{"id":803,"date":"2008-11-11T10:43:23","date_gmt":"2008-11-11T15:43:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/\/?p=803"},"modified":"2008-11-11T10:43:23","modified_gmt":"2008-11-11T15:43:23","slug":"plain-perfect-by-beth-wiseman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=803","title":{"rendered":"Plain Perfect by Beth Wiseman"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It is time to play a Wild Card<\/span>!<\/strong> <\/span>Every now and then, a book that I have chosen to read is going to pop up as a FIRST Wild Card Tour<\/a>. Get dealt into the game! (Just click the button!) Wild Card Tours feature an author and his\/her book’s FIRST chapter!<\/p>\n

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Today’s Wild Card author is: <\/strong><\/div>\n
Beth Wiseman<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

and the book:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Plain Perfect<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thomas Nelson (September 9, 2008)<\/p>\n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>Writing has always been a part of Beth Wiseman\u2019s life. When she was introduced to the Amish, she gained an appreciation for their simpler way of life and began writing novels featuring this endearing group. Her first novel was Plain Perfect. She and her family live in Texas.<\/p>\n

As a newspaper reporter, Beth has been honored by her peers with eleven journalism awards in the past four years – most recently, first place news writing for The Texas Press Association. She has been a humor columnist for The 1960 Sun in Houston and published articles in various publications. However, writing novels is where her heart is. Following completion of five manuscripts, Wiseman’s inspirational fiction series set in Pennsylvania Dutch Country is where she found her voice.<\/p>\n

“It took me a while,” she says. “But I knew right away that Plain Perfect was the one. Writing about the Amish lifestyle within a fictional love story has been a wonderful experience. The Amish and Mennonite contacts I have established in Lancaster County help me to keep the books authentic. These very private people might dress differently, avoid the use of electricity and modern conveniences, but they are just like everyone else. They love, hurt, have daily challenges and struggles, and strive to be the best they can be. An often misunderstood sect of people, it has been a privilege to learn about their ways.”<\/p>\n

Visit the author’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Product Details:<\/p>\n

List Price: $ 14.99<\/p>\n

Paperback: 352 pages<\/p>\n

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (September 9, 2008)<\/p>\n

Language: English<\/p>\n

ISBN-10: 1595546308<\/p>\n

ISBN-13: 978-1595546302<\/p>\n

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:<\/span> <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

LILLIAN PEELED BACK THE DRAPES AT THE FRONT WINDOW and squinted against the sun\u2019s glare. She\u2019d called the taxi almost an hour ago. If her ride didn\u2019t show up soon, she would have to forego her plan and spend another night with Rickie. Biting her lip, she worried if she would have enough cash to change her flight if she didn\u2019t make it to the airport on time.<\/p>\n

She lowered the drape and paced the living room in Rickie\u2019s house, silently blasting herself for ever moving in with him in the first place. Her stomach writhed at the thought of one more day under the same roof with him. And yet her window of time for her departure was closing, she realized, glancing at her watch.<\/p>\n

She tugged at the drapes again. Relief fell over her when she saw the yellow cab pull into the driveway. Snatching her red suitcase and purse, she bolted for the door, shuffling toward the driver as he opened the trunk.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease hurry,\u201d she said to the driver, handing him her suitcase.<\/p>\n

The driver stowed her luggage without comment and was climbing into the driver\u2019s seat when she saw Rickie\u2019s black Lexus rounding the corner and heading up the street. Her heart sank.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere to?\u201d the driver asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIntercontinental Airport,\u201d she answered. \u201cHurry, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the driver made his way down Harper Avenue, Lillian watched out the rearview window. Rickie\u2019s car slowly neared the house.<\/p>\n

The cab driver turned at the corner. She\u2019d made it. A clean getaway.<\/p>\n

Irma Rose Miller couldn\u2019t help but notice the bounce in her husband\u2019s steps. The cancer kept him down and out on most days, but not today. Today Lilly was coming, and his anticipation and joy were evident.<\/p>\n

