The Miting - by Dee Yoder

This was an interesting and very different story from other Amish stories I've read.
Seventeen-year-old Leah is part of the Old-Order Amish and starting to question the ways of her people.  Though her best friend is enjoying her rumspringen by partying, Leah just wants to understand God and why different groups of Amish are told to live in different ways.  Why is it a sin if your dress isn't a certain length or you have indoor plumbing when New-Order Amish can live this way?  Will she ever be free of all the rules?  She especially can't understand why the church doesn't do more to stop the abuse her friend is suffering.

When she starts to attend an English Bible study, her parents forbid her.  They don't want her reading a Bible because they believe the bishop needs to tell them the Word of God and interpret it for them.  They threaten to shun her even though she still hasn't been baptized into the church.  She wants to obey them, but has a yearning desire to understand the traditions and faith of her people.  She's also torn because a young man she likes has shown an interest in her.  Will she have to choose between her family and her God?

I liked how this story points out some of the problems with the Amish faith and way of life.  It's not perfect; they're people just like us who sin and make mistakes.  For the most part, they try to earn their way to heaven and I'm glad the author points that out.  I found it interesting to learn that the author is involved in ministry to the Amish and that she based this story on the lives of her former-Amish friends.  I was angry with Leah's parents and couldn't believe how naive she was sometimes to think they would react a certain way.  I also couldn't believe the lengths her family went to to get her back in line.  It was a little scary near the end!  I was disappointed in some decisions she made, though they were understandable.  I liked the clear faith message and I think people who like Amish stories might like this, but only if they're prepared to see it's not all hearts and roses.

I received a free copy of this book from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review.



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