Beside Still Waters - Book Review

Marianna Sommer believes she knows where her life is headed. Nineteen years old and Amish, her plan is to get baptized into the church, marry Aaron Zook, and live in the only community she's ever known.

When Marianna's family moves from Indiana to Montana she discovers life and faith will never be the same. As she builds an easy friendship with local guy, Ben Stone, Ben not only draws her heart, he also gets her thinking about what loving God and living in community is all about.

As Marianna struggles to find "home", she also encounters God in intimate ways.

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I was lucky enough to be chosen to review the book Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer, although I admit, I never knew that the genre of Amish literate was so popular, nor that it was so engaging.  Even though the characters in Goyer's book lived lives vastly different than that of my family and I, I was immediately drawn into Marianna's story, finding myself relating to her faith, selflessness, and the love of her family.

The writing style of this book was refreshing, allowing me to see the characters in the story as real live people, with real live problems. Tricia Goyer's story didn't romanticize the in's and out's of Amish life, nor did she portray English life to be bad.  Instead by allowing Marianna discover and develop her own faith , we easily see the similarities and differences between the two worlds.

The depictions and imagery of the story's setting was fresh as well.  As someone who lives in Pennsylvania, a state with a vast Amish population, I was able to see with clarity the scenes in the book.

Even though the story starts off with a punch, the characters are easy to like and are relatable, with the main character, Marianna, developing right along with the progression of the story.

Looking for a good read?  Then check out Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer

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I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of the Beside Still Waters Campaign and received a copy of the book and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate