In Lewis' latest series, The Courtship of Nellie Fisher, she once again focus on the Amish and the tensions that pop up within their community. In The Parting, she generates curiosity by introducing us to Nellie Fisher, a girl grieving for her sister who drowned under suspicious circumstances. Nellie finds Suzy's diary in the hopes that it will provide some clues as to who her sister really was. In the meantime, Nellie falls in love with Caleb Yoder, but their relationship is tested when Nellie's father and Caleb's father butt heads over Mr. Fisher's reading of forbidden scriptures. Nellie's dad is excited about passages from the Bible that discuss salvation by grace, as it means Suzy is not lost somewhere in the afterlife. However, the Old Order Amish do not subscribe to such scriptures, and the church is divided, with Nellie on one side and Caleb on the other. If this storyline wasn't interesting enough, Lewis introduces us to Nellie's best friend, Rosanna, who is unable to conceive but is preparing for motherhood after another women in the community with numerous children offers to let Rosanna have the baby she is about to birth. As usual, Lewis provides a glimpse of an often misunderstood people, offering interesting information about their beliefs and culture. ( )

NCLA Review -The Parting is the first of three novels about Nellie Fisher and how her position in the Amish community affects her life and her courtship. I thought it a wonderful read for sure, although it took some doing to keep track of all the characters. The boy-meets-girl plot is complicated by Amish beliefs which are facing a schism now that some of them have discovered Christ. His saving grace and how it affects the main characters is beautifully described. Nellie’s own family has decided to follow Christ, but Nellie holds back for fear of losing the man she loves. I could almost smell the baking bread as I became acquainted with Amish customs. I will be sure to watch for the novel that follows. Rating: 3 —EB ( )

The story of a young Amish woman who wants to marry her beau, but the specter of her sister's death hangs over the whole community.
Lewis does one thing well: she writes series well. She starts so many threads in this book and ends none of them, except the dramatic conversion story. The conversion stories in her books are the central point of her books, and the remainder of the book always seems like it could be a good story, but ends up as just filler. ( )

Nellie and her family are thrown into turmoil by changes in their Amish community. Nellie is most interested in the beau that is courting her, but the possible shady past of her dead sister and her parents shifting religious beliefs threaten her courtship. Her beau is from a very conservative Amish family, one that does not want to go against the old ways, as Nellie's father and some others of the community are doing. Nellie is caught in the middle--and is also consumed by curiousity about her sister Suzy's life before she died.
Lewis' protrayl of the Amish life and the heart wrenching choices these characters have to make makes this a compelling read. But the dramatic religious conversion seems a bit overdone and heavy handed. Still an enjoyable read, and of course if you get into it you will have to wait for the sequel to see what happens to Nellie. ( )

After the accidental drowning death of her sister Suzy during Rumschpringe, Amish teen Nellie Fisher grieved her loss. Several years pass and Nellie is emotionally healing due to the distraction of her baked goods shop.----------- When Caleb Yoder asks her to go steady, she feels ready to move on with her life as she recognizes that she will always mourn her sister’s death, but that was part of God’s master plan. She agrees expecting that they would marry one day. However Nellie’s road to happiness with Caleb does notgo as smooth.Nellies father breaks societal dogma when he reads taboo scripture and begins seeking his salvation by other means than a pious life filled with good deeds.There are several other subplots that enhance the readers visit to the Amish, but the prime story line remains Nellie’s saga. She heals from her loss through her shop and Caleb’s courtship as much as her and her family’s belief that Suzy’s death is God’s plan.
I would reccomend this book to anyone who like a wholesome story based on The Amish way of life ( )