The Orchard by Beverly Lewis

 

Beverly Lewis, who launched the Amish Fiction genre in 1997 with The Shunning, has added The Orchard to her list of 80+ published books. Coming out in September, The Orchard features Ellie Hostetler and her family. For generations, the Hostetler family has tended an orchard, and Ellie expects that her twin brother Evan will be the next one to take over the orchard, as is the habit of leaving the business to the youngest offspring.

Evan has other plans, beginning with serving in the military during the Vietnam War; he did not seek conscientious objector status as many Amish young men did in that era. He was motivated by his English friend Jack who died fighting in the war. Worse, Evan has decided to not be baptized yet in the Amish order and will continue his experience as a regular teenager in what the Amish call Rumspringa. He even has a girlfriend who is outside the order.

If Evan leaves the church or worse, dies in Vietnam, what will happen to the orchard when their mother and father are ready to retire? Ellie has always loved the orchard and does her part in tending the plants, picking fruit, and working in the family’s fruit store. Living in an apple and peach orchard is the only life she has known, although she has ideas of her own about adding cherry and plum trees.

Ellie has a boyfriend, and fortunately, he is not only an Amish man, but also he works for her family in the orchard. Best of all, Solomon is the brother of her dear friend Leah. When he is attacked by bullies who dislike young Amish men who are not likely to serve their country, Solomon fears making a future with Ellie because of his injuries.

The central question is will Evan survive Vietnam? If he does, will he leave the Amish order and strike out on his own with his English girlfriend? Who will run the orchard if that happens?

Beverly Lewis started writing short stories and poetry at the age of 9. Raised in Pennsylvania Amish country, she started writing Amish fiction with the trilogy, The Heritage of Lancaster County, a story loosely based on her maternal grandmother, an Old Order Mennonite. She and her husband, David, live in Colorado. Three of her novels have been made into Hallmark movies.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting June 27, 2022.

I would like to thank Bethany House and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.