The Brethren Book Review

The Brethren (Annie's People Series #3) by Beverly Lewis was the last and final book in the Annie's People series.  I started this right after reading the second one and couldn't put it down.  If I could have figured out how to read in my sleep, I would have been doing it.  I wanted to find out what happened to all the great characters in the first two books.

In this final story, Annie Zook is living with her shunned friend Esther while dreaming of the days that she can start painting and be with her Englisher boyfriend, Ben Martin.  With Louisa and Ben back in the "fancy" world, Annie is left wondering if she can join them and making plans to do so while leaving everything that she knows behind.  She decides on some drastic measures when Ben returns and she doesn't want to loose him again.  Instead of loosing him and her family, Ben learns a family secret and retreats to the Amish world for comfort and answers.  The questions are all answered in this book and the dramatic events start to settle down in this small Amish community but you have to read it to believe it!!

The book was bitter sweet to get to the end because I was super glad to find out what each person decided to do with the next stage in their lives.  I could have probably read a few more in this series and would love to see a fourth one that follows up with them later in life because the end of the book is certainly open ended and leaves you to figure out what you think their futures will hold.  I hope that you pick it up at your local library or bookstore.  I think that you would enjoy the whole series but please do start with the first one and work forward so that you don't miss the build up to the end of the story!!