Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Revell (2015), 330 pages
Description
"A young Amish woman fends off the matchmaking efforts of her fellow passengers on the Charming Nancy--the ship that brought the first wave of Amish to America in 1737"--
User reviews
LibraryThing member alekee
With Anna’s Crossing we are starting at the beginning of Amish in America. We see a glimpse at how they live in Europe before they take the long dangerous trip to freedom of religion, and yet we see that even coming here isn’t always a guarantee.
We meet Anna, as she gets ready for her reluctant
According to the ships carpenter, which leads him to be the ships surgeon, they are known as the Peculiars. Bairn has his own story to tell, and as you might guess becomes attracted to Anna, which can never be. He is also kind to Felix, and seems to take the young boy under his wing.
Loved at the end of this book the author tells that there is a lot of truth in this story. There was a ship named the Charming Nancy, and if it was like the one in the story, and I’m sure it was, it is a wonder anyone touched the Pennsylvania shores.
Enjoyed the tenacity of these people, they lived their faith, and from them all of the Amish/Mennonite communities got their start. I cannot personally imagine leaving all that I knew and travel on an unknown journey to a place I’ve never been, and yet what did they leave behind? Nothing!
I highly recommend this read for all people, especially those who love reading Amish stories. This is the beginning!
I received this book through Revell’s Book Bloggers Tour, and was not required to give a positive review.
We meet Anna, as she gets ready for her reluctant
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journey, she has been asked to come because she speaks English. As she leaves, she thinks about returning, and we wonder if she will be able to. We also meet the Bauer family prior to leaving and their recent heartache, and we follow their youngest Felix on his adventures on board the Charming Nancy.According to the ships carpenter, which leads him to be the ships surgeon, they are known as the Peculiars. Bairn has his own story to tell, and as you might guess becomes attracted to Anna, which can never be. He is also kind to Felix, and seems to take the young boy under his wing.
Loved at the end of this book the author tells that there is a lot of truth in this story. There was a ship named the Charming Nancy, and if it was like the one in the story, and I’m sure it was, it is a wonder anyone touched the Pennsylvania shores.
Enjoyed the tenacity of these people, they lived their faith, and from them all of the Amish/Mennonite communities got their start. I cannot personally imagine leaving all that I knew and travel on an unknown journey to a place I’ve never been, and yet what did they leave behind? Nothing!
I highly recommend this read for all people, especially those who love reading Amish stories. This is the beginning!
I received this book through Revell’s Book Bloggers Tour, and was not required to give a positive review.
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LibraryThing member Virginia51
I loved the characters. I liked Anna and Bairn but I loved Felix.. I really hope there will be more about Felix as he gets older. It was interesting to have the whole story on the ship. I don't think I could have handled the crossing. People then we're very brave. I received this book from
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Revellreads for a fair and honest opinion. Show Less
LibraryThing member vintagebeckie
Suzanne Woods Fisher is one of my go-to authors when it comes to Amish fiction. Her latest book, Anna’s Crossing, combines the Amish genre with historical fiction and reveals the roots of the Amish in America. This book is a fascinating look into the hardships the Amish faced in their quest for
Anna does not want to leave her home among the quiet pastures and hills of Germany and embark on a difficult voyage to the New World. But with her talent for languages, her church agrees she must accompany the families who are wishing to settle in Penn’s Woods to find land they can own and freedom to worship as they wish. Onboard the Charming Nancy Anna must face hardship with faith and in the process share a message of hope to the ship’s carpenter, Bairn. The voyage is not easy and neither is living out a faith that demands forgiveness and peace with all men.
Anna’s Crossing is a well-researched account of an Atlantic crossing in 1737. The sounds, sights and smells (an important, but an ew inducing element) are experienced by the reader. Fisher does not include all the deprivations real passengers faced, but does include a great deal of historical facts in her Afterword. The characters are real and relatable. Told in the third person, the perspectives of three characters are shown — Bairn, the ship’s carpenter, Anna, a young woman of great faith, and Felix, an incorrigible boy of ten. Through their eyes, the reader gets a complete look at what it must have been like to travel into an unknown and fear-filled future. There is a strong faith message of trust in God’s love, provision and providence throughout the novel. The leader of Anna’s church states during one difficult experience that Nothing good or bad happens to us but what first passes through the Father’s hand (p. 133). I especially liked that the roots of the Amish in America are explored — the how and why of them coming to settle in a new land. There is also a tie-in with Fisher’s last Christmas novella, Christmas at Rose Hill Farm; a treat for her long-time fans.
So if you are a fan of Amish fiction and want to delve a bit deeper into the origins of their community in America, Anna’s Crossing is definitely for you.
Recommended.
Audience: older teens to adults.
(Thanks to Revell for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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freedom. Filled with interesting details of the Atlantic crossing and endearing characters, Anna’s Crossing is a must-read for fans of Amish fiction.Anna does not want to leave her home among the quiet pastures and hills of Germany and embark on a difficult voyage to the New World. But with her talent for languages, her church agrees she must accompany the families who are wishing to settle in Penn’s Woods to find land they can own and freedom to worship as they wish. Onboard the Charming Nancy Anna must face hardship with faith and in the process share a message of hope to the ship’s carpenter, Bairn. The voyage is not easy and neither is living out a faith that demands forgiveness and peace with all men.
