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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Is Amish Fiction On The Way Out?

by Chautona Havig · 4 Comments

I was asked if Amish Fiction was on the way out when I began reading Suzanne Woods Fisher's "Mending Fences." Well, I think I have an answer. via @chautonahavig

Mending Fences—the title could have meant anything, but I suspected it would be about the more psychological rather than the physical side of the saying. She picked up the book and eyed it with a skeptical look on her face.  “They’re all the same—or at least, they start feeling like it.”

Look, she made a point. It’s an argument you see in book discussion groups.  Still, I pointed out Suzanne Woods Fisher.  “Her Anna’s Crossing series isn’t the same-old, same-old.  I mean, historical Amish. That’s a neat twist.”

“Yeah… I guess.”

If I’m honest with myself, she was just saying things I’ve often thought.  It’s why when the book came up for review, despite being by an author I’ve enjoyed, I almost didn’t request one.

When you like someone’s work, you want to keep liking it.

Then she said something else.  “Is Amish fiction on the way out?”

That got me thinking about all those discussions I’ve seen—the ones defending anything with a buggy or a bonnet.  The ones criticizing anything with that buggy or bonnet.  To listen to some, if Amish fiction isn’t “on the way out,” it should be.  To others, the world might as well stop spinning if we can’t have a good Amish romance from time to time.

Then there’s folks like me—not quite ready to say there’s never a place for it but also not the first to grab the latest offering.  Or the fiftieth.  Not even the hundredth.

Just keepin’ it real.

Last night I read Mending Fences, and I think I have an answer to that question.

Mending Fences Review

Is Amish Fiction On The Way Out?

Confession time: I didn’t read the synopsis.  I just clicked and asked for a review copy when it came up and took a chance that I’d like it.

The first page offered me something I hadn’t seen before. An Amish kid just out of rehab.  For the third time.

That said, Ms. Fisher did a fabulous job of making me despise the main character. I couldn’t stand him.  For the curious, that’s a good thing.  We’re not supposed to like him. Not at first.

This book took me a little bit to get into. Seeing Luke flounder and throw his pity parties, seeing him play the victim card after he’d victimized so many people—it was a tough sell when we’re supposed to like him eventually.

I wasn’t sure that “eventually” would ever come.

I should not have doubted.

In Luke Schrock, Ms. Fisher has created a well-rounded, delightfully flawed character. His lack of perfection only adds to that perfection.  So, that stereotype of Amish fiction where the readers complain of too-perfect characters?

Yeah, you won’t find that in this book.

The plot of Mending Fences is a gem as well.

Look, I shouldn’t have liked it.  I mean, when you break it down to its simplest form, the book is like a post-rehab playbook.  Confess your wrongs. Ask forgiveness. Make amends.  Seriously, I thought it would get old. It should have.  I’ve read other fiction recently that did turn it into a fictionalized “how-to” story.

Ms. Fisher didn’t.  She made me care about each story.  She made me love the characters and appreciate that our actions have consequences that we cannot possibly imagine.  That’s pretty awesome in my book.

I did have a couple of small quibbles.

First, I think it might need another pass with a proofreader.  My copy doesn’t say that it’s an advance reader copy. There’s not a thing to indicate it isn’t the final.  And so for those who are bothered by typos, there are enough that I noticed and remembered several of them.  They didn’t affect my rating at all, but I thought I’d note it.

My biggest quibble, however, is one of the plot points.  It just got way too coincidental for my taste. The first was nice.  The second a surprise-twist.  But then the next, and the next, and… yeah. Too much.

Still, I really enjoyed the book, and I’ll probably read the next in the series.

So yeah… you know what? 

I don’t think Amish fiction is on the way out, and if Amish authors keep writing stuff like this one, I think that’s a good thing.  And for fun historical Amish fiction by the same author, try the Anna’s Crossing Series.