\u201cDanki,\u201d Jonas said as Irma Rose poured him another cup of coffee.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her tall husband, once muscular and strong as an ox, sat hunched over the wooden table between them. His healthy load of gray locks and full beard were now thinning and brittle. Dark circles under his eyes and sunken features revealed the many sleepless nights of pain he had endured over the past few months. God had given her husband of forty-eight years a challenging road to travel, and he was making the trip with dignity and grace.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur Lilly will be here this afternoon.\u201d Jonas smiled and raised the cup to his mouth. His hands trembled, but his eyes twinkled with a merriment Irma Rose hadn\u2019t seen since the first mention of their granddaughter coming to stay with them. She hoped he wouldn\u2019t be disappointed. They hadn\u2019t seen the girl in seventeen years, since she was ten years old.<\/p>\n

Irma Rose stood to retrieve some donuts from a pan atop the wooden stove.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be wunderbaar gut to have her here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Irma Rose placed two donuts on her husband\u2019s plate. \u201cYa, that it will. But, Jonas, you must keep in mind how different our ways are. We will seem like foreigners to our Englisch granddaughter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese donuts are appeditlich,\u201d Jonas said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDanki. But, Jonas, you need to prepare yourself. Sarah Jane raised Lilly in the outside world. We don\u2019t know her. As a matter of fact, we don\u2019t know exactly how Sarah Jane raised her.\u201d<\/p>\n

The thought twisted Irma Rose\u2019s stomach in familiar knots. It had been hard enough when her daughter chose to leave the Old Order Amish community at the age of eighteen, but even more difficult when she wrote to tell them she was in a family way soon thereafter . . . with no husband.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was a glorious child,\u201d Jonas said. \u201cRemember how quickly she learned to ice skate? What a joy she was. What a gut Christmas holiday we all had.\u201d<\/p>\n

Irma Rose shook her head at her husband\u2019s ignorance of the obvious. Lilly wasn\u2019t a child any more. She was a grown woman. Jonas had talked about that last Christmas together until the next season came and went. When Sarah Jane and Lilly didn\u2019t show up the following year, he merely shrugged and said, \u201cMaybe they will visit next year.\u201d And each Christmas thereafter Jonas anticipated a visit that never happened.<\/p>\n

Jonas never uttered a negative word about Sarah Jane\u2019s choices. But she\u2019d seen the sadness in his eyes when their daughter left home, and she knew the pain dwelled in his heart over the years. But he only said it was impossible to always understand God\u2019s direction for His children\u2014their child. Their only child. The good Lord had only seen fit to bless them with one. A beautiful daughter who had chosen a life rife with hardship.<\/p>\n

Irma Rose had prayed hard over the years to cleanse herself of any discontentment with her daughter. Sarah Jane\u2019s choice to leave the Amish faith was prior to her baptism and church membership. Therefore her daughter was never shunned by the community. She had chosen to avoid visits with her parents. From the little Irma Rose gathered over the years, Sarah Jane and Lilly had lived with friends and moved around a lot.<\/p>\n

An occasional letter arrived from her daughter, to which Irma Rose always responded right away. More times than not, the letters were returned unopened. It was less painful to assume Sarah Jane had moved on and the letters were returned by the postal service. Although sometimes it cut Irma Rose to the bone when she recognized her daughter\u2019s penmanship: Return to sender.<\/p>\n

She was thankful her last letter to Sarah Jane had not been returned. She couldn\u2019t help but wonder if the news about Jonas\u2019s cancer had prompted her granddaughter\u2019s visit. When Lillian\u2019s letter arrived over a month ago, Irma Rose had followed her instructions not to return a letter but to call her on the telephone if at all possible. She wasted no time going to the nearby shanty to phone her granddaughter. The conversation was strained and the child seemed frantic to come for a visit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a teacher and when school is out in May, I\u2019d like to come for a visit,\u201d her granddaughter had said on the phone. \u201cMaybe stay for the summer. Or maybe even longer?\u201d There was a sense of urgency in the girl\u2019s tone.<\/p>\n

Irma Rose feared her faith had not been as strong as her husband\u2019s and that a tinge of resentment and hurt still loitered in her heart where Sarah Jane was concerned. She didn\u2019t want any of those feelings to spill over with her granddaughter. She would need to pray harder.<\/p>\n

