Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Book Review: The Photograph

The Photograph. Beverly Lewis. 2015. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Did I enjoy reading Beverly Lewis' The Photograph? I think my favorite part was the fact that it was a stand-alone novel, that it actually had an ending and resolution to it. I have found Lewis to be a frustrating author in the past because she can take up to three books to resolve a story, a romance--which is two books too long, in my opinion! So one of the first things I did before reading it was to check and see if this one would have an ending! Some people might call that cheating, I don't. Not really. Better to know at the start if a book is going to have a non-ending.

So the heroine of The Photograph is Eva Esch. One of her sister runs away from home early in the novel. She's very worried about her, about what will happen to her in the outside world, about the trouble she may find herself in since she's so innocent and trusting. But that isn't her only concern. Other family troubles are going on as well. One of her brothers will be kicking all the unmarried sisters--including Eva--out of the family home. They will either have to all find husbands during this courting season, or, be split apart and go to various relations or friends of relations. That might be upsetting and stressful under normal circumstances, but, her sister's disappearance puts it in perspective to a certain degree.

Someone does start pursuing a courtship with Eva. And he's a stranger from out of town. His name is Jed. And he makes buggies. Can she take a break from worrying long enough to find out if this is true love? Will Jed help her find her sister even though there are so few clues available?

As I said, I liked this one. It is probably one of the best I've read by Beverly Lewis. I really, really liked that both Eva and Jed like to read.

The Photograph isn't contemporary Amish fiction or historical Amish fiction, it is that fuzzy in-between of the 1980s.

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