with characters that are strong, both in body and spirit. They also have weaknesses that develop into strengths with the choices they make.” 4 stars, Romantic Times
About the author:
Suzanne is a wife and mom, raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and an author of Christian books, both non-fiction and fiction.
Her relatives on her mother’s side are Old Order German Baptist Brethren, also known as Dunkards. That’s where her interest in Anabaptist traditions began. Suzanne’s grandfather was born into a family of 13 children, started his career as a teacher in a one-room school house in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and ended it as one of the very first publishers of Christianity Today. “We called him “Deardad” even though he was a very stern fellow. Still, Deardad’s life inspired me to write.”
After college, Suzanne was a freelance writer for magazines and became a contributing editor to Christian Parenting Today. Her work has been featured in Today’s Christian Woman, Marriage Partnership, Worldwide Challenge, among others. She took the plunge into books a few years ago and now she’s hooked. To learn more about Suzanne, visit her website at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com
My Impressions
I have never been a fan of fiction set in the Amish community. I figured the books were all the same — sweet, innocent girl meets sweet, innocent boy, falls in love and lives happily ever after. I changed my mind after reading Cindy Woodsmall’s Sisters of the Quilt series. I found that Amish fiction could really be thought-provoking. So when I got a chance to read The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher, I was curious at what the novel would deliver. What I got was another pleasant surprise! The Choice is set in the Amish community, but it could have been set in any Christian denomination. Fisher shows that while the Amish may not be as distracted by the world as their English counterparts, they face the same sorrows, fears and choices that all Christians face.
The focus of the story is Carrie Weaver and the many choices she is faced with in her young life. The novel begins with Carrie, a non-baptized Amish girl, contemplating leaving her community and all she has known for the promised love of Sol Riehl. But the simple life she has led, becomes one of sorrow as she faces losses, doubts and guilt. Through her faith journey, she finds a God she never knew before. The book is filled with very real and flawed characters, both English and Amish. The novel explores the true meaning of a life of faith, including what freedom looks like. The Choice depicts characters who struggle with finding their place in God’s family. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the second in this series.
Click Here for an excerpt.
Highly Recommended
(Disclaimer: I received this book free in return for an honest review. No monetary consideration was given, and my impressions of the book are mine and mine alone)
Be a part of the Book Bomb and Author’s Talk for The Choice on February 15, click here.
Hi Beckie!
Thank you for taking the time to read and review “The Choice!” I really appreciated the insights you had from the story, too. Glad you saw Carrie’s journey for what it was…finding herself through God’s protective hand.
Will bookmark your blog…it looks very well-done.
Warmly, Suzanne Fisher
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