First Impressions: An Amish Tale of Pride and Prejudice by Sarah Price

Will pride and prejudice keep the Blank sisters from finding love?

With five daughters and no sons, Daed and Maem Blank are anxious to find their girls suitors who might eventually take over their family farm. When news arrives that Charles Beachey, the son of a prominent Amish farmer, will be returning from Ohio with his cousin Frederick, they are hopeful that the young men might be good matches for their daughters.

The oldest daughter, Jane, starts courting Charles, a well-mannered and very respectful young man, but her younger sister Lizzie is not interested in either courtship or Frederick. In fact, she wants nothing to do with him, finding him full of pride and disdain for her family’s way of life. But in a community and culture where pride is scorned, Lizzie must learn that first impressions can be dangerous and people are not always who they seem to be.

This Amish retelling of the popular Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice is a beautiful take on the power of love to overcome class boundaries and prejudices that will win your heart.


About The Author

There is something magical about getting a second chance in life to learn, live, and love. I think that best describes who I am as a person, a friend, a mother, and a wife.
I have been writing ever since I learned how to hold a pencil.  As a child, I wrote a story about a family of gnomes, painstakingly handwriting each story in a blue covered journal.  When I was older, I learned how to type on an electric typewriter, spending my summers and weekends plucking at the keys until the early morning hours, much to my older sister’s chagrin.
Most of my stories focused around cultures, learning about different societies within our own.  I wrote about homeless people, gypsies, the circus, and the Amish.  It was natural that I focused on the Amish.  I was raised by a family with a rich history in Pennsylvania.  In the early 1700′s, my ancestors came over from Europe and settled in an area that grew into one of the largest Anabaptist communities in the nation. I loved diving into these cultures, studying the people and the environment in order to write about the people who lived among them.  I traveled a lot, a careful blend of Europe, South America, and the Caribbean.  When I traveled, I would escape the tourist track and immerse myself in local haunts, observing the people and writing in my journals.
Unfortunately, life happens and, during the struggles of my first marriage, the fiction writing tapered to a trickle.  But we learn from obstacles and difficulties, often finding new pieces of ourselves that we didn’t even know existed.  The good news is that once you are a writer, you are always a writer.
When I settled into my new life with my second husband, I dusted off the manuscripts and returned to the screen.  Luckily, my husband has been very supportive and helps with brainstorming, writing, and editing.  He had been crucial to the success of my publishing these works.
I have advanced degrees in Marketing, Communication, and (soon) a PhD in Leadership. I use the name Sarah Price as an honor to my grandmother and my family, the Priess family, who came over to America in the very early 1700s aboard an old sailing vessel called the Patience.
In addition, I am beginning to speak out about my battle with breast cancer (http://www.pinkumbrellas.org) and my own experiences with domestic violence and being bullied, specifically with horrendous cyberbullying conducted against me and several of my friends and family by another author.
There will be many additions to my library in the upcoming months and years. I hope you enjoy the journey with me.

http://sarahpriceauthor.com/ 


Amazon

My Review:

Read in July, 2014

I loved First Impressions, and am very guilty of this sin, and have regretted it a number of times. I have told others that I am quick to judge, and then silently regret my impression, and was told I am not alone.
Yes this story is about the decision to judge, and very quickly at that, which I guess I do too. The first time you meet someone, and ah how wrong you can be, and that is exactly what Elizabeth “Lizzie” Blank does when Frederick Detweiler comes to Lancaster Amish Community. Lizzie’s Mother has five daughters and is anxious to have them married of, what a desire for a mother. She doesn’t seem to care who they marry, of course they must be Amish, but age, looks, and jobs have nothing to do with it. Thank goodness her Dad is a smart and wonderful man, and in this patriarchal society is the final word.
This is a very interesting story and you never see where help is coming from, and was thoroughly surprised. You will love this book, it keeps you hopping and your heart will break and heal. The story is based on the original Pride and Prejudice, and now that is in my to be read pile, TBR. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did, and I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

I received this book from the Publisher Realms and the Author Sarah Price and was not required to give a positive review.