Beth Wiseman's Plain Perfect ~ Reviewed

Plain Perfect
By Beth Wiseman
Published by Thomas Nelson
ISBN#978-1-59554-630-2



Back Cover:

A search for peace in Amish country proves anything but simple for a woman on the run from life…and herself.

On the rolling plains of Lancaster County, PA Lillian Miller is searching for her grandparents’ house…and so much more. After years of neglect and abuse, she’s turning to a lifestyle of simplicity among the Amish to find herself.

As she discards the distractions of her former life, she befriends the young boy working on her family’s farm and his attractive widowed father, Samuel Stoltzfus. Despite Lillian’s best efforts to the contrary, her feelings for Samuel – and his for her – deepen. Will Lillian find her faith in Plain living, or will she be forced to return to her former life?


Review:

Some books I’ve read had an Amish girl seeking to break away from tradition and try out the world and all it offers. This book is about a worldly woman trying to break into the Amish community, seeking a place of refuge and meaning to this life.

I really felt for and enjoyed Lillian, as she tried to make some sense of her life at twenty -seven when she goes to live with her Amish grandparents. She wanted to get to know them and their ways. Lillian was in search of peace and meaning for her life. She wanted to leave her complicated, hurtful, miserable life behind -make a FRESH start.

Lillian read something in an article that spoke to her “The road to happiness is filled with paths of self-discovery. One slip and you can end up going down the wrong path with no map to guide you back to the main road.” She was earnestly looking for the right road to take in her life.

Lillian says,” Grandma, I want so badly to feel the calmness inside. I want so badly to live a good life.” …It’s just hard for me to understand why sometimes things happen the way they do.” Lillian had to deal with the failures of her life and her mother’s. She didn’t want to be like her mom. Lillian had to make a drastic change, but it had to be for the right reasons.

This was a really good story of hope, healing, forgiveness and second chances. It reminds me that we all have choices in life; it’s always up to us as to how we handle our struggles. We can do it alone or we can choose to embrace God’s comfort for us and to thrive in the middle of bad times. This is a different Amish story, which I totally enjoyed.

Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent – Book Club Servant Leader