As if reading her mind, Jonas said, \u201cIrma Rose, everything will be fine. You just wait and see.\u201d<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until the plane was high above the Houston skyline that the realization of what she\u2019d done hit Lillian. After landing in Philadelphia, she caught a train to Lancaster City and hopped a bus to Paradise, which landed her only a few miles from her grandparents\u2019 farm. She was glad there was a bit of a walk to their property; she wanted to wind down and freshen up before she reacquainted herself with her relatives. Plus, she\u2019d had enough time on the plane to wonder if this whole thing was a huge mistake. Her mom hadn\u2019t wanted to be here, so why think it would be any better for her?<\/p>\n

Not that she had much choice at this point. She had no money, no home, no job, and she was more than a little irritated with her mother. When her mom had begged Lillian to loan her the money she\u2019d painstakingly saved to get away from Rickie and start fresh, Lillian reluctantly agreed, with the stipulation she got her money back as soon as possible. But her mom had never repaid a loan before. Lillian didn\u2019t know why she thought it would be any different this time. When the promised repayment never came, Lillian quit her job and made a decision to distance herself from her mother and Rickie by coming to a place where she knew neither of them would follow: Lancaster County.<\/p>\n

Lillian shook her head, wondering if she was making a bigger mistake by coming here. She didn\u2019t know if she\u2019d ever understand what ultimately drove her mother from the Plain lifestyle. From what she read, it rarely happened\u2014Amish children fleeing from all they\u2019d ever known. The circumstances must have been severe to drive her mother away.<\/p>\n

Although . . . it didn\u2019t look so bad from Lillian\u2019s point of view, now that she was there. Aside from having a dreadful wardrobe, she thought the Amish men and women strolling by looked quite content. They seemed oblivious to the touristy stares. The women wore simple, dark-colored dresses with little white coverings on their heads. The men were in cotton shirts, dark pants with suspenders, and straw hats with a wide brim. Box-shaped, horse-drawn buggies were abundant.<\/p>\n

Ironically, it all seemed quite normal.<\/p>\n

She took a seat on a bench outside the Quik Mart at the corner of Lincoln Highway and Black Horse Road and watched the passersby. Clearly, Paradise was a tourist town, like most of Lancaster County, with everyone wanting to have a look at the Amish people.<\/p>\n

Watching them now, she wondered if the Amish were all as peaceful as they appeared. Despite her initial thoughts, she decided they couldn\u2019t be. Everyone had stress. Everyone had problems. Surely the Plain People of Lancaster County were not an exception.<\/p>\n

But they could have fooled Lillian.<\/p>\n

Samuel Stoltzfus gave hasty good-byes to Levina Esh and Sadie Fisher and flicked his horse into action, hiding a smile as his buggy inched forward. The competitiveness of those two widow women! First Levina had presented him with her prize-winning shoofly pie. Not to be outdone, Sadie quickly offered up her own prize-winning version. Stalemate. The two of them had stood there glaring at each other while he tried to think of ways to escape unhurt . . . and unattached.<\/p>\n

He might have to rethink his shopping day. Both women knew he went to the farmer\u2019s market on Thursdays . . . Once he cleared town, he picked up the pace. The road to his farm near the town of Paradise was less traveled, and he was particularly glad of that on this day. It was a glorious sunny afternoon, perfect for a buggy ride through the countryside.<\/p>\n

Pleased he had chosen his spring buggy instead of his covered one, he relished the warmth of the late afternoon sun. Rachel had loved this time of year, when spring gave way to summertime and all the world felt full of promise.<\/p>\n

God\u2019s soil was tilled, and corn, alfalfa, and grain had been planted. Life would be busy as he awaited the bountiful rewards of spring\u2019s labor. There was the garden, with peas to pick. The strawberries would be ready. Lots of canning and freezing. Much time went into preparing a garden for harvest.<\/p>\n

And Rachel\u2019s garden had always been lush and plentiful. Gardening was work for the womenfolk, but Samuel had done the best he could the past two years. He was thankful his sisters took care of most of the canning and freezing.<\/p>\n

He closed his eyes, his shoulders lifting with his sigh. He missed Rachel the most this time of year.<\/p>\n

