The Redemption Of Sarah Cain (2000) - Plot & Excerpts
All right, I just finished this book, so I probably shouldn't be writing a review before I have time to absorb it. But there are some things I want to say before I forget, so I'm doing it anyway!I picked this book up because I've read Beverly Lewis' Shunning trilogy (and seen the movies), which I enjoyed more. I enjoy amish literature. And (OK, this is the real reason) I saw the trailer for the movie. Only later did I realize the book and the movie are two very different things, and I still think the movie looks really good even if the book didn't really reach my standards. Taking the kids away from Amish-country would have been very interesting.So, Sarah's estranged sister dies, leaving all five of her Amish children to Sarah - who's single, bitter, and very un-Amish. Not to mention that whole horrible even she feels really guilty about, which is sort of pushed around a lot. Sarah is at first disgusted at her sister for pushing this on her, but she eventually finds time in her busy schedule to fly down to Amish country, meet the kids, and get things figured out. Blah, blah, blah, I'm going to stop summarizing now and assume you can google this on your own.This was an okay book, but I have to say my major problem with it was probably more about the religious part than anything. I am a Christian, 100%. My problem is not that there is religion, but that some of the points that seem to be made are kind of weird. Like, the Amish kids are under the impression that going out into the "english" world is the end of the world, there is nothing good about it, and it can only mean bad things. Yes, Sarah is not a believer at that point, which probably affects these feelings, but us believers out in the - I suppose "real world" isn't the right term, but I can't think of what to call it - are not entirely evil. Maybe the Amish are a little too judgmental, hmm? Speaking of, Lyddie (the eldest Amish girl, who takes care of her siblings and runs the house after her mother's death) is almost appalled at her aunt's love for shopping and number of different (fancy, in their opinion) outfits. She finds it a symbol of her un-Amishness and worldliness. Not to say that shopping cannot become a sin if held above God, but there is NOTHING in the Bible saying a woman can't enjoy buying new clothes, or that she has to wear the same three outfits her entire life. And when Sarah starts to struggle internally with everything going on, she finds herself not drawn to her new outfits anymore. Guys? Do all Christians really take no joy in shopping? I most definitely do not, but I have friends who do.And then I have one more bone to pick: Can't the children just move to Sarah's home? Moving sucks. I know that really, really well. I've moved many times, and I'm still a teenager. It hurts. But (as I said earlier) there is nothing sinful about having more stuff or owning a dryer. And there are so many more ways to spread the Gospel out here than in the small communities.Now, I did enjoy reading it. But I had enough bones to pick to make a chicken, and I didn't necessarily enjoy that. The resolution was not the one I was hoping for, and I feel bad for a certain someone, to think that is the way to go. But that's just me.
Finished "The Redemption of Sarah Cain" by Beverley Lewis. It's a story set in the Lancaster County where the very few Amish lived. My 6th book installment for the month of May.Learned that it's not the amount of things that you have in life that makes you wealthy but the love of your friends and family that makes you rich.The trappings of this life pulls us down when we are called to travel light. We are not supposed to accumulate things, instead we are told to have friends as many of them as possible."Human beings often despise alone‐ness. We avoid isolation at all costs. Yet we must reconcile with solitude, learn to embrace it, so that we can hear God's voice."Reflection and prayer:Jesus, thank You that You know me inside and out and yet You still love me just the same. You care enough to know to give me second chances time and again.Lord, I want to learn to be the best Paulin that You want me to be, I know I am a far cry from the kind of person that You want me to be right now, but still I am also sure that You are at work in me even now and I thank You that You are with me on this journey.God, thank you for teaching me to learn to be content with nothing a few years back when you gave me the chance to choose to give away more than 12 sacks of Jumbo Plastic Bags of stuffs that are just pulling me down, accumulating dirt and acquiring rust.Now thinking back, I don't miss the stuffs that I have given away, I can barely remember what they are anyways and I never regret it, not one iota.What I do regret is the fact that should You asked me if there are friends who would be willing to die for me, I am not sure if I can even present You with one. I know that I would be willing to die for many of my friends, but are they willing to for me?It's not the silence that I am really afraid of, but that I will fail to hear Your call.It's not the isolation that scares me, not really, but that I would be alone when I fall.It's not the loneliness that perturbs me, but that I will find myself separated from everyone with a wall.It's not solitude that I am frightened of, but that I may be too secluded and no one will find my soul.Father, quiet time has become a part of my life for so long now yet I still find that solitude is something that I have not enough time of, and I regret this deeply. I am still melancholic especially for the past couple of weeks, I am not like this at all. When I turn around, it seems that nobody cares and nobody wishes to know. Even if they are, are they willing to really listen to the resonates of my heart, because even when I do tell, they might not understand nor would they know how to respond. I myself do not know what to expect, I myself do not know what to say. A home seems to be not a home right now and I wonder where should I go.
What do You think about The Redemption Of Sarah Cain (2000)?
I enjoy Beverly Lewis although sometimes I get frustrated with the dialogue. Because of my job I come across and deal with a lot of Amish and I've never once heard them speak the way Beverly portrays. Then again, I rarely come across Pennsylvania Dutch so it might be regional.I enjoyed The Redemption of Sarah Cain. I like that the ending wasn't expected. My one issue with this book was that it only took a week for Sarah to completely change her life. While I get that sometimes people do change quickly, it didn't seem to fit with the initial image of Sarah. As always, Beverly Lewis delivers a heartwarming story straight out of the heart of Pennsylvania and she doesn't disappoint.
—Kendra
I was excited to discover that the movie that sparked my interest in the Amish, “Saving Sarah Cain,” was actually a book. should have know that The Redemption of Sarah Cain would not live up to my expectations as that seems to be my luck with books-to-movies.Boring, bad characterizations, and a poorly written narrative and plot, The Redemption of Sarah Cain was a complete disappointment. The story line is not as fleshed out as her other novels, and the story becomes difficult to follow with two main characters who never get their dues. Lydia, also known as Lyddie, deserves more focus than her self-centered and cruel Aunt Sarah, whom I found extremely difficult to even tolerate. The remaining characters, especially Sarah’s semi-boyfriend, Bryan, were not developed enough for the reader to decide if they like them or not.The Redemption of Sarah Cain is just not good.
—Christina
This story was about a lady who learns that her sister (who turned Amish) passed away and left her five children to her. The sisters didn't have a good relationship growing up, and Sarah was very surprised that her sister would leave her children to her with their totally different lifestyles. There were some great quotes in here, but I returned the book to the library before I wrote them down. I liked the comparison between a hermit crab and simplicity.I'm glad Beverly Lewis writes a good, clean book. They are somewhat predictable, and somethings are redundant, but they are a fast read.
—Andrea