Anna’s Crossing is a well-researched account of an Atlantic crossing in 1737. The sounds, sights and smells (an important, but an ew inducing element) are experienced by the reader. Fisher does not include all the deprivations real passengers faced, but does include a great deal of historical facts in her Afterword. The characters are real and relatable. Told in the third person, the perspectives of three characters are shown — Bairn, the ship’s carpenter, Anna, a young woman of great faith, and Felix, an incorrigible boy of ten. Through their eyes, the reader gets a complete look at what it must have been like to travel into an unknown and fear-filled future. There is a strong faith message of trust in God’s love, provision and providence throughout the novel. The leader of Anna’s church states during one difficult experience that Nothing good or bad happens to us but what first passes through the Father’s hand (p. 133). I especially liked that the roots of the Amish in America are explored — the how and why of them coming to settle in a new land. There is also a tie-in with Fisher’s last Christmas novella, Christmas at Rose Hill Farm; a treat for her long-time fans.
So if you are a fan of Amish fiction and want to delve a bit deeper into the origins of their community in America, Anna’s Crossing is definitely for you.
Recommended.
Audience: older teens to adults.
(Thanks to Revell for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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LibraryThing member wrbinpa
1737 – Anna Konig and a group of Amish people were leaving Ixheim, Germany, going to a New World. They were leaving their peaceful and pastoral valley for a world of unknowns, and the voyage was filled with uncertainties. They sacrificed and endured so much just to own a piece of sod in America.
The people were confined to the lower decks, which were pitiful, with the stale air, stench, and sickness. Life was tenuous and could be altered in an instant. They suffered delays, endured seasickness, cold, and much more.
The characters were unique with effective and realistic dialogue ---
Anna had a rare strength of character and showed much determination and compassion. She’d left her home, grandparents, church, and everything she’d loved and lived for to embark on this journey. Anna had lived in a sheltered world, not caring about earthy possessions.
Bairn had a mystique about him and was a man full of contradictions. He was a wayward soul who claimed to not believe in God, but was filled with kindness, especially towards Anna. Bairn’s title is carpenter of the Charming Nancy and is the third person in charge. He lived in a world filled with temptations, and felt a lot of turmoil in his life.
Felix, a mischievous 8 year-old, was like a brother to Anna. He is a very curious Amish boy and as a result finds himself in trouble throughout the story. His mother’s sadness affected him in a deep way.
The character of Georg Schultz is not likable at all, being shadowy, relentless, and utterly despicable.
Christian Muller – As the minister, his duty was to be sure everyone followed the straight and narrow path and conformed to what it meant to be a church member. He had a meddlesome wife, Maria, who constantly kept things stirred up.
Anna’s Crossing had an intriguing premise, with a story of expectations, despair, and faith. The author did a beautiful job with the vividly described scenes. There were some scenes that I found to be very dynamic. Unfortunately it took me to long to become engaged in the storyline and I found myself plodding through sections and losing focus.
The book is readable, but not exceptional – just lukewarm. My rating is 3.5 stars.
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The Peculiar people, of a peculiar sect, were headed to Penn’s Woods and their passage was secured on a vessel, the Charming Nancy.The people were confined to the lower decks, which were pitiful, with the stale air, stench, and sickness. Life was tenuous and could be altered in an instant. They suffered delays, endured seasickness, cold, and much more.
The characters were unique with effective and realistic dialogue ---
Anna had a rare strength of character and showed much determination and compassion. She’d left her home, grandparents, church, and everything she’d loved and lived for to embark on this journey. Anna had lived in a sheltered world, not caring about earthy possessions.
Bairn had a mystique about him and was a man full of contradictions. He was a wayward soul who claimed to not believe in God, but was filled with kindness, especially towards Anna. Bairn’s title is carpenter of the Charming Nancy and is the third person in charge. He lived in a world filled with temptations, and felt a lot of turmoil in his life.
Felix, a mischievous 8 year-old, was like a brother to Anna. He is a very curious Amish boy and as a result finds himself in trouble throughout the story. His mother’s sadness affected him in a deep way.
The character of Georg Schultz is not likable at all, being shadowy, relentless, and utterly despicable.
Christian Muller – As the minister, his duty was to be sure everyone followed the straight and narrow path and conformed to what it meant to be a church member. He had a meddlesome wife, Maria, who constantly kept things stirred up.
Anna’s Crossing had an intriguing premise, with a story of expectations, despair, and faith. The author did a beautiful job with the vividly described scenes. There were some scenes that I found to be very dynamic. Unfortunately it took me to long to become engaged in the storyline and I found myself plodding through sections and losing focus.
The book is readable, but not exceptional – just lukewarm. My rating is 3.5 stars.
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LibraryThing member Maydacat
The year is 1737 and Anna is crossing the Atlantic to the New World. She is compelled to go, because she is the only one of this group of Amish who speaks English and can communicate with the crew, but she confidant that she will return to her homeland. But plans often can and do go awry. There are
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some twists in this tale, and the pace picks up towards the end of the story. The chemistry between Anna and the ship’s carpenter was well written, as was the dialogue. And though the author did illustrate some of the dangers of a ship’s voyage at that time in history, it was somehow lacking in its depth and description. Even the reader sounded a bit bored with much of it – maybe the reader was the problem with enjoying this audio version. Show Less
LibraryThing member HuberK
Good book, I liked it. Has some true facts in it along with a great story from the author's imagination.
LibraryThing member Lindz2012
This is mostly about how it was dealing with how the Amish came to America. It really tells the story of what happens on a ocean crossing. To extent that it gives what it like when Amish and other were traveling to the New World for their freedom.
You do not go into it expecting what is to happen.
You do not go into it expecting what is to happen.
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It seem more historical then Amish. Though is mostly about Amish and how they come to America. Susanne tell a story about Anna and though she is with while crossing the ocean. She seem interested in the carpenter on the Charming Nancy? Who could that be? Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
330 p.; 8.3 inches
ISBN
9780800723194