Paradise Valley (The Daughters of Caleb Bender Book #1)

In 1922 Caleb Bender and four other Amish fathers are arrested for refusing to send their children to the consolidated school. Rachel Bender is one of the children taken away from their parents, placed in a children's home, and forced to dress as an Englisher until her father gives in to the

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pressure to enroll her in school. As a result, the Bender family decides to leave their home in Ohio and start over in a strange land--Mexico. Here they must build a new home, learn a new language, and adjust to a new culture. Rachel must also leave her newfound love, Jake Weaver, just as she is old enough to start courting. This is a story of love, faith, and courage as the Benders face bandits terrorizing the Mexican countryside. learn how to relate to the Mexican people, and face medical emergencies without the help of a doctor. For those who enjoy historical fiction or Amish fiction.

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Paradise Valley by Dale Cramer was a pretty decent book. It had an interesting story, and it kept me reading. It was about an amish family who after battling their state education laws decide to relocate to paradise valley. It was a very light read, and did not really delve into the tougher issues,

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but it's an altogether good book.

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Paradise Valley is a very interesting book. I didn't realize until I was finished reading it that it is based on the author's ancestry. This historical novel is about the Amish and their relocation to Mexico from Ohio after refusing to send their children to state schools. Their adventures and

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things that happened to them after they arrived in Paradise Valley make it a very interesting book. I am eagerly looking forward to the sequels. Great book!!

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I must admit that I was skeptical about this book that is until I started to read it. I soon fell head over heels into the story, something that can only happen with a truly great book.

I love nothing more than reading a great historical fiction book, learning about history, and gaining new friends

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at the same time. I have become invested in Rachel and Miriam's lives and I cannot wait to read what happens to them and their sisters next.

I believe the greatest part of this book is that it is not even a little "preachy". It is about devout Amish, but this family lives their faith but shows everyone around them kindness and respect, no matter their own beliefs. This message is just so great, to live by your own rules and to not judge others by them.

Paradise Valley has quickly made its way to the top of my list of recommendations and I cannot wait to find more books by Dale Cramer, who is truly a great storyteller.

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I just recently received this book thru the Early Reviewer's Program. Paradise Valley is the first book in the Daughters of Caleb Bender Series. Even though I love Amish fiction, I wasn't sure that I would really find this book interesting as it relates how Amish families decide to move to Mexico

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to get a fresh start after several members are arrested after refusing to send their children to public school. To me this seemed like a rather dry topic.....at first.

I must say that I am glad that I gave this book a chance, as once I started reading I was surprised to find that it was actually a great book!

I love Dale Cramer's writing style, characters, and vivid details. I am definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

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Caleb Bender, an amishman, is hauled off to jail in 1922 for keeping his children out of school. A few months later Caleb sees an ad in the paper for farm land in Mexico. He makes the decision to move their with his family and this book is the story of the move from Ohio to Paradise Valley. Dale

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Cramer caught my attention throughout the entire book and was based on his own family history.

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I have been facinated with the Amish and their way of life for many years now, so I was delighted to win an advance copy of this book. I was pleasantly surprised that it was based on the author's own family history. The change of location, from the typical Pennsylvania or Ohio setting to Mexico,

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was very welcome and it opened my eyes to a piece of Amish history that I had never learned much about. The book drew me in from page one; Dale Cramer writes very successfully from the female point of view. The relationships that are developed, both between family members and potential future partners are true, genuine and intriguing. The only downside to having received the book as an Early Reviewer is that there will be a wait for the next book in the series!

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this story is about a small amish community. several of the men are taken to jail for refusing to send their children to the english school. when the courts threaten to send the children to foster homes the families give. the famileis are beside themselves until one of the leaders, caleb, sees an

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add for land in mexico and finds that there are no rules on sending children to school. caleb and his family are the first to leave for this new country, "paridise valley". the story tells of their struggles and triumphs in their journey and as they settle in paradise valley. caleb and his family learn to live among the strange new people and even start a school that helps the mexican children to read and write. a must read story as it takes you on an exciting journey.

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Finally, an Amish book with a difference. I love that the setting takes place in Mexico instead of the typical midwest/eastern states. As usual, Dale writes with a style that holds the reader's attention right to the end.

Amish fiction set in Mexico? What will they think of next? That's exactly what the premise of this story is as a sect of Amish in the 1920s left their home in Ohio to start their own community in Paradise Valley, Mexico. I don't know if I necessarily agreed with the Amish community's decision to

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keep their children home from school. I could understand why they felt that way but I didn't necessarily like their disregard for government. It's stated throughout the book that they felt that they didn't have to follow the law or the government because of their religion and how they were not of this world. The irony though is that when they got to Mexico, they wanted rules and laws to be followed so that thieves would not steal their belongings! Maybe it was just me but it seemed that they only wanted the government's input when it suited them.

