The Choice - review

The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher is the first book in the Lancaster County Secrets. I had read the author's non-fiction Amish Peace several months ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to reading this novel. It did not disappoint. It was well-written and intriguing, with believable characters and several unexpected plot twists. I also appreciated the spiritual applications that any of us can relate to.

Here's the press release about The Choice:

With a vibrant style and authentic understanding of the Amish way of life, author Suzanne Woods Fisher brings readers into the world of a young Amish woman who is faced with a choice that will impact the rest of her life.

Suzanne Woods Fisher has straddled the world between the Amish and the English all her life: Many of her relatives are of a strict religious sect like the Amish, known as the Dunkard Brethren Church. Because of Fisher’s ties to the Amish, she has made every effort to keep her storytelling authentic, showcasing the Amish’s strong communities, their simple life-style and their willingness to put each other first. She is also the author of the nonfiction collection of stories about the Amish that came out in October, Amish Peace.

In her fiction debut, The Choice, Fisher paints a moving picture of the decision Carrie must make as she comes of age: to follow the man she loves and leave the Amish community, or stay and marry another man. Her choice begins a torrent of change for her and her family, including a marriage of convenience to silent Daniel Miller. Both bring broken hearts into their arrangement—and secrets that have been held too long.

Combined with Fisher's exceptional gift for character development, this novel, the first in the Lancaster County series, is a welcome reminder that it is never too late to find your way back to God—no matter what choices your past may hold.

Available January 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.