The Preacher's Daughter (Annie's People #1)

Beverly Lewis paints an engaging and colorful tale in the first rendering of her series, Annie's People.

Annie Zook is the daughter of the preacher of the Plain People in idyllic Paradise, Pennsylvania. Although Annie loves and respects her family and loves her Amish life, she is putting off becoming a member of the church, much to the consternation of her father.

Conflicted with the God-given artistic ability that she has been secretly nurturing, Annie is at a cross-road. She has been hiding her beautiful artwork because her strict Amish beliefs forbid such things. Annie also recently broke off the relationship with the man she loved because she knew she would have to give up her an important part of herself.

When Louisa, Annie's long-time penpal and art teacher from the English world asks to visit Annie's Amish world to escape the aftermath of breaking off her own engagement, Annie finds a kindred spirit.

How the two girls accept, encourage and are open and honest with one another through their individual dilemmas is a poignant story of love, friendship and steadfast faith.

- Victoria Austin

The Preacher's Daughter is a charming beginning to a new series by Christian author Beverly Lewis. In this first novel, Annie Zook is a young Amish woman who is struggling with her love of art and her dedication to her church. Already having given up her first boyfriend, Rudy, because she is afraid of her forbidden secret coming out, Annie has yet to make the committment to God and her church that is expected of her. Being the preacher's daughter makes her all the more torn by her desire to continue drawing and painting. Annie is joined in her life indecisions by her penpal Louisa, who comes to Paradise, PA, to escape overly controlling parents and a bad engagement. The two young women bond over their art and experiences until Annie is forced into making her hardest decision ever. Lewis manages to throw in a mystery, a side story of spousal abuse, and a possible non-Amish romantic interest for Annie in this well-developed book.

Coming on the heels of the wonderful Abram's Daughters series, this one shows promise of becoming just as engrossing in later novels. *Slightly* less gripping than the aforementioned series, this is still Lewis giving us insight into the Plain way of life and giving us wonderful characters with lots of heart. Recommended!

Once again, Beverly Lewis includes just enough of the big mystery to draw readers into book 2. WHEN WILL IT BE OUT? This book introduces the Zook family, Annie's own. For years now, Annie has had an outsider pen pal who, for reasons all her own, has now reached out to the simple life of the Amish.

Louisa is a big part of this book, and gives advice to Annie that most readers may find out of character for an outsider. Both girls have a secret, Annie is drawn to a forbidden activity and Lou is running from an unbearable relationship. Spoiled and very rich, Lou's life is a complete opposite of Annie's, yet they become best of friends when finally they meet.

Beverly has introduced several families who will no doubt play an important role in subsequent books, a family with an abusive Amish husband, and an outspoken relative's family who is Mennonite and seems to have tremendous influence on the community plus a new young man who I am just positive will be a huge part of book 2.

I enjoyed this book and would have given it 5 stars had I not already consumed so many of Lewis' books and this one is just a tad bit less grabbing and consuming, still, I am going to be watching for book 2 in this series, Annie's People. Thank you Beverly.

I read this book in 2 days! I could't put it down. I always find it interesting to read Lewis' books because there are 3 or 4 stories going on at once. She ties them all together very well so I never feel 'lost' when I'm reading. I eagerly await the next book in this series.

I thought the book moved slowly and wasn't very engaging. I was also disappointed that the book seems to be written in a series, unknown to me when starting, so in order to find out what happens to all of these characters I would have to read the other books. Ugh. I wasn't that thrilled with this one, but now I'm kind of invested. I'll have to decide if this book was enough to keep me going with so many other books on my list.

Annie Zook was the Amish preacher Jesse's daughter. She also had two older brothers. Life was difficult with the strict rules of the "People," and they didn't allow for anything much from the outside world. One of the forbidden treasures was art, and artistic talent. Annie had always had this wonderful talent for drawing beautiful pictures. But over the years, she had to hide this from her parents, and instead had a place over in her cousin Julia's home in the attic. This was her art studio where she was able to let go with her art. Julia's family were Mennonites, and more worldly unlike the Amish. So she was in full support of Annie. In fact, she encouraged Annie to no longer stifle her talent, but to go a step beyond, and submit one of her best drawings, "The Obsession" to an art magazine for possible winnings in an art contest. And this is how eventually, her secret is discovered.

Annie's pen friend, Lousia Stratton is allowed to come for a visit, after her father giving it much thought. Annie comes from a rich family. She was supposed to be married to Michael, which was only a set up by her parents. Lousia really didn't want all this fancy wedding planning and hated every second of it. She just wanted to break it off with Michael and go to the Amish country in Pennsylvania. This is what happens, and it is awkward for her at first as her ways and the ways of the Amish were radically different. But she comes to love it there really and truly, adopts some of their ways, and settles in for the long haul.

Later Ben comes into the story whom Annie and Louisa meet at the framing gallery for Annie's picture. He is instantly attracted to her, and she him. But it takes Anni awhile to come around. Ben is not Amish of course, and from the outside world. After she chose to break up with her old boyfriend Rudy, and not join the church, her father is angry over this as well. What turn this relationship takes is unknown in this book, but I have a feeling continues in the sequel.

Another sad section of the book, yet one of the main parts is Esther, Annie's old friend from school days. Esther has 3 kids and pregnant with another. She is abused by Zeke, her husband, and as things become worse in her marriage, Esther knows she must leave him-even though it's against the church of course. But later she does, and moves in with Julia. What becomes of her and the children remains to be seen in this book.

Highly recommended reading-hard to lay down!

It's not my favorite. It still has a decent plot nd ok characters. This makes me wonder if Lewis was desperate at the time.

The Preacher's Daughter is about a young Amish woman and her life with the "plain" folk of Paradise in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Some might think this is too tame for today's tastes. But, there are plenty of modern issues to whet modern readers' appetites. Romance, family conflicts, domestic abuse, pregnancy, even murder.

Annie Zook is the only daughter of an Old Order preacher. She has a secret passion that is forbidden by her church: painting. She loves to capture God's beauty on canvas. And she is very good. Meanwhile, her lifelong penpal, Louisa, breaks her engagement and flees to Paradise to experience the simple life. Louisa is a young art teacher from a wealthy family. She lives as Plain, although she has a cell phone which she charges at Annie's more modern Mennonite cousin's.

The Preacher's Daughter is a bird's eye inside view of Amish life. It will surprise the reader, and paint a new picture of whatever stereotypes he may hold of the bearded barn-builders.

The only thing I did not like appears right at the beginning of the book. The murder of a child is very troubling.

I love it

This item was supposed to be large print. It is not!!