The Secret

Here’s my basic review: I loved this book.

I had read the blurb, so I knew a little of what would develop in Beverly Lewis’s latest Amish novel, The Secret, due out in April. But having this foreknowledge or not, I’d have kept reading. The action in the book was pretty low key, but that’s what you’d expect, since the plot features an Amish family in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Yet the story was sweet without being saccharine, a tale of a culture – personified by Grace Byler, the main character – that values community, good food, hearty work, and decent living.

I couldn’t put it down. Despite the rather strict rules in this community, you recognize the complexity of the relationships and the depths of the people’s show more feelings. And yes, you also see the difficulty these rules put the folk in, when their teaching against being preoccupied with “self” collides with a genuine crisis where they need, most of all, to be comforted.

You become truly interested in the members of the Byler family, wondering how they will cope with the crisis that strikes them, centred on their mother’s secret, and how they’ll choose their futures. The Amish way of life is presented not so much as “old-fashioned” as it is simpler, more willing to share otherss joys and burdens than the one we readers come from. Reading about this community, you never feel condescending toward it. There might even be a little envy.

The book follows two plotlines: the main one, with Grace and her Amish family, and another featuring Heather, a young woman from the “outside” world, who faces a troubling medical diagnosis. At first these plots seem completely unrelated (apart from interesting parental parallels). But the stories finally begin to intersect near the end of the book, and you realize that they are going to intertwine more and more deeply.

But not in this book, not yet. Because I discovered, at the end, that this is only the first in a new series for Lewis: the “Seasons of Grace.” It’s a measure of her accomplishment that when I realized that the story will continue into other books, my first thought was, “Oh no, we have to wait to find out what happens now??”

I already can’t wait for the next book in this series. And having discovered Beverly Lewis and her novels, I want to read more. Although Lewis is a Christian novelist, the Christianity, in The Secret at least, was not preachy or in your face. The story of the people themselves was first and foremost, and never used as an excuse to sermonize or condemn.

Meanwhile, I have a “a secret” of my own: my Mennonite ancestors moved up to Canada a century or so ago – from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The way this lovely region and its people were presented in the story made me feel the way Heather feels: that some day I must spend some time there, even if it’s just to walk and breathe. show less

Beverly Lewis gives us an interesting look inside the Amish community and the problems which plague one of the families in that community. Wife and mother Lettie Byler is becoming more secretive and wanders off alone at night, weeping at unknown sorrows. The day before she runs away, she warns her daughter Grace to think twice before she marries, not to marry a reticent man, because it leads to unhappiness. With her mother still missing weeks later, Grace is filled with uncertainty. Should she break off her engagement to quiet Henry? Should she try to find her mother? Does she really want to know the reasons behind her mother’s disappearance? This first installment in the Seasons of Grace trilogy illustrates that the Plain life is show more anything but simple, and though not fancy, it is filled with complicated, life-changing problems. Well written with engaging characters and plot twists, this audio version will captivate you with its magnificent performance. Be sure to have the second installment on hand, because you will want to start it as soon as you finish The Secret. show less

When I started this, I assumed it was historical fiction. Mention of a computer and cell phone after several chapters confused me totally, until I realised that the family who appeared to be in the 18th century were in fact in the Amish community of the US.

Unfortunately they're rather nondescript, dull people; the only interesting one is Lettie, the mother, and she has a secret which we don't discover until almost the end of the book. Her older daughter Grace is supposedly the main character, but she's not very appealing. The whole Amish culture thing is revealed as controlling and hypocritical - a far cry from the peaceful, pleasant materialism-rejecting culture I had fondly imagined.

There's a slightly more interesting subplot show more involving a young woman called Heather who receives a shocking medical diagnosis, and decides to try some 'alternative' therapy, including a holiday with the Amish. I would quite like to have read more of her story, but resolution is not reached - indeed, her story has barely started by the time this volume comes to an abrupt close.

And there's my worst gripe with it... far from being the first novel of a trilogy, as I had understood when I downloaded it for my Kindle (free on special offer), this is just 'part one' of story that leaves the majority of its threads wide open. Since nothing much happens in the book, other than a great deal of introspection and description of how hard it is to be Amish, I have no inclination to get hold of the other parts.

