Hannah's Choice Book Review

I started reading Hannah's Choice: A Novel (Journey to Pleasant Prairie) by Jan Drexler and I was pulled in immediately.  I couldn't wait to find out what happened next in this historical fiction book about an Amish family fighting to keep their family together and in the faith.  The book is set in 1842 and other then dying from diseases that aren't a death sentence anymore, this book held true to everything in modern times.

Hannah Yoder loves her quiet life on the banks of the Conestoