I understand the origins of the Amish, as religion and as people, but what I don't understand is the need for writers of Amish fiction to randomly throw in random words that are Pennsylvania Dutch. I can only imagine the authors aren't bilingual themselves and don't realise how odd it is to have a single word in a conversation of English substituted for word in a different langues (while this can be common in poly-lingual children, it's seen less in adults). It was obvious what the words meant in English, so why randomly add them in?Also, even though it's a short story, it's incredibly short. He takes home a girl he (apparently) can barely talk around, and asks her to marry him. She agrees. But WHY? They barely know each other! This story is the result of the consorted efforts of two refreshingly talented writers and belongs to The Amish of Apple Grove series. The story takes place in Berlin, Ohio in April of 1858. Jonas Switzer and his mother and sister were taken in by the Byler family when his father suddenly died. The fact that his family came from outside of the Amish community played no role in the spontaneous hospitality afforded them. When Jonas realized that he would eventually have to make his own way and eventually give up the relative comfort that temporary sustained his family, he started making plans of travelling west into the new territories that were opening to settlers. In his mind the pivotal condition to assure success was the right wife. One particular girl caught his eye and claimed his heart; Caroline Hersberger. This is a literary tribute to love and innocence. The relatively closed and secretive world of the Amish gives them an extra mystery. Their modest dress and passive beliefs make them the picture of innocence. There closed world is opened and the reader realizes that the differences aren’t that great. Charming and vaguely beguiling and enticing statements like “I find my mind is peaceful when my fingers are busy.” I wouldn’t have thought that a glimpse into this mundane world could be so interesting and informative. I recommend it to readers that sometime enjoy a love story without stated or implied sexual references.
What do You think about A Home In The West (2013)?
An easy two? Hour read. Innocent love story.
—tumi
way too short. It is like a teaser chapter.
—hanaa
