Paradise Valley - Dale Cramer

THE BOOK:

Inspired by Actual Events!

"I would do a great many things for you." Even at 16, Jake's handsome features hold the calm certainty and patient confidence of a man, and Rachel Bender knows--Jake Weaver is the one.

Rachel will grow into a strong young woman with powerful gifts--but in a far away country without her Jake. In 1921, Ohio's new law forces Caleb Bender's family to seek santucary in the wilds of Mexico, where the government will not interfvere with their Amish way of life or take their children from them. Nor will it protect them from the bandits terrorizing the countryside.

In an unfamiliar land where no one speaks thier language or knows their ways, the Benders establish a homestead in exile. Sisters Emma, Rachel, and Miriam find strengths unimagined, gifts unexpected, and yearnings beyong their deepest dreams. Even steadfast Caleb is compelled to wrestle with the demands of faith, only to discover that love has its own demands.

Paradise Valley -- a tale of love, danger, and redeeming faith.

MY REVIEW:

 Star Rating: ***

I am not a big Amish fan, but Dale Cramer's book, Paradise Valley, was very interesting and very different than other Amish books I’ve read. Which was a nice change. I mean, these Amish people came face to face with bandits and several times the girls were nearly abducted! Yep, not a typical docile Amish story, to be sure! And the fact that this is based on real events—that there really was an Amish family who went to Mexico to start a new colony—was awesome!

I think maybe my biggest problem with this book was the writing style. It was very different than what I usually like—told more as a narration of Rachel's story then from deep POV "IN" Rachel's head. And the book was rather slow paced for a good majority of it. There are two characters who sleep together, and while there are no details given, I had a slight problem with it. There are never any consequences or recuperations after their sin is found out by the parents. I just wished I could have seen some repenting for their sin.

That aside, Paradise Valley makes for a good story, and I did enjoy reading it—even if I did start skimming a lot. The characters are warm and endearing, and while sometimes the emotions seemed a bit stilted, by the end of the book this Amish family had grown on me. It’s amazing how, because they couldn’t teach their children their own way, they embarked on an adventure that forever changed the lives of each character. Paradise Valley is a book Amish fans will enjoy.

I reviewed this book for Bethany House Publishers. Thanks to Jim for sending me a review copy. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done.

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