The Judgment

We pick up where we left off in the book The Thorn with Rose Ann Kauffman, who struggles with the close and intimate friendship she shared with Nick, the foster son of the Bishop, who left town the eve of his brother Christian's accident. The town believes that Nick is to blame and they are holding the Bishop accountable for seeing that Nick returns home and makes amends for Christian's death.

The town believes that Nick never truly wanted to be a part of the Amish life. Yet Rose knows deep in her heart the kindness that is within Nick. After all their late night rides as children growing up, she longs for the day when she might see him again. Yet love of a new kind is lingering in Rose's future, a proposal from Silas Good. Only when the love of his life, Rebekah, returns to town to help with the upcoming birth of twins to her family, will he stay true to Rose?

Hannah or Hen still remains estranged from her husband Brandon Orringer. Taking her daughter Mattie Sue back to her plain ways, she struggles with her father in knowing which path is the right one to take to repair her marriage. What lies at the heart of the matter, is that Brandon is set on his English ways and keeping both Hen and his daughter in his home without the Amish influence. He shows up unexpectedly to speak to her father, only to inform him that he is giving Hen two weeks to come to her senses or he will begin divorce proceedings and will seek full custody of Mattie Sue.

In the sequel, The Judgment by Beverly Lewis, we see what becomes of the Kauffman sisters Rose and Hen in their struggles to do what is best in the heart but as in the eyes of God in this beautiful Amish romance novel. I love that Rose can hold on to great memories of Nick, despite all the negativity that townspeople have about him and tries her very best to help her sister Hen resolve the issues in her marriage being married to an English man. She tries to teach her that she must remember what brought them together and what is best in God's eyes for them all.

I received this book compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and must say I felt right at home once more with Beverly Lewis' characters in The Judgment once more as they manage through some difficult seasons together as a family. This one rates a 5 out of 5 stars again! If you haven't read the Thorn, you may want to pick this one up first to read to gain an understanding of the characters histories although you can read this one as a stand alone as well and still enjoy it.

This book is available in hard cover, paperback and eReader formats. Here's even more great information about the book, the author and a first chapter glimpse as well.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Judgment Bethany House (April 5, 2011) by Beverly Lewis
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Not until her own children were well into middle school did Bev seek to publish her work, first in magazines such as Highlights for Children, Dolphin Log, and Guideposts for Kids. Her first book followed in 1993—Mountain Bikes and Garbanzo Beans—presently retitled Big Bad Beans (book #22 in the popular CUL-DE-SAC KIDS series of chapter books—see list of Bev's children's books).

Beverly's first venture into adult fiction is the best-selling trilogy, THE HERITAGE OF LANCASTER COUNTY, including The Shunning, a suspenseful saga of Katie Lapp, a young Amish woman drawn to the modern world by secrets from her past. The book is loosely based on the author's maternal grandmother, Ada Ranck Buchwalter, who left her Old Order Mennonite upbringing to marry a Bible College student. One Amish-country newspaper claimed Beverly's work to be "a primer on Lancaster County folklore" and offers "an insider's view of Amish life."

Booksellers across the country, and around the world, have spread the word of Bev's tender tales of Plain country life. A clerk in a Virginia bookstore wrote, "Beverly's books have a compelling freshness and spark. You just don't run across writing like that every day. I hope she'll keep writing stories about the Plain people for a long, long time."

A member of the National League of American Pen Women, as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of Evangel University, Lewis has written over 80 books for children, youth, and adults, many of them award-winning. She and her husband, David, make their home in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking, biking, and playing with their three grandchildren. They are also avid musicians and fiction "book worms."

ABOUT THE BOOK

Rose Kauffman is engaged to Silas Good, a well-liked Amish fellow, so why does she still pine for Nick Franco, the former foster son of the bishop? Especially now that Nick has left the Amish community under a cloud of suspicion after the death of the bishop's biological son? Will Rose marry Silas, even while struggling with romantic feelings for Nick? Meanwhile, Rose's older sister, Hen, has returned to live at her parents' farm with her young daughter. Hen and her modern husband, Brandon, are separated by mutual agreement, although he is threatening to sue for custody of their daughter if Hen does not return soon. Will the judge rule in Brandon's favor? Is there any way Hen can reestablish her place among the People without sacrificing her marriage?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Judgment, go HERE