The Preacher's Daughter (Annie's People #1)

by Beverly Lewis

Paperback, 2005

Status

Available

Call number

813.54

Publication

Bethany House Publishers (2005), Edition: Reprinted, 352 pages

Description

"Annie Zook--the preacher's eldest daughter--is expected to join the Amish church, but at 20 she is 'still deciding.' Because of the strict rules that guide the Plain community, she must continually squelch her artistic passion, although it has become her solace"--Provided by publisher.

User reviews

LibraryThing member debs4jc
Annie Zook has quite a dilemma. As the daughter of an old order Amish preacher, she is forbidden to pursue her talent in art. But she is driven to continue secretely, hiding her art studio and masterpieces at an art studio. The only one who knows this is Annie's worldly pen pal Louisa, who has
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problems of her own after breaking off her engagement with her materialistic boyfriend. Louisa feels that she needs a change of pace and asks to come visit Annie and her family. Louisa's designer jeans make quite a splash in Amish country, though she soon adapts to the native dress. Annie is thrilled to have a fellow artist (Annie is an art teacher) but soon her dilemma about choosing her art or the Amish church comes to a head.


Style Characterisics: Pacing, clarity, structure, narrative devices, etc.
Lewis does a wonderful job of creating realistic characters and drawing the reader into an empathy with their dilemmas. The contrast of Louisa's rich worldy background with Annie's created some good scenes, like when Louisa joins Annie at an Amish singing where couples usually pair up for courting. Subplots with an abused wife and a possible romance add even more tension to keep the reader turning the pages.


How Good is it?
Excellent
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LibraryThing member smallcoffey
Very realistic portrayal of the struggle Annie faces between pursuing art, and being accepted in her Amish family and community. Equally compelling his her "Englisher" friend Louisa's search for meaning as Annie's guest, her Amish friend Esther's pain at being shunned when she embraces Christian
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beliefs contrary to the Amish. An abusive husband is portrayed with realism and compassion. The mystery in the story keeps the pages turning. All three books in this series are excellent.
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LibraryThing member franoscar
I didn't expect this, and the sequel, to be Christian critiques of the Amish who the author sees as living in the darkness of not knowing Jesus as their personal savior. This is part 1 of 3 and I guess by the end the main (young) characters will all be healed & joined in Jesus, so that takes some
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of the fun out of it. But the books moves along & is mostly entertaining.
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LibraryThing member musicworks
A beautiful look into the life of the Amish people, their beliefs and their culture, written from one who grew up in that atmosphere. At times, their ways were almost not believable. The friendship between Annie and Louisa was very real and gives good opportunity to see differing lifestyles
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side-by-side. Each character had situations that were identifiable to the reader.
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LibraryThing member GrannyNanny
I had read this series several years ago and really loved it. The author describes the lives of the Amish so well that I thought it would be such a nice way to live!
LibraryThing member Barbara31542
Beverly Lewis's talent for writing and her knowledge of the Amish and their way of life stirs a desire in me to seek out the plain people.
LibraryThing member denisa.howe
The Preacher’s Daughter was a wonderful short read but filled with a wonderful heart wrenching story. The story is about a girl who lives the Amish life and struggles with her love for art, her strong faith and approval of her father and even a little bit of romance. She is at a stopping point in
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her life until she makes some decisions. A visitor brings even more influences and adds to her struggle.. Wonderfully written and totally engaging..
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LibraryThing member BookConcierge
Book on CD read by Aimee Lily

From the book jacket: For Annie Zook, the only daughter of an Old order Amish preacher, the “Plain and simple life” is anything but plain and simple. She juggles conflicting desires and closely guarded secrets – a “fancy” friend, a secret room, and an
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unthinkable dream … while a long-ago mysterious disappearance weighs heavily on her heart.

My reactions
I think Lewis’s ambitions got away from her. There is just too much going on in this novel and none of if it satisfactorily explored. There’s that mysterious disappearance from the past, which is worthy of a novel all its own. Those events haunt not only Annie, but Zeke as well. Then there’s Zeke and Esther’s marriage difficulties, which would certainly make an interesting story. And the central story of the preacher’s daughter, Annie, who is pulled to expressing herself in painting, though it is forbidden, and who is encouraged by her English friend, Louisa (who is running for an all-but-arranged marriage).

I think Lewis does have a knack for exploring the Amish and Mennonite cultures, and contrasting their perspectives against those of modern-day America. I’m glad she gives voice to people who struggle with the basic tenets of faith and a way of life that may not completely suit them. This is the first in a series (“Annie’s People”) and I may read another.

I didn’t realize until I started the CD that it was an abridged version. Aimee Lily seems to do a good job, but I abandoned the audio for the text version so I could fill in the blanks left by the abridged audio.
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Awards

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2005

Physical description

8.5 inches

ISBN

0764201050 / 9780764201059

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