Interesting in the expose of the negative side of Amish culture, which is quite cleverly done, but overall not recommended. show less

I'm always excited when Beverly Lewis releases a new book. In my opinion, she's the standard for Amish fiction and I usually compare all others to her. I feel like I've learned a lot of the Amish culture through her books and I especially enjoy when she allows English culture to blend with the Amish. This book showcases the lifestyle of an Amish family who appears to have it all on the outside, but inside is secretly hurting. Grace seems to pick up that there's something not quite right with her parents, but since their culture doesn't allow for straightforward questioning, she's usually left in the dark. Heather's story was a nice interlude in between Grace and Lettie's tale. I enjoyed reading about her life especially since she was show more from the Williamsburg area near my hometown. I wasn't sure exactly the connection was between her and Grace and Lettie but I think I might have an inkling. While I enjoyed reading this book, I felt it was a bit predictable. About halfway through the book, I guessed what was going to happen and I was right. I enjoyed the story but I felt that it's a plot that has been done many times before and even feels like the reverse of one of Lewis's own books. I can understand the feelings that Grace's mother might have been going through but it wasn't really fair of her to leave the rest of her family in the dark. I mean they have no idea what's going on, and then she just gets up and leaves with only a note. Her family is totally confused and unaware of Lettie's past. The first half of the story seems to build up to Lettie's secret but since I guessed it halfway, it felt like a letdown. I also have a pretty big feeling I can guess as to the plot of the next book and how the story continues. I'm hoping I'm wrong, because I really dislike predictable plots. As I said before, Beverly Lewis is a favorite author of mine and I will be reading the next book. I just hope that she will prove me wrong! show less

I like Beverly Lewis. I have never been disappointed by her. I liked the characters in this book and the plots. I was surprised, (happily), by her portrayal of the men in the community. The book doesn't really "wrap up" as it is a series book so be prepared for that. The pace was a bit slow but for me that worked. I tend to read this genre after reading zombie books and I need the slow pace. haha. I like the values that are in the book and the way they hold up in today's world. Being a good person is something most people want to be. I do like how the author takes problems that can be viewed as society issues of the modern world and places them in the Amish community. I think sometimes we forget that those issues can be found in their show more community too. No one is perfect and these stories bring that to light. The author does an excellent job with keeping the values of that community in mind when solving the issues. I really like how she tends to show that we can each learn from the other and that neither world is horrible or perfect. I would recommend the book as a relaxing read. show less

The gorgeous Amish girl on the cover with her perfect makeup did not make me want to pick up this book right away, but the story was not as tacky as I imagined it would be. The hardship that the Amish mother, Lettie, has placed upon her family when she mysteriously walks out on them in Lancaster, Pennsyvlania, is portrayed heartbreakingly well. Her "secret" is revealed very late in the story, making for suspenseful reading. This book is the first in a new series by Beverly Lewis called "Seasons of Grace." It is clear that there is more story to tell.

While this book in no way is as good as some of Ms. Lewis' earlier works, I have to say that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, I quite enjoyed it. I've read several reviews that practically bashed it, saying that it's too depressing, that there are too many characters to follow, that there are loose ends not resolved, etc. I have a few things to say about each one of those points.

First of all, yes, the book is slightly depressing, but I don't think she meant for this particular series to start off as happy. Yes, the mother leaves her husband and her children, and none of them understand why. They are the ones left to pick up the shreds of their dignity among their community. None of that is pleasant, but that's the show more story Ms. Lewis chose to write. If you really want to see Amish fiction that's depressing, look into the Sisters of Holmes County series by Wanda Brunstetter....hands down the worst Amish series I have read to date, and I've read several.

Secondly, the characters. I didn't think there were too many to follow; it seemed to be an adequate amount to keep it interesting, but not too many to keep up with. With that said, the only complaint that I have were a few characters that had names that were too similar. Martin (Puckett) and Marian (Reihl) look very similar when you're only reading their first name, as do Adam and Andy, two other secondary characters. I think a little bit more creativity could've been used when deciding on the names.

Lastly, yes, there are loose ends at the end of the book, but that's the author's preference. Not every author is going to have a complete resolution at the end of every one of their books. There are several storylines that are going on, and they can't all be covered in one book. Otherwise, there would be complaints that the story was too rushed. I guess you can't please everybody all of the time, much less part of the time. Personally, I didn't mind that the story ended the way it did. The actual "secret" of the book was revealed, but how it will play out will have to wait until books 2 & 3.

I am quite excited to read the rest of the series, mainly because the storyline is outside the norm for Amish fiction. Women just do not walk out on their families in the Amish world. I'm not expecting happy resolutions all around when it's all said and done, but I do think it will be some great reading....I'm really looking forward to it. show less