The thing that interested me was how the Amish community viewed Mexicans. Even though they pride themselves on being non judgmental, they viewed many of the Mexicans as savages. The Benders seemed extremely surprised to learn that Domingo could learn languages very well and kept referring to him as an ignorant savage. I can understand their surprise and interest at different cultures but at times it felt as if they were acted like their were superior to the natives of the country.

This is the first book in the Daughters of Caleb Bender series and it shows. By that I mean a lot of this book is just preparing the story for future books. There's not really much action or drama in this story. There is the whole reason for the move and the actual move itself but once the Benders and their party get down to Mexico they spend most of their time just getting settled. There's nothing wrong with this but I just feel that this first book was just setting up the story for the future. Still, I enjoyed it. I've never read Cramer's books in the past but I do like his style of writing even if I don't agree with everything in the book. I'll go back and read his backlist (which I heard has some really good books) and look forward to reading more of this series in the future.

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I liked this book because I like to read about Amish people to learn about their culture, to see life through their eyes. It was good, not great, but still a nice read for when your locked in the house on a boring day.

I'm a fan of Amish fiction, particularly historical Amish fiction, so I was anxious to read this book. This was the first book by Dale Cramer that I had read, so I wasn't sure what to expect from him as a writer. I enjoyed the story, it was interesting to read a novel like this from a male author.

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I found the story to be good, but there were times that I felt the pace could have been picked up. Overall, I enjoyed the story, and I may read the sequels, but I won't put any other books aside to read them.

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It is my second Amish book I read. The first one was James A. Michener's "The Novel". Before as well as after that, I was always interest in the Amish lifestyle, their recipes, quilts, etc. and watched just about all the movies made about the Amish culture. I have treasured this book for a long

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time, waiting for the opportunity to read it. It was a beautiful, heartwarming, amazing experience. I loved every minute of it.

Their way of life always reminded me of how my grandparents lived before electricity and motor vehicles graced their lives. It is a kind of walk down memory lane, and although it is in a different country, the background and religion was the same.

Lots to ponder in the book. Here is a few quotes I would like to remember:

"My dat says a prideful man thinks everyone is vain, and a deceiver thinks everyone is a liar."

“Would we try to rule as the greedy do?” he asked. “Will we try to grab power over other people’s possessions? What fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness, and what communion hath light with darkness?"

"Just remember when you choose a girlfriend, don’t choose so much the girl. Choose the friend."

"Dat says a man who is strong in his heart is gentle in his hands.”

"There was a kind of comfort in knowing that someone else was in control so long as it was someone faithful, someone who cared for his wife as Gott cared for His children.

"Someone strong enough to be gentle with his wife. Someone who not only would allow his wife to be everything Gott intended her to be, but wanted it so. She had seen the other kind too, in the downcast eyes of women whose husbands ruled with an iron hand that squeezed the dreams out of them. If the right man could complete a woman, the wrong one could crush her."

"There was nothing worth doing in this world that could not be accomplished with common sense, hard work, and the help of a strong family."

It will not be the last one I read. This made my day special indeed.

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I downloaded this for free so wasn't sure how good it would be but it exceeded my expectations.

Based on a true story it tells about the Bender family who are Amish and fall foul of the law requiring children to be sent to school. Initially the fathers are sent to jail but when the children are

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taken away something drastic needs to be done.

The answer seems to lie in Mexico, a long way from their Ohio home and the book follows them as they try to build a new life.

A very easy read which is also informative historically and makes you wonder how far literally and metaphorically would you go to follow your faith?

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After spending time in jail for not sending his young children to public school, Caleb Bender searches for a way to raise his family without government interference. Seeing an ad for land in Mexico, he decides to move his family there, with the promise that others will follow. Though the land in

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Mexico is good, it is also rife with bandits and killers. He and his family endure much to ensure their survival, yet they still need the help of a young Mexican man who knows the territory and the men who roam it. Dangerous situations plague the newcomers, who refuse to fight. This novel may be about the Amish, but it reads like an adventure story. Full to the brim with action and a bit a romance, this first book in the trilogy is an exciting beginning, with a well-written plot and characters so real, you’ll have to remind yourself this is a work of fiction.

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I enjoyed reading this book. It was a good story and I liked the characters. The story was great and I like seeing how it worked out.