The Atonement by Beverly Lewis

A Must-Have Novel from the #1 Name in Amish Fiction

The mistakes of the past haunt Lucy Flaud, who years ago stopped attending the activities for courting-age young people in her hometown of Bird-in-Hand. Now twenty-five and solidly past the age of Amish courtship, Lucy has given up any hope of marriage, instead focusing her efforts on volunteering in both the Plain and fancy communities of Lancaster County. Yet no matter how hard Lucy strives, she feels uncertain that she'll ever find redemption.

Dale Wyeth has a deep mistrust of modern-day "advances" and the dependency they create. The young Englisher's interest in living off the grid is fueled further when he meets Christian Flaud, Lucy's father. Dale appreciates the self-sufficient ways of the Old Order Amish, and Christian invites him to learn more about them by staying at the family farm.

As Christian and Dale grow closer, developing a father-son rapport, Lucy begins to question what Dale's being there might mean for her. Could God be testing her? Or is it possible that even the most unworthy heart--and two people from very different walks of life--can somehow find a new beginning?




About The Author

Beverly Marie Jones (Lewis) was born in the heart of Amish country—Lancaster, Pennsylvania. At the tender age of nine, she began writing short stories and poetry. Prior to that, she made up lyrics to the "little fingers" piano pieces she learned, at the age of five.
"My mother saved everything I wrote, even the stories I dreamed up during my grade school years," Beverly says. One such tale is semi-autobiographical, about a young girl whose parents can no longer afford to give her piano lessons. The manuscript was 77 pages long and titled "She Shall Have Music," penned under the shade of a lone willow tree. "Reading, writing, and playing piano have been top three on my list of favorite things," she says.
Booksellers across the country, and around the world, have spread the word of Beverly's tender tales of Plain country life. A clerk in a Virginia bookstore wrote, "Beverly's books have a compelling freshness and spark. You just don't run across writing like that every day. I hope she'll keep writing stories about the Plain people for a long, long time."
A member of the National League of American Pen Women, as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of Evangel University, Lewis has written over 80 books for children, youth, and adults, many of them award-winning. She and her husband, David, make their home in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking, biking, and spending time with their family. They are also avid musicians and fiction "book worms."


My Review

The Atonement is about a young Amish woman who feels she will never be worthy of Gods love, she is unable to forgive herself for past mistakes.
Because Lucy Flaud won’t let go of her sins, and ask God and herself for forgiveness she is unable to move forward. We meet a Christian man who takes an interest in Lucy when he meets her father at bereavement sessions. Lucy’s father Christian invites the young man to come over to his home and shows him around, as Dale is interested in becoming more plain.
Will his growing interest in Lucy lead her astray again, or will Dale embrace the Amish life. There is also a long time friend, Toby whom wants to make Lucy his wife, and she turns him down.
Lucy spends a lot of her time helping her family and helping mankind, with soup kitchens and going to the nursing home. You are going to love her, and hope that she is able to move on from what has happened in her past. I loved her selflessness, and how her nieces and nephews adored her, your going to enjoy walking in her shoes for a while.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.