The Prodigal is book four of Lewis' Abram's Daughters series. If you haven't read any of the others in the series, I highly suggest that you stop reading this review and go start at the beginning. This series has a continuing timeline and is not meant to be read out of order. All the Ebersol children are back in Lancaster area. Sadie, having returned after being widowed is doing her best to repent with the church. Mary Ruth is nearby, living the life of a Mennonite and teaching while her sister Hannah is married to the blacksmith and being a dutiful Amish wife. Leah is still single, living with her father and raising the youngest two siblings as she promised to her dying mother. All of them still have some secrets though, and quite a bit of them can be more surprising than they would ever guess.Leah actually took a backseat in this book in my opinion. She's still technically the main character, but not a lot happens with her. It's focused on the younger kids this time, which is fine, but I just wish for some happiness for her. The younger kids I just don't care for as much, they don't grab my interest and I honestly find them kind of selfish after reading about Leah so much. Abram, Leah's father, is better in this one at least and he's a character that I'm starting to grow fond of whereas I used to not care for him at all. Meanwhile, the opposite is true for Hannah's husband, who I used to like but now has become very unlikable.The plot doesn't really go anywhere in this one. There are new secrets revealed, but that's about it. Nothing big happens and it is more the characters interacting with each other. Normally I wouldn't care about that but since the majority of the books in this series has been like that, it seems to me that this could have easily been a trilogy instead of a five book series if a lot of the fluff had been cut out. This one was also extremely preachy and you couldn't turn around without a character praying. I'm not against prayer, but the method it's pushed at you in this book (with the hint that it's the correct way to pray) it just gets grating. I'm perfectly accepting that Amish fiction usually equals Christian fiction, but there is an elegant way to do it, and this is not the way.I'll still read the last book. I have to see how it ends after all. But I may shy away from Lewis for awhile after this series.The ProdigalCopyright 2004343 pagesReview by M. Reynard 2012More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
The more this series progresses, the more drama (of the sort I don't particularly like) Beverly Lewis is injecting. I'm all about real conflicts between people, and real events to deal with; but when it seems that one thing after another crops up with hardly time to breathe between and that they aren't the sorts of things that happen to real people (let alone isolated Amish people), I sort of lose interest. I was tempted just to scan forward a few chapters when the big hospital drama occurred, but I muscled through.I'm growing a little tired of all the conversations that aren't happening. I'm not sure if it is the author's writing style—her technique for drawing out the tension and making situations not resolve—or if it is the way of The People. If they seriously, seriously only get a few words out before someone in authority shuts them down ("We don't talk about such things..." "Let him rest before you ask him questions..." "She didn't want to tire out her aunt with questions..." "She didn't want to remind her of that sad time, so she said no more..." "He smelled alcohol on his breath so he walked away..." "She decided she'd hide the letter for a few weeks, until the boy was feeling better, because her sister didn't need any more to think about...") then I just cry inside for the lack of information they have. If it is just the author's style, I'm not a fan.Too many secrets. Just a few truthful conversations, and this book series could be over in a few pages.However, the last half of this book got the storyline back on track, and the last chapter in particular was very satisfying. I'm anxious to move right on to book five, and the (hopefully!) happy resolution for Leah and Jonas.
What do You think about The Prodigal (2004)?
If this series plays out the way that I have anticipated it playing out, I am going to love it even more. The characters continue to fascinate me and break my heart at the same time.Just an awesome series. I am not a huge fan of religious fiction because there is usually a bit too much ramming religion at the reader. But this series does not do that. You know that there will be religion involved and the reader gets to experience it more from a far than being hit with it constantly. Really well blended storyline and such a fascinating world to be in.
—Jodie
I read this on the KindleThis is the 4th book & I enjoyed it very much, i was wrong on one plot but as i read this book i did guess beforei got to the point of the plot coming out in the bookAs you read this book & series well you go from not liking some people to liking but The Bishop sorry don't warm to him in the book & seems even some of the people in the book are not so keen either lolThis instalment you have some happy plots but also some sad ones so am looking forward to the last book to see if there is a happy ending for some also if i guessed right about Leah's father also i love to guess what i think will happen or how i would do the plot taking nothing from Beverley Lewis but i think most people if they get well stuck in to a book think of different ways they would have taken the plot This is a really good series & i am reading book after book to the point of not doing too much else
—Janice Aitkens
WIIA: I will put on baker publishers description..way better than mine! "In The Prodigal, Leah Ebersol knows all too well that the truth can be thorny, even heartbreaking. But when an alarming secret is brought to light, she must make another difficult choice, one that could be further complicated by a prodigal who few expected to return."Pros: I love this series!! This was one of my fave books in the series! More secrets...more things to figure out! LOLCons: More secrets...more "Ohhh I wish I could go in this book, they are makin' the wrong decision!" moments. Plus now Leah is soo much older, my heart goes out to her. I worried about her in this book I felt sad that she wasn't living the life she has dreamed about. But that is just the way Beverly Lewis writes.Iffy: Adult-teen romance. I can't remember all the iffy\romance...sorry :(
—Abby
