A Lancaster County Dilemma

Unlike most Amish fiction, this book delves very little into why the Amish live as they do. It focuses instead on the teenaged Emma Lapp who chafes under the strictness of her father's rules. Because Emma's older sister died during her running around period, Emma's father has denied Emma the chance to have her own running around time. Emma cannot see how she can choose her community if she doesn't know what else is out there. To that end, she's been sneaking away to the woods on Saturday night to meet some outsiders who go there to drink. She also decides to go to the city with one of the boys she meets there.

Michael is Emma's neighbor. He loves Emma but realizes that he's waited too long to tell her. She's caught up in the notion to go show more to the city and see what's out there, and even he can't hold her back. show less