The Amish Newcomer

The Amish Newcomer by Patrice Lewis is unique Amish novel. We get to see an Englischer adapt to living in an Amish home. It is an uphill battle for Leah who is used to keeping abreast of the news and reporting it. She is unused to doing domestic chores without the aid of modern conveniences. Leah is also dealing with the loss of her career thanks to the scar inflicted by a gang member. She has no idea how long she will be living with the Byler’s. I thought An Amish Newcomer was well-written and an engaging novel. It was a quick read and hard to put down. I am amazed at how much work it takes to run an Amish home. The family in this story make most of their own food. We see sustainable living at its finest. It was fun watching the worldly Leah at awe of an Amish home and all the hard work. She felt inferior because she did not know how to accomplish tasks that a twelve-year-old easily accomplished. Isaac Sommer was an interesting character. A man who lived in the Englisch world for a time, but he returned to his Amish roots. He created a magazine for Plain people that has wide distribution. This Amish tale has developed characters and good plotlines. I liked the Christian messages in the story especially about discovering what is important in life. I liked how the Amish looked past Leah’s scar to see the person inside as they did with one of the Byler daughters. Our world would be a better place if this philosophy is widely followed. I liked how the relationship between Isaac and Leah slowly developed. I also enjoyed seeing the changes in Leah. I look forward to reading Patrice Lewis’ next Amish novel when it comes out in the spring. The Amish Newcomer is an uplifting Amish novel with continuous domestic chores, woodworking woes, curious children, computer conundrum, and God’s generous gifts.