The Guardian

Beverly Lewis is well-known for creating exceptional characters for us to get to know and enjoy and once more she delights her readers in taking us back to Hickory Hollow, Pennsylvania in her third book, The Guardian. Hickory Hollow is place where the Amish people live and dwell among the English, but separate themselves based on their religious beliefs. When tragedy befalls the community, they will rally together as a community to support and work through whatever issues they need to overcome any situation.

Maryanna Esh knows from experience how to deal with tragedy. When a farming accident claims the life of her husband, leaving her to raise her children alone, Maryanna finds comfort in knowing God will always provide. She sees no reason to search for love when she has a full time job raising her children and caring for her parents who live in the Dawdi Haus behind hers.

When a long trip home in the buggy late one afternoon finds all the children a bit sleepy and restless to get home, its all Maryanna can do to make sure they are comfortable. Her youngest Sarah, finds comfort in talking with her doll Kaylee and hanging over the back of the carriage looking at the sky and scenery as they pass by. Despite the warnings from her other children about Sarah's interest, Maryanna is preoccupied with getting them home as soon as she can. It's not until she notices the silence of the carriage, that all her children have fallen asleep lulled by the clip-clopping of the horses hooves and the gentle rhythmic swaying of the buggy.

When she arrives home, she finds that Sarah is no where to be found. Thinking she may have gotten out without her noticing, she frantically searches all over the property and realizes that Sarah must have fallen out as she fell asleep. She alerts her neighbors who soon begin a search for Sarah along with the entire community. Now worse than ever, Maryanna begins to question whether she has made the right decision with staying single when having a man in the house once more might bring about type of protection and caring her children need. She wouldn't have to manage as much on her own if she had a husband once more to help share the load of raising a family. If only God will bring Sarah home safe and sound!

When Jodi Winfield decides to spend a few weeks living in the Amish community until her teaching job begins again, she had hoped that the time apart from her relationship with her boyfriend might bring the answers she desperately needs about starting a family. Training for the marathon might keep her mind off things for awhile until she finds a little girl abandoned beneath a tree and can't imagine how she might of gotten there. Injured and missing her clothing, Jodi tries to find the answers but she can't understand the tearful pleas from the little girl who is speaking a language she doesn't understand. Is this the answer to her prayers to God?

I received The Guardian by Beverly Lewis compliments of Bethany House Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and did not receive any compensation for a favorable review. If you have never read a novel from Beverly Lewis, you'll want to pick this one up. She is a master at pulling at the heart strings of her readers and making them feel part of her characters lives so much, you just have to know what's going to happen by the end. You stick it out, not wanting to put the book down for one minute and this one shows such a powerful connection when the Amish and English worlds are joined by Sarah's disappearance and show us that despite all our circumstances, God's got something larger in mind when He answers prayer. I rate this one a powerful 5 out of 5 stars. This is the third book in the Home to Hickory Hollow Series, with the first, The Fiddler and then followed by The Bridesmaid. Beverly Lewis first introduced us to the setting of Hickory Hollow in her acclaimed best selling novel, The Shunning which was later turned into a movie to the delight of readers everywhere.

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The Guardian by Beverly Lewis

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• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers; 1 edition (March 26, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764209795
• ISBN-13: 978-0764209796
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.5 inches