The Covenant

Though deeply religious and acting in accordance with their faith, the Amish aren’t immune to the failings of all people. Keeping secrets, giving into temptations, lying, and more creep into Amish life. The first book of this series sets up some pretty awful happenings. The writing is quite good, and characters and plot develop at a good pace. The ending will lead you right into the next installment, so be sure you have it handy, because you won’t want to stop with the first novel.

This is not normally what I read, but I came across this in a book bargain bin and decided to give it a try. And I was not disappointed. I am no expert on the Amish, but the author really brought to life some aspects of Amish life and the way they lived, and how their faith affects their lives in big and small ways. I have not read the other books in this series, but this book absolutely made me want to read more and I may go ahead and get the rest of the books.

I picked this book up at a thrift store because i thought it looked interesting. It sat on my book shelf for almost a year, until I started going through my books looking for something good to read. By the time i got through the first few pages, I was hooked. I read this book nonstop when i had the chance, and finished it in just over a day. The drama that occurs in this book is very taboo, which makes it an even better read. I live in Pennsylvania and have always interacted with Amish. I am fascinated by their lifestyle, and Beverly Lewis gave me a chance to understand some of how Amish live on a daily basis. After I finished The Covenant, I ran to the nearest bookstore and bought the next book in the series, which is The Betrayal. show more That is how it was every other night or so when I would finish the next book, I would be so deeply into the lives of these characters that I simply couldn't wait to find out what happened next. The Covenant is easily one of the best books that I have ever read. show less

Apparently I have read this book once before even though the site I usually review first on did not have it listed--which means I either read it before I started keeping an online bookshelf or it was one that didn't transfer over when Shelfari was closing and I made a file to transfer.

I suspected early on in my reading that I'd read the book before, but when I checked it wasn't listed, but I know too many of the plot points before they occur so . . .

Abram and Ida Ebersol have only daughters. This book is set around the time of World War II.

Sadie, the oldest daughter, is in her "running around" period and is very drawn to a boy outside the Anabaptist faith. I don't think he cares for her as much as she cares for him though--I think he show more was just using her innocence or ignorance to get what he wanted. At least at this time. I also don't like that Sadie went through with joining the church just to please her parents, with no intent at the time of living up to the vows she was making.

Leah, the next oldest daughter, is just coming into the age of "running around". Her life is complicated by several factors: 1) her family has treated her like the "boy" of the family so she is much more familiar with outdoor chores than womanly things like cooking and sewing, 2) her father has arranged a marriage with the Smithy's son (but Leah prefers another boy), 3) Her best friend being the Smithy's daughter (who would like nothing more than to have Leah as a sister-in-law), and 4) her sister Sadie's secrets. show less

I was not aware of the Amish fiction genre until I kept seeing these books at the library with women with bonnets on the cover. I decided to give one a try. I liked it more than I thought I would, maybe even enough to read the next in the series. It was nice to read a book that was so linear and straightforward and just told a story where nothing was too complicated.

Book 1 of the Abram's Daughter series. This is a charming and beautifully written story about an Amish family during the time of WWII. It deals with coming of age, love, hope, heartbreak, tragedy and secrets that are held within families. Beverly Lewis is well versed with the customs and beliefs of the Amish sect, and portrays it brilliantly here. I really enjoyed the story, but it ends as a "cliff hanger" so expect to have to read on through the series. This is not the first of Lewis' series I've read, and it certainly will not be the last!

Leah has always been the son that Abram and Ida Ebersol never had. She has always helped her father with running the farm and caring for the livestock. But as she nears 16, she will be allowed to attend social gatherings with the other young members of her Amish community and she begins to yearn for more than farming duties. Sadie is the eldest Ebersol daughter and is already socializing with the boys, perhaps more than she should. But when Sadie begins meeting a young man in the woods, whose identity and existence is kept a secret from her family, she may be in danger of loosing her heart and her home. As Sadie continues along her dangerous path, Leah is discovering hers...but neither of them expects the path to be so rocky and show more winding.

This is book 1 of the Abraham’s Daughters series. It was very good and I am about to pick up book 2 of 5. It will be interesting to see what is in store for the five Ebersol daughters. show less