LitFuse Publicity Blog Tour: Beside Still Waters

Here's a description of the book:

"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."

My Rating: Spring/Summer

My Review:

This is one of those books that surprised me. The prologue seemed abrupt, and the beginning of the book didn't really capture my attention. But eventually I became more involved in the story, and the train ride to Montana--the change in setting and perspective--really drew me into the plot and the heart of the characters.

The second half of the book felt more genuine to me. It raised some important questions and stirred my emotions. The underlying tension of two different worlds was palpable and real.

I appreciated the fact that this book was not a "formulaic" Amish story, and I think the mountain setting really added to its uniqueness. There were interesting details and enough plot twists and action to keep me reading.

I also really appreciated the characters' growth--they weren't "static," but were constantly changing and learning, just like people are in real life. And it could just be me and the day that I finished the book, but near the end I got teary-eyed. Beside Still Waters turned out to be a thought-provoking and ultimately hopeful read, and I'm interested to see what happens in the next book, Along Wooded Paths!

*With thanks to the publisher for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion, to be shared during the LitFuse Publicity Blogging tour.*

About the Author:

"Tricia Goyer is the author of twenty-six books including Songbird Under a German Moon, The Swiss Courier, and the mommy memoir, Blue Like Play Dough. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like MomSense and Thriving Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in Little Rock, Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife. Visit www.triciagoyer.com for more info."

To Buy the Book: click HERE

Blog Tour Schedule: Check out all of the other reviews scheduled by clicking HERE.

Contest:

To celebrate the release of the first book in the Big Sky Amish series Tricia is giving away 10 copies of Beside Still Waters and a pair of super cute antique Amish salt & pepper shakers.

Details at Tricia’s blog, It’s Real Life.

Good luck!