Lillian felt like a fool. Didn\u2019t \u201cdown yonder a spell\u201d mean right down the road? The friendly Amish boy had pointed down Black Horse Road and uttered those exact words when she\u2019d asked for directions to her grandparents\u2019 farm. She\u2019d thought the walk would do her good\u2014help her shed some of the calories she ingested while sitting at the Quik Mart with a large cinnamon roll and cola.<\/p>\n

Evidently, she\u2019d mistranslated \u201cdown yonder a spell.\u201d There wasn\u2019t a farmhouse in sight.<\/p>\n

She really should have considered the strappy sandals she was wearing before opting to venture down the road to nowhere. Her capri blue jeans and short-sleeved pink-cotton shirt were good choices, however. The clement sun mixing with a soft breeze made for a perfect day. An excellent day for a walk . . . if only she\u2019d had better shoes.<\/p>\n

Setting her red suitcase on the grassy shoulder of the paved road, she plopped down on top of it and scanned the farmland surrounding her. It was so quiet. Peaceful. She could only hope that some of the peacefulness the Amish were known for would rub off on her during her stay. She needed it. Life had not been easy to her the past few years.<\/p>\n

Her mom\u2019s idea of parenting had left much to be desired\u2014 jumping from one man to the next looking for something she never seemed to find. All the while she\u2019d toted Lillian along. Lillian had grown up changing schools, saying good-bye to friends, and continually hoping Mom\u2019s next boyfriend would be better than the last. At the first chance, Lillian had bailed on the situation, telling herself she could do better.<\/p>\n

Despite her good intentions, she\u2019d ended up close to following in her mother\u2019s footsteps. After putting herself through college while living with three other girls in a small apartment, she\u2019d landed a teaching job. There had been boyfriends, and she\u2019d definitely made her own share of mistakes.<\/p>\n

But always, something had whispered to her that there was another way to live. Sometimes she\u2019d listened, sometimes not. But she never felt comfortable enough to ask herself just where that voice was coming from\u2014she just didn\u2019t know enough to form an opinion. She didn\u2019t listen to the voice when it cautioned her not to move in with Rickie. But when the voice became too strong to ignore, she knew it was time to get out of that situation.<\/p>\n

Despite the complete lack of religious upbringing, she always suspected there might be a God looking down on her. But in light of her mom\u2019s thoughts on church, she couldn\u2019t ask her about it. Her mother seemed angry at religion. While she heartily encouraged Lillian to attend various churches with her friends when she was a child, she herself would have no part of it. It was a huge contradiction in parenting, and Lillian didn\u2019t understand it to this day.<\/p>\n

Now, knowing the Amish to be solid in their faith, Lillian decided it might be best to keep her suspicions about a possible God to herself around her grandparents.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess I better get moving and find out how far \u2018down yonder a spell\u2019 really is.\u201d She jumped off the suitcase, gave it a heave-hoe, and started back down the paved road, gazing to either side where the acreage stretched as far she could see. The sun pressing down on the horizon left her a tad worried about how much further the farm was.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoa, boy!\u201d Samuel yelled to his horse. The animal slowed his pace to a gentle trot, bringing the buggy alongside an Englisch woman cumbersomely toting a bright-red suitcase. She was minus a shoe . . . if you called a flat-bottom sole with two small straps a shoe. Certainly not a good walking instrument.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I offer you a ride?\u201d He pulled back on the reins and came to a complete halt, as did the small-framed woman. When she turned, he was met by radiant green eyes in a delicate face.<\/p>\n

Delicate, that is, until she grimaced and blew a tendril of hair out of her face.<\/p>\n

Then she smiled, and her face transformed, lighting up like the morning sun. He was momentarily struck dumb.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t matter. The woman was focused on his horse. Deserting her suitcase on the side of the road, she stumbled over to Pete and reached out to stroke his nose without so much as a \u201cMay I?\u201d<\/p>\n

Thankfully, Pete was a gentle giant.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s beautiful,\u201d she said, glancing briefly in Samuel\u2019s direction, eyes sparkling.<\/p>\n

He cleared his throat. \u201cYa. And a fine work horse too.\u201d<\/p>\n

What an interesting woman this was. Unafraid. And beautiful, he had to admit. He watched as her long brown hair danced in the wind, framing her face in layers. She wore no makeup and seemed lacking in the traditional Englisch look, although her brightly colored blouse and calf-length breeches certainly gave her away. A tourist, most likely. But a tourist walking alone down Blackhorse Road?<\/p>\n

