I was given this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
I am a Beverly Lewis fan, ever since I saw the movie Saving Sarah Cain on Lifetime years ago. I started reading her fiction books any time I could find it, often picking it up at used book stores. It was my secret vice, reading about the life of the Amish.
This book is a bit different. The Amish are still present, but now getting a bit more "worldly." The main character, Sallie, is invited to be a nanny for an "english" family while they go to the beach. The couple is wealthy and are paying Sallie to nanny. Sallie is in her 20s but has yet to be baptised into the Amish order, so she can still do this adventure. I really like Sallie as a character. She is adventurous and is saving for a trip, but when a child in her order needs an operation, she prays for guidance and ends up giving her savings to the boy for the operation. The opportunity for the beach trip comes shortly after her contribution to the surgery, so it does seem that she is getting a blessing for being so generous!
While she is at the beach, she meets and falls for a boy who has a "plain" history. He understands her German terms easily and has a Godly background himself. He sees himself studying oceanography for years in the future. Sallie wonders if she might have a future with this boy.
For all the life problems Sallie is dealing with, she turns to God to help guide her through her decisions. Since Sallie has a servant's heart, it is easy to hope that she gets what she desires.
Even if you are not a believer, this book has an endearing tone and message that sometimes life doesn't turn out the way we think it will, to be open to any and all possibilities and along the way, be kind and generous to your fellow human beings.
