The Wish

"Some people are simply born into the wrong family, I thought recalling my disappointing morning. "

Too often when we look at the outside of some families, it is easy to see that theirs might be much better than our own, such as the saying, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, but we know that is often not the case. This is just the premise behind Beverly Lewis' latest novel, The Wish. Leona Speicher believes that her best friend Gloria Gingerich has the best family in town. They are always expressing their love for one another without regard to how some of the Amish withhold public displays of affection. Leona just wished she didn't feel like an outsider in her own family. She feels more a part of the Gingerich family and often wishes that she might be a part of them. Her parents hardly talk with her at all, and she believes Gloria has the perfect family. Her mother talks to her like she wishes her own mother would and her father jokes with her and invites her into conversations just like one of their family.

But as we all know, things are not what they appear to be on the outside. Leona hopes that Gloria's brother Adam might take an interest in her and ask her to court her, believing her wish to be a part of the Gingerich family might happen by the way of marriage. Gloria is on the brink of her own relationship with Leona's cousin, Orchard John. But before prospects of love can emerge and grant the girls their wish, the Gingerich family is cast out of the church. Without knowing all the reasons behind the decision, Leona soon learns that the Gingerich family is making preparations to move away and no one gets the option of making different plans. Arkansas Joe, Gloria's father believes the family is better suited in moving back to Arkansas instead of staying in Lancaster County, now that they have been asked to leave the church. In fact, he's had all he can take of the strict Amish rules and believes his family would be better off if they all turned English instead.

I received The Wish by Beverly Lewis compliments of Baker Publishing Group and Net Galley. This isn't part of a series and makes such a statement as one of Beverly Lewis' stand alone novels. I love seeing things from a different perspective when a friendship is torn apart based on religious beliefs and an entire Amish family walk away from the church. It creates such a rift in knowing that once they turn, they are often shunned from the community and therefore not welcomed back or allowed any of the baptized members of the church to associate with them at all. It is interesting to see what the catalyst is and how it plays out in this heartwarming novel of friendship and redemption. "Forever friends are sometimes closer than kinfolk. A blessing for certain and well worth all 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about The Wish, Beverly Lewis, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Wish by Beverly Lewis

You can find Beverly Lewis on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Wish, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website.