The woman\u2019s mouth curved upward in delight as she cooed over Pete. The horse gently snorted, nudged her, and she laughed heartily, her head thrown back. It was a thoroughly enchanting scene.<\/p>\n

Suddenly uncomfortable at his thoughts, he straightened and coughed. It was enough to bring the woman\u2019s attention back to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would love a ride!\u201d With a final kiss on the old horse\u2019s muzzle, she went back for her suitcase. \u201cWhere should I put this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAch, my manners.\u201d Samuel jumped out of the buggy and made his way to the woman. \u201cLet me.\u201d He took the suitcase from her, quite surprised at how heavy the small bundle was. After stowing it behind the double seat, he offered his hand to assist her into the buggy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you.\u201d Now she was studying him . . . seemingly from head to toe. At her open glance, he felt a flush tint his cheeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Samuel Stoltzfus,\u201d he said, extending his hand but avoiding her questioning eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Lillian Miller.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her hands were certainly that of an Englisch woman, soft and void of a hard day\u2019s work. The Plain women in Lancaster County tilled gardens, shelled peas, kneaded bread, and a host of other necessary chores uncommon to Englisch women from the city. City women\u2019s hands were not only smooth and manicured, but pleasing to the touch.<\/p>\n

Returning to his seat, he started up the buggy again. The woman was obviously tired and happy to be resting; with a slight groan she stretched her legs out. He found his eyes wandering her way and silently remonstrated himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are you from, Lillian? Or, more important, where are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m from Houston.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYa, Texas,\u201d he said, slightly surprised. They didn\u2019t usually get Texans walking the roads out here. \u201cLots of farms in Texas. What brings you to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m coming to stay with my grandparents for a while.\u201d She smiled. \u201cThey\u2019re Amish.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amish? He was once more at a loss for words. Not to worry\u2014 the Englisch woman wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cActually, I guess I\u2019m Amish too,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Discreetly glancing at her Englisch clothes, he wondered how that could be so.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandparents are Irma Rose and Jonas Miller. I\u2019ll be staying with them for a while.\u201d She looked his way as if waiting for a response that never came. \u201cI\u2019d like to adapt myself to the Amish ways. I need a peaceful, calm lifestyle away from the city. Anyway, I\u2019ve decided to be Amish for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

Samuel had been trying to connect this vivacious outsider with the staunch Irma Rose and Jonas he knew, but these words jostled him out of his musings. \u201cYou\u2019d like to be Amish for a while?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. Although I don\u2019t plan to wear one of those dark-colored dresses or white caps like the women I saw strolling by earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n

In spite of himself, Samuel chuckled. \u201cDo you even know what being Amish means?\u201d He didn\u2019t mean the remark as harshly as it sounded.<\/p>\n

Lillian slanted her eyes in his direction, as if slightly offended.<\/p>\n

Unexpectedly, the buggy wheel hit a rut. With an oomph, his new friend bounced in her seat. She was a tiny little thing. Luckily, she didn\u2019t catapult right off the seat and onto the pavement.<\/p>\n

\u201cYikes!\u201d she said when her behind returned to the seat. And then she giggled. As Pete\u2019s ears swiveled back to catch the commotion, Samuel couldn\u2019t help but grin. The woman\u2019s enthusiasm was contagious.<\/p>\n

He decided to drop the subject. He knew Irma Rose and Jonas well enough to figure they\u2019d set her right about being Amish and what it really meant. Samuel reckoned they\u2019d have their hands full with their granddaughter.<\/p>\n

As Samuel righted the buggy, he asked, \u201cWhen is the last time you saw your grandparents?\u201d He hadn\u2019t even known Irma Rose and Jonas had a granddaughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was ten. Seventeen years ago. It was the first time I saw snow. Real snow.\u201d Her eyes twinkled from the memory.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyway, I know things will be different from what I\u2019m used to. But I can live without television. There\u2019s too much bad news on TV anyway. And I know Amish women cook a lot. I\u2019m a great cook.\u201d She shrugged. \u201cI\u2019m a hard worker in general. I know Amish get up early and go to bed early. I know they work hard during the day. And if that\u2019s what it takes to feel peaceful and calm . . . I\u2019m in!\u201d<\/p>\n

