Running Around (And Such) (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
Moving wasn't easy but the Byler family did. A lot of work to be done on the new farm. The girls were afraid they wouldn't find a beau because not many boys lived in the area. Annie got really sick & had to be hospitalized because she had pneumonia. Melvin worked hard & worried about his wife Annie. When Annie was better & back to doing things arund the house it helped so Emma could be a mauda for local families. Lizzie wasn't too happy about being a mauda. She was afraid of being away from home for a week at a time. Things changed though & she got over that fear. She worked on a egg grade job, but an English man flirted too much with her & Lizzie's parents said she couldn't work their anymore. Uncle Marvinwas about the same age as Lizzie but he was a younger brother to Lizzie's father. He gave her some advice about Stephen, but Lizzie didn't listen or at least listen yet to what he had said. I enjoyed this story, so much happening & didn't get lost while reading. I look forward to reading rest of books in this series to see if Lizzie does find love. Running Around (and Such) by Linda Byler is the first in the Lizzie Searches for Love Series. Lizzie Glick is coming to her "running around" years and like many teenagers there is a lot to deal with. Not enjoying the many Amish chores around the house, like sewing, cooking, babies, milking cows, etc. makes her feel like she doesn't fit in. Along with that, she feels her mom and dad like her older and younger sister more. Lizzie also is self conscience about her weight. Lizzie just wants to wear her hair fancy and wear shoes with heels, but it's not proper amongst the Amish. Moving to a house that is over 50 miles from her old house, in an entirely different county, not knowing anyone, and there's just not that many Amish boys in the new county sets Lizzie's mind in a whirl! Does God really have everything worked out?"Jesus first, others next, and yourself last spells J-O-Y." I love that line! Running Around (and Such) is the first book by Linda Byler that I have read. The book does say juvenile fiction, so this first book is a bit different than what I am used to reading. What I liked was all the Amish "extras" it had. Knowing the author is Amish herself, I felt while I was reading the book, I could actually picture an Amish household and their daily chores. I also enjoyed the honesty of Lizzie not enjoying everything Amish. I honestly never thought about it before, but remembering back to my teenage years, I could easily relate to Lizzie as she was trying to branch out and find her place in the world. What I also liked was that it jumped back a few years and explained a family event that in turn gave depth to Lizzie and understanding to her feelings. At the same time, some of the flashbacks were a little confusing. The other thing that was a little confusing for me was the tense used throughout the book. I kept going back to look to see who was "talking." Most of the Amish books I have read focus on one character for a few pages, then focus on another character's thoughts for a few pages, and so on. However, Mrs. Byler wrote mainly from Lizzie's point of view and what she though others were thinking. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to reading Where Strawberries Bloom, the next one in the series.
What do You think about Running Around (And Such) (2010)?
Not much action, even for an Amish-romance novel. Don't think I'll finish the series.
—jessel
Different but I liked it and enjoyed the first part of the story.
—Shaks