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Comments

  1. Grace Arnold says

    March 11, 2019 at 4:20 pm

    I truly hope that “Amish” fiction is on the way out. I am so tired of seeing so-called Amish books. I have grown up in Amish country and have many Amish friends and neighbors. All of them with whom I’ve discussed this genre agree that it is a hoot and most of the authors have no concept of Amish life, culture, or history. There are a few exceptions like Beverly Lewis and Suzanne Woods Fisher. I hate to see the Amish commercialized! They mostly want to live their lives in peace. Please allow them to do just that.

    Reply
  2. Andrea Stoeckel says

    March 10, 2019 at 7:46 am

    I do like Amish Fiction. However most of the “usual authors” do set them like “fairytales”. That’s what I like abou Suzanne Woods Fisher. Her storylines are more contemporary. If you watch even occasional “reality” TV, you can see Amish dealing with the “real world”. Amish have saved many farms that went belly-up in the recession here in Northern NY. But you also see pockets of what some call “trailer-trash Amish” who often live in single wides with passles of unsupervised kids supposedly being Home Schooled. And then, there’s the more contemporary Amish who literally “saved” a small community along the Southern Teir of NY State by taking over the only viable furniture production company.

    So,I guess I’m trying to say I’m not surprised to see characters in and out of rehabilitation in an Amish story. I’m kind of sad about it. If any genre doesn’t reflect something of the readers’ reality, then it may be destined to die out.

    Reply
  3. Vicki Hancock says

    March 9, 2019 at 8:24 am

    I like Amish fiction. I was reading a lot of Amish books for a while. I just love reading about their culture. To me, it is absolutely fascinating.
    I would love to read this and probably will eventually.
    Thanks for the review. As someone who has an addict as a son, it makes it even higher up on my list but that list just keeps getting longer so I’ll get there eventually.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Mending Fences blog tour and giveaway - janicesbookreviews says:
    July 5, 2019 at 6:14 pm

    […] Just the Write Escape, March 9 […]

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The Because Fiction Podcast

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Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 448: A Chat with Nancy Naigle
byChautona Havig

 I fell in love with Nancy’s writing with The Shell Collector. Imagine my joy when I discovered she has a SEQUEL! Eeep! Listen in and discover which characters you’ll find in To Light the Way Forward and what’s coming next for one of America’s favorite authors!

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It’s been three years since Nancy and I had a chance to talk, and in that time, she’s been BUSY.  So in addition to falling in love with her character, Tug, and wanting to give him his own story, she’s written a small-town duet (and maybe we talked her into a third?) as well as a romcom duo!  Think we can talk her into a third of that series as well?  Because… SPOILER ALERT… we’re getting a third Shell Collector Series book, too! EEEP!

To Light the Way Forward by Nancy Naigle

A novel of overcoming deep loss, taking risks, and learning that life—and love—often surprises you when you least expect it, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Shell Collector. “Bringing to life characters you can’t help but fall in love with, Nancy Naigle goes straight to the heart with this story of tragedy turned to triumph. A poignant reminder to never give up hope.”—Sheila Roberts, author of The Best Life Book Club Feeling adrift after the loss of her husband, Rosemary sets out to visit an old friend on Whelk’s Island, undeterred by the threat of a hurricane. Before the storm hits, she finds herself at Tug’s Diner where she quickly connects with the owner, Tug. But the storm destroys the diner, compounding Tug’s grief from losing his love the previous year. The longer Rosemary stays, the more she sees Tug’s deep sadness and resolves to help him. Together with Tug and friends Amanda and Paul, they all pitch in to help the close-knit community recover and rebuild. As Amanda and Paul reconnect after losing touch during the storm, their plans to take things slow seem increasingly impractical. While Rosemary and Tug help the young couple navigate their relationship, they also find themselves building a friendship that begins to restore them both. But can that friendship convince them that love is possible for anyone who’s willing to take a risk—even those who never hoped they’d find it again?

Learn more about Nancy on her WEBSITEand follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

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