Samuel found her enthusiasm charming, no matter how misdirected it was. \u201cLillian, I\u2019m sure Irma Rose and Jonas will appreciate you helping with household duties, but it will take more than chores and giving up worldly things to provide you with the peacefulness you\u2019re lookin\u2019 for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s a start,\u201d she said, sounding optimistic.<\/p>\n

As for that . . . who was he to argue?<\/p>\n

Lillian remembered the Christmas visit with her grandparents at their farm, especially the snow. Unlike the icy mix of sludge found rarely in her hometown state, snow in Lancaster County glistened with a tranquil purity. Almost two decades later, she could still recall the towering cedar trees blanketed in white and ice skating on the crystalline pond in her mother\u2019s old ice skates.<\/p>\n

The presents had been few. She remembered that. And while she recollected her grandparents as warm and loving, she also remembered the tension between them and her mother. Her grandfather had kept the mood festive, suggested the ice-skating, and seemed to make it his mission for Lillian to have a good time\u2014even carting her to town and back in his gray, horsedrawn buggy. It had been the highlight of her trip.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember liking the way my grandparents talked,\u201d she recalled to Samuel. \u201cI didn\u2019t understand a lot of things they said. Things like \u2018Outen the lights until sunrise when we\u2019ll redd-up the house.\u2019 And \u2018It wonders me if it will make wet tomorrow.\u2019 Mom translated those to mean \u2018Turn out the lights until in the morning when we\u2019ll clean up the house\u2019 and \u2018I wonder if it will rain tomorrow.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be right,\u201d Samuel said.<\/p>\n

Grandma and Grandpa both spoke another language she\u2019d later found out was Pennsylvania Deitsch. Lots of times they would commingle their language with English. \u201cDanki, Sarah Jane, for bringing our little kinskind for a visit,\u201d her grandfather told her mother that Christmas. To which Sarah Jane Miller forced a smile and nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrandma, why are you and Grandpa wearing those costumes?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lillian recalled asking her grandparents.<\/p>\n

Grandpa had just laughed and said, \u201cIt is our faith, my kinskind. We wear these plain clothes to encourage humility and separation from the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

At ten, Lillian had little understanding of what that signified. Except somewhere in the translation she knew it meant they couldn\u2019t have a television or a phone. Several times after their one and only trip, Lillian had asked her mother if she could call her grandparents. Mom reminded her no phones were allowed at Grandma and Grandpa\u2019s house.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvidently, my grandparents came to Houston a couple of times before our visit at Christmas, but I don\u2019t remember,\u201d she told Samuel. \u201cThat Christmas was my last trip to Lancaster County and the last time I saw my grandparents. Until now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI reckon Irma Rose and Jonas are really looking forward to seeing you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lillian tried to keep her gaze focused on the road in front of her. But her eyes kept involuntarily trailing to her left. Samuel Stoltzfus was as handsome a man as she had ever seen in the city. His plain clothes did little to mask his solid build and appealing smile each time she glanced in his direction. But it was his piercing blue eyes Lillian couldn\u2019t seem to draw away from.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, how long have you been married?\u201d Nosey, nosey. The astonished look on his face confirmed her worry. She was crossing the line. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I just noticed that you have the customary beard following marriage.\u201d She\u2019d done her research before arriving here. \u201cAnd . . . I was just . . . curious.\u201d And curious why? He\u2019s Amish, for heaven\u2019s sake.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not married. I\u2019m widowed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d she said softly, thinking how young his wife must have been when she died. \u201c I\u2019m so sorry. When did your wife die?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMei fraa, Rachel, passed almost two years ago,\u201d he answered without looking her way.<\/p>\n

\u201cAgain, I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Samuel continued to stare at the road ahead. \u201cIt was God\u2019s will.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was no sadness or regret in his tone. Just fact. Lillian knew she should leave it alone, but . . . \u201cI\u2019m sure you miss her very much.\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t glance her way. \u201cThere\u2019s Irma Rose and Jonas\u2019s farm,\u201d he said, pointing to their right. \u201cI better take you right up to the house.\u201d He coaxed Pete down a long dirt drive leading from the road to the white farmhouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you don\u2019t have to do that. I can walk.\u201d She wondered if Samuel Stoltzfus was ready to be rid of her. His eyebrows edged upward beneath his dark bangs and he glanced at her shoeless foot.<\/p>\n

