My biggest problem with Amish fiction is that many of the stories feature the same main problems: what if I love someone who’s not Amish? and Should I stay within the Amish faith or leave? Those are very valid concerns, and quite respectable story lines within the genre, but ….
That’s what makes Shelley Shepard Gray’s newest book A Son’s Vow one of the best Amish stories I’ve read in years: her characters face incredibly realistic problems, yet their faith shines through brightly. Nobody will mistake Gray’s new cast of characters as living with rosy glasses on; in one way or another, everyone is facing problems head-on. These problems take Amish fiction to a new level: we’re no longer talking only about love, but about physical abuse and forgiveness and abandonment.
Gray deals with these deep topics with wisdom and compassion. I appreciate the way that her characters took time to determine a Biblical course of action. They stood up for others, whether the people attacking them were Amish or English. They took time to invest in relationships, regardless of the faith background of the other person.
I’m glad that this book is the first in a new series. I’ve read many of Gray’s books, and while she’s an excellent writer, this is definitely the best one yet. I look forward to returning to Charm.
