Series: Amish Bachelors (Book 3)The Teacher's Choice
For Lillian Keim, instructing children in her one-room
schoolhouse is as close to being a mother as she'll ever get. Lillian has a
calling to be a teacher, and she won't give it up to marry. But her plans --
and her heart -- are at risk when she begins to feel more than friendship for
lifelong pal Timothy Bowman. When Tim rescues Lillian and her class from a
fire, the volunteer firefighter suddenly sees what he's been blind to all his
life: he wants his friend as his wife. But something beyond her professional
goals is holding Lillian back. He's got to unlock her secret before he loses
his friend -- and his forever love.
This was a sweet romance with a touch of suspense for
added excitement. Lillian is the teacher for forty young scholars in their Amish
community. It isn't just her calling, it is the closest she'll ever get to
having children of her own, and the reason she will never marry. She accepts
that it means occasional loneliness, though that loneliness is often alleviated
by her best friend, Timothy. Besides being her friend, Timothy is also a
volunteer firefighter for their community. When a fire threatens the school,
Timothy is among those that come to the rescue.
I loved both Lillian and Timothy. Both are good people
who live up to their faith and the traditions of their people. I liked seeing
their interactions with both Amish and Englischers. Timothy is an especially
friendly and cheerful young man, which occasionally gets him in hot water with
the powers-that-be, who wish that he would be a little more standoffish with
outsiders. I loved seeing Lillian with her scholars and how important they were
to her. There was a fun twist to her teaching when she finally got a second
teacher to help her out.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between
Lillian and Timothy. Their friendship has always been a strong one and very
close. I loved their ability to tease each other, and also how much they had in
common. I especially liked that they shared a love of reading. They have always
looked at each other as friends, until the day of the fire. The danger that
they experienced made each of them realize that there was more than friendship
between them, but both tried to deny their feelings. Timothy was afraid that
giving voice to his feelings would ruin their friendship. Lillian was harboring
a secret that made her feel that marriage was not an option for her. I ached
for them both as their feelings continued to grow and their fears right along
with them. I liked how Timothy tried to find a workaround for what he thought
was the problem and cried for him when she told him the truth. I felt that both
had realistic reactions, which made them even more emotionally charged. I loved
the ending as both of them realized that they belonged together and that as
long as they had each other, their lives would be blessed.
As a complication to their growing relationship, their
community is dealing with an arsonist. The torching of property owned by both
Englisch and Amish families puts a strain on the relationships between the two
groups. Each side believes that the attacks come from the other group, and
suspicion runs rampant. It is especially disheartening for the Amish when it begins
to look like the arsonist may be someone in their own community, and the fires
continue to escalate. I ached for the community as the frequent fires brought devastating
losses. I had a suspicion of who it was and was happy to see that I was right,
even though there were doubts about another character.
I liked the various secondary characters. The nurse,
Debra, was my favorite. I loved how easily she and Lillian became friends. She
has as big a heart as Lillian does, and I enjoyed seeing her come to know and
love the Amish people. She was terrific during the fire that threatened the school,
and I liked how she stayed close afterward. Her appreciation of the Amish and
how they look out for each other ran deep, and I loved how she found a way to
help them all at the end. I also liked the insights into Amish culture, from
their relationships with the outside world to the way they supported each other
in times of trouble. There was a neat twist to that support at the end, and the
surprise that was in store for one of those affected by the fires. I was impressed
by the view of special needs children as being a gift rather than a curse, and
the focus in this book on people with dwarfism. This was my first book by
Patricia Davids, but it won't be my last. I definitely want to go back and read
the other books in this series.
No comments:
Post a Comment