Paradise Valley by Dale Cramer

Synopsis An Amish settlement in Ohio has run afoul of a law requiring their children to attend public school. Caleb Bender and his neighbors are arrested for neglect, with the state ordering the children be placed in an institution. Among them are Caleb's teenage daughter, Rachel, and the boy she has her eye on, Jake Weaver. Romance blooms between the two when Rachel helps Jake escape the children's home. Searching for a place to relocate his family where no such laws apply, Caleb learns there's inexpensive land for sale in Mexico, a place called Paradise Valley. Despite rumors of instability in the wake of the Mexican revolution, the Amish community decides this is their answer. And since it was Caleb's idea, he and his family will be the pioneers. They will send for the others once he's established a foothold and assessed the situation. Caleb's daughters are thrown into turmoil. Rachel doesn't want to leave Jake. Her sister, Emma, who has been courting Levi Mullet, fears her dreams of marriage will be dashed. Miriam has never had a beau and is acutely aware there will be no prospects in Mexico. Once there, they meet Domingo, a young man and guide who takes a liking to Miriam, something her father would never approve. While Paradise Valley is everything they'd hoped it would be, it isn't long before the bandits start giving them trouble, threatening to upset the fledgling Amish settlement, even putting their lives in danger. Thankfully no one has been harmed so far, anyway.
I enjoyed this book! Parts are very scary, and other times you will be chuckling! Was not aware that the Amish moved from Ohio to Mexico...that alone had to be hard. I know that their religion works because there are support of others. When Caleb moved to Mexico he was the only support his family had!
The cover on this book will draw you in, and I enjoy Amish stories. The character's seemed so real that at times I felt like I was riding in the wagon with them. I didn't want the book to end, their are a lot of answered questions! I see this is the first book in a series, so hopefully there are answers to come! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fictional book based on facts. The Author's father was raised Amish and lived in Mexico. Unfortunately this is a fast read, wish it was longer...I enjoyed being there with this family!
I won this book in a giveaway, the opinions are my own!