Point taken. \u201cA ride to the house would be great.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Pete trotted down the dirt driveway toward the farmhouse, reality sank in. This would be her new home for the summer\u2014or however long it took to accomplish her goal. At first glance, everything seemed lovely. The prodigious fields on either side of the lane were neatly mowed, and the white fencing in good repair. But unlike the farms she passed on the way, there were no signs of new life planted. It wasn\u2019t until they drew closer to the farmhouse that she spotted a small garden off to her left enclosed by a wire-mesh fence. Parallel rows of greenery indicated vegetables would be forthcoming.<\/p>\n

Also off to her left was a large barn, the paint weathered and chipping. Another smaller barn to her right also was in need of a fresh paint job. She recalled the barns they had passed on her journey down Black Horse Road. Most were a bright crimson color.<\/p>\n

The white farmhouse appeared freshly painted, but with flowerbeds absent of flowers or shrubs. They must have been beautiful at one time. But now they\u2014and the rest of the yard\u2014lent an air of neglect to the farm.<\/p>\n

A wraparound porch with two rockers looked inviting. But while the idea of curling up with a good book in one of the rockers was appealing, Lillian knew it was the inside of the house and its inhabitants she feared most. Her grandma had seemed pleasant enough on the phone, but what if she and her grandfather were too set in their ways to make room for her? And what if she couldn\u2019t adjust to their ways? No electricity meant no hairdryer, curling iron, or other modern convenience she considered a necessity. How would she charge her cell phone? And she couldn\u2019t imagine a summer without air conditioning.<\/p>\n

Grimacing as the thoughts rattled around her head, she reminded herself why she\u2019d come. She\u2019d had a month to consider all of these factors. She thought she had. But as her fantasy of leaving everything behind for this became absolute, her tummy twirled with uncertainty.<\/p>\n

She was still attempting to envision her new way of life when Samuel brought Pete up next to a gray buggy parked on one side of the house. Samuel moved quickly to get her suitcase from behind the seat and extended his hand to help her out of the buggy. Towering over her, he promptly released her fingers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for the ride. Maybe I will see you again.\u201d She could only hope. But his lack of response as he quickly jumped back in the carriage left her wondering.<\/p>\n

Lillian waved good-bye and watched until horse, buggy, and man were back on the paved road. She knew she was stalling. Her grandparents would be strangers to her, and she would be a stranger to them. Yet they had encouraged her to come and stay with them. \u201cFor as long as you like,\u201d her grandmother had said.<\/p>\n

Striving to cast her worries aside, she turned around, picked up her suitcase, and headed up the walk toward what would be her new home . . . for a while.<\/p><\/div>\n

MY REVIEW:<\/h3>\n

I have read novels about the Amish by several authors, all of whom have their own viewpoint about the lifestyle. Beth Wiseman offers a fresh look at the Amish life through the eyes of Lillian who has been raised in the city but flees from an abusive relationship to her Amish grandparents.<\/p>\n

At first resistant to both Amish custom and to God, Lillian slowly finds herself becoming a part of the community. The mutual attraction between her and Samuel, an Amish farmer, grows despite their vow to stay strictly friends. Through the loving guidance of her grandparents and the support of Samuel and his son, Lillian is able to find the peace and forgiveness she seeks.<\/p>\n

Plain Perfect<\/a> contains a wonderful cast of characters who could almost step off the pages. The book is filled with romance, conflict, humor, mystery, tragedy, some surprises, and spiritual depth. If Plain Perfect<\/a> is any example of Beth Wiseman’s talent, we can be expecting to see her name on bookshelves for some time to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is time to play a Wild Card! Every now and then, a book that I have chosen to read is going to pop up as a FIRST Wild Card Tour. Get dealt into the game! (Just click the button!) Wild Card Tours feature an author and his\/her book’s FIRST chapter! You never know when […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/803"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=803"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/803\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":806,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/803\/revisions\/806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}