The Miting

The one thing I believe most people never consider when reading Amish fiction, is that it is based on the true facts regarding the Amish way of life. While it can certainly be different in the aspects of learning to deal without the modern conveniences like electricity, cars, and technology. However, even in Amish communities there are those drastic differences that separate the Old Amish Order from the New Amish Order, with the former being more strict in their rules governing the people who were born Amish. From the restrictions on color choices for Amish dresses for women, to the rigid obedience to their religious rules pertaining to who can read the Bible, what version and who can interpret the scriptures is often why so many Amish leave during their rumspringen, or running around period before they make a permanent choice to stay in the community and abide by all the Amish Ordnung, or rules for the church.

In the novel The Miting by author Dee Yoder, we get an inside look at just how rigid and non conforming some of the Old Order Amish can be. When seventeen-year-old Leah Raber begins to question the validity of her faith and the rules of the Old Order Amish, her parents harshly warn her against such thinking. Coupled with the recent troubles surrounding her best friend Martha, who left the Amish community along with her boyfriend Abe, the community believes Leah has been influenced to also follow in the same ways. However Martha has taken the path towards drinking, drugs and a life of promiscuity whereas Leah is just questioning the rules governing her faith and wonders if there is more to the Bible than what her church teaches.

She finds allies in Matthew and Naomi Schrock, who have also left the Old Order Amish faith behind and now live as Englishers running a home for those looking to make the transition to the English world as well as teach a Bible Study class. When Leah makes arrangements by lying to her parents to attend the Bible Study, she learns about Jesus and what the Bible really states. However, just making that choice will have grave consequences for Leah when she returns home and finds her family is taking drastic measures to bring her back into the Amish fold and break the evil influences they believe Leah has fallen under. While they claim it's for her own good, the "miting" is a form of shunning that is supposed to alienate the person to realize the mistakes they have made and promise to give up all their ways and conform once again to the church. But can Leah leave the new found faith she has discovered in Jesus in order to have the love of her family and possibly the love of the man she had hoped to marry to renounce her actions? You'll definitely want to pick this one up and see how it all turns out in the end.

I received The Miting from Dee Yoder compliments of Kregel Publications for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. I can easily give this novel a full 5 out of 5 stars because the story is one I have often thought about. What would happen if an Amish person discovered Jesus Christ from the Bible, could they retain their faith and still live in the Amish community especially if it was the strict Old Order community or would they face horrible repercussions for their faith? Without a doubt an exceptional story of persecution, hope and redemption against the love of family and friends and one you won't want to miss.

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The Miting by Dee Yoder 

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To read more reviews on The Miting, stop by Kregel Publication's website.