The Orchard

by Beverly Lewis

Paperback, 2022

Status

Available

Call number

F LEW

Collection

Fiction

Call number

F LEW

Genres

Publication

Bethany House Publishers (2022), 352 pages

Description

"For generations, Ellie Hostetler's family has tended their orchard, a tradition her twin brother, Evan, will someday continue. But when Evan is drafted for the Vietnam War, the family is shocked to learn he has not sought conscientious objector status. Can Ellie, with the support of a new beau, find the courage to face a future unlike the one she imagined?"--

User reviews

LibraryThing member Kris_Anderson

The Orchard by Beverly Lewis is a touching Amish tale. It is well-written with relatable characters. We get to know Ellie Hostetler and her family. Ellie along with her twin brother, Evan and their parents are the central characters. We follow them as they go about their day to day lives during the

Vietnam War. Evan gets a low number is the draft lottery. He failed to register as a conscientious objector, so Evan is soon drafted and sent off to war. The Hostetler’s live in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania which has a close-knit Amish community. Everyone is praying for Evan to return home safely and return to the fold. Ellie loves her family orchard. If she had been born a boy, Ellie would inherit the orchard she loves. Instead, Evan is the one who stands to inherit the farm, but he is not sure that is the path he wishes to go. There are several subplots. I like how everything worked together. The point-of-view switched between Ellie and her father, Lyle. The Orchard is a good book, but I did not find it as engaging as this author’s previous novels. The biggest problem was the pacing which was leisurely (you know the 90-year-old woman with the walker who slowly goes across the road while you are waiting to turn right—that is the pace of this book). It took quite a while for the author to set the stage (introduce the characters, the orchard, etc.). I admit that I did some skimming to get through it (laundry days, all the meals, letter writing). I wish there had been some editing (take out about a hundred pages). I like the characters strong faith. They know that God is watching out for them, and they are firm believers in the power of prayer. I did feel that the author captured how people felt about the Vietnam War and conscientious objectors. The Orchard has a good ending, but I do feel that Evan’s story is incomplete. The Orchard is a tender Amish tale with apple picking, pretty peach blossoms, Vietnam war woes, a tender romance, and powerful prayers.

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LibraryThing member cannonmad

This was a beautiful story about an Amish girl Ellie and her twin brother Evan. Readers will enjoy the inside perspective on the day-to-day running of their family orchard. The story is set during the Vietnam War, and when Ellie's brother Evan doesn't register as a conscious objector, he soon is

drafted into the Army. While he is away, Ellie processes the separation from her brother and her community's disapproval of his actions. She deals with her best friend moving away and an unexpected romance with an old friend.

I commend the author for her meticulous research. Many of the details about Amish culture and life seemed accurate from what I know about the Amish. However, as much as I liked this book, it is probably my least favorite by Beverly Lewis. The story developed so slowly. The first half of the book felt like the introduction. To use the terms of literature analysis. I kept wondering when the "conflict" and "rising action" would begin. I was disappointed that Ellie's actual courtship felt rushed and lasted only a few pages.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions in this review are my own.

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LibraryThing member khiemstra631

I used to love reading books by Beverly Lewis back when the Amish fiction rage first began, but I had not read one of hers in several years. If there is such a category, I would label this as Historic Amish fiction because it is set in 1970 and revolves around the Vietnam War. Evan and Ellie are

twins who could not have more different views about their Amish faith. Ellie can hardly wait to be baptized and looks forward to marrying an Amish man. Evan, on the other hand, began his Rumschpringe earlier than usual and because close friends with a neighboring "English" boy and his sister. The young man is killed in Vietnam, and Evan has fallen in love with his sister. Rather than register as a conscientious objector, Evan subjects himself to the draft. He has a low draft number and soon finds himself in Vietnam. His family remains home to face the skeptical looks of their family and friends concerning how they must have raised their son. At the same time, Ellie has a courtship with a young Amish fellow named Menno, and lots of details about running a family orchard business come to light. All of this takes well over half the book to happen.
The pacing of this novel is very slow and yet it, it manages to be choppy at the same time, especially in the first half. Each chapter is broken into countless little vignettes. About the time one story gets going, it stops abruptly and switches to another very short story. I wanted to know much more before each one ended.
The second half of the book reads much better than the first, and lots of action happens. I thought that it seemed a bit rushed, especially in the details of Ellie's courtship with her future husband. Also, Lewis could have developed the story of Evan and the war a bit more fully. Nonetheless, the book is well-researched and accurately portrays Amish life at the time, based on what I know of it. The characters have well-developed personalities and present shining testimonies of their faith in God. It was informative to read just how strongly the Amish hold their belief in pacifism. I recommend this book as a good historical Christian novel as long as the reader does not mind meandering down the path of its plot.
I received a review copy of this book as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

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LibraryThing member grammy57

I enjoyed this book. It reminded me of events from my childhood. Beverly Lewis gave good insight into those troubled times in the Viet Nam war era. She approaches the subject of CO from both the Amish and English sides.

The book had great characters that were very well developed. The story flowed

well. It is Christian without being pushy. It reveals

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LibraryThing member chrirob

Ellie and Evan may be twins, but that does not mean they do and think alike. Lately, Ellie thinks she may not know her brother as well as she once thought. His personality and actions are becoming more rebellious and straying from the Amish way of life. Ellie thinks this might be due to the recent

death of a local young man to the war in Vietnam. But this man was an Englisher, not Amish - so why would this bring about such change in her brother. Ellie and her family become even more worried when they learn that Evan has been drafted to go to Vietnam - and that he refused to file as a conscientious objector. As Evan's enlistment & transfer to Vietnam approaches, the Hostetler family must accept Evan's decision while learning what this new status as soldier means to their family & Amish community. Will Evan's actions affect relationships with friends and community leaders, especially since it appears he may not become a member of the Amish faith?

This was a really good book - as all of Beverly Lewis' are! I don't usually read books in the era of the Vietnam War, but was very happy to learn more about the conflict through this book. I would love to see another book to follow the happenings of this family!

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LibraryThing member Sonja.Hoeke.Nish7358

This book takes us back to the Vietnam time period. I enjoyed the book, but have to admit that it took a while for the book to grab my attention. It seemed a bit slow starting for me. It wasn't my favorite Beverly Lewis book. But once I got into the book, it moved a bit faster and became more

interesting to me.
The book deals with the struggles of the conscientious objectors to the war and those left behind them and dealing with the thoughts of not seeing their family members again. The romance was sweet.

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LibraryThing member vintagebeckie

The Orchard by Beverly Lewis is an Amish novel set during the Vietnam War. This turbulent time affected not only the English, but the Amish community. In order for Amish men to stay faithful to their faith and avoid the draft, they had to register as conscientious objectors. But for Evan

Hostetler, the choice is not an easy one. He and his twin sister, Ellie, have an idyllic life living on the farm their family has managed for generations. In Ellie’s eyes the choice is simple, but her simple world becomes more and more difficult to navigate with Evan’s decision. The message of the book seemed to be that the Amish way of life was simple and good and that any other way of living was wrong. Ellie’s character is naive and her world small. There is conflict and tragedy, but in the end the author seemed to be saying that if Evan had just followed the teachings of his church, all would have been well. Perhaps. But the Amish church is not perfect, nor is it without problems — as are all churches. I felt that the book presented a one-sided, simplistic view of the world. Beverly Lewis is a much beloved and successful author, so check this book out for yourself and decide whether to read it.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased this book from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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