The Forbidden by Beverly Lewis - My Review

Originally Posted at Bibliophile's Retreat by Melissa Meeks

Bethany House (May 1, 2008)
Book 2 of the Fisher saga continues where The Parting left off. The Amish community has declared a period of immunity for members to leave the Old Order for the New without fear of shunning though it seems some hardnosed Old Order folk will not budge from their own convictions to follow the bishop’s decree of a peaceful split to maintain unity in their settlement. Nellie and Caleb have gone their separate ways as they discover that not only will David Yoder not sanction any New Order or Beachy connections in his family he will not even take Nellie at face value when she has intentionally stayed loyal to the Old church despite her family’s new found faith in the New Order. Can Nellie continue to resist the pull of the faith her family has embraced and that her absent sister found before her untimely death? Can Caleb deny his father’s requests for the sake of love and follow his heart’s leading for a life mate or will the inheritance win out?

Lewis aptly addresses many issues that specifically faced the Amish church during this historic upheaval in their communities and revival in faith for many of them. However in a general sense these issues also face the Church as a whole in modern society where we must determine what issues are scriptural and worth standing firm on and which would merely tear apart any unity amongst churches that has been or could be established and do not fall under scriptural decree. There are many other issues and tensions that arise both among this unique church community as a whole and in the individual lives of many of its members throughout the book. (ISBN#9780764203114, 352pp, $13.99)

Codicil:
Visit the author’s website. Also don’t forget to click the bookcover above to purchase your own copy or read more about the book. Also get The Parting (The Courtship of Nellie Fisher #1)