Simply Sara

Hillary Manton Lodge
2010
Harvest House Publishers
Fiction/Amish/Contemporary

Reviewed by Cindy Loven

Another great book from Hillary Manton Lodge, I am loving her writing!  Amish with a twist, or perhaps Amish story told backward could be how you would describe Hillary's books.  They are different than the usual Amish story, but they are stories that will draw you in and keep you reading till the wee hours of the morning trying to finish the book.
Sara Burkholder had always been interested in colors and clothes, even as a child, she made her doll dresses from the brightest quilt scraps she could find, and always picked the brightest colors allowed for her own dresses.  But it was not enough, as she grew older she would sneak fashion magazines in and read them.  When Jayne (first book Plain Jayne) showed up, it was an answer to Sara's questions, she hid in Jayne's trunk and moved to Portland, all without Jayne's knowledge.
But now she is in Portland and so much has changed in her life that she finds herself burning out quickly.  She loves her life, her studies and her job, but she misses her family dreadfully.  Finding herself falling in love with her co-worker Will, she realizes that he loves Portland and if she continues her studies she will have to leave him.  She would eventually have to go to a different area to work in her chosen design field.  All of this is confusing her, and making her dreadfully unhappy.  In the midst of confusion, weariness and exhaustion she decides to return home to her Amish life.  This however is not what is right for her either.  She realizes that does not fit into her Amish role anymore, and that her love for Will is deep enough that she is willing to give up her studies to be with him.
This book is different in that usually those who leave the Amish faith, nearly always return and live happily ever after.   What I really like is that Hillary's stories show that different side, the side of the ones who leave and never return.  An awesome awesome story, with a wondering ending.  A must read!! 300 pages $10.99 US 5 stars!
This book was provided for review purposes only by the Christian Bookworm Reviews, no payment was received for this review.