The Witness Book Review

I was both excited and sad to get to the last book in the series, The Witnesses (Lancaster Burning) by Linda Byler.  I was able to finish the book before the due date at the library since it is a new book with no renewals which was wonderful!!  I had even gone back and read the first two books in the series first.  This was a great find off the new release section of the library and I am going to look for some new books by Linda Byler to read again soon.

Who is responsible for setting the barn fires that continue to keep the Amish of eastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on edge? Who is responsible for seeing that they are stopped?  In this third and final novel in the Lancaster Burning series, author Linda Byler takes us inside the home of Davey Beiler, the leader of this Amish district. He clearly feels the heat in more ways than one. Some of the younger members of his church are ready to testify against the man who has allegedly started at
least several of the fires. Davey counsels patience and forgiveness.

But when Sarah, Davey’s daughter, spots flames late one night in the widow Lydia’s barn, Sarah refuses to let the fire win. She gets the horses out just in time, but not before a beam explodes overhead, knocking her to the ground as the barn rages in flames all around her. In that moment, Sarah’s life “turned darker than black.” Gone were her lovely good looks, her life as a teacher, and perhaps the attention of the two young men who had been so drawn to her.

No one suffers more torment than Davey, who wonders if he was really responsible for Sarah's accident. If he had agreed to have police guard the Amish farms, as some wanted, Sarah would not have been hurt.  The Amish may be peace-loving, but they are not without their tensions. Author Byler, who is herself a member of the Amish, writes a tautly told story, full of dark fears, difficult dilemmas, and deep love.

This book was a tough read because Sarah is caught in the fire in Lydia's barn trying to save the horses.  Sarah goes through a lot of treatments because of the fire and reading this book takes you along every painful step.  The anger raises in the neighborhood because of the fires and her injuries but her father preaches and supports patience and forgiveness as their Amish culture teaches. With the neighborhood divided, there are many problems that need to be overcome.  Make sure you pick up this book and find out what happens.   I hope that you check out this book and all the other books in this series.  I really enjoyed reading the Lancaster Burning series from start to finish.  I hope that you enjoy them as much as I have!!  Let me know if you have read them or have any of them added to your reading list.  I know you will enjoy solving this mystery along with the love story between Sarah unfolding.