The Proving

I received a copy of THE PROVING by Beverly Lewis from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.  This book doesn’t seem to follow any specific series, but it does include everything you’ve come to love about Beverly Lewis’s Amish fiction.

I enjoyed all of the references to Lancaster County in Pennsylvania.  My family and I vacation there a lot, so I could picture all the sites mentioned in the book.  (However, some of the references bothered me, like the cloister.  It was haphazardly mentioned as if it was only put in there to be a guidebook about things to do in the area.  The references didn’t all feel genuine.  Sometimes they jarred me.  It felt like I was reading a tourist pamphlet instead of a novel.)

I enjoyed that this wasn’t a traditional Amish story.  Usually they are about two people falling in love and that’s it.  While this did involve love, it wasn’t the focus.  The story instead focused on running a bed and breakfast, and mending a family. 

While I did enjoy reading the book, some parts were slow and I found myself zoning out when Trina was mentioned.  Once Trina reaches the inn, I was more invested.

This wasn’t my favorite novel by Beverly Lewis, but it is worth reading, especially if you are a fan of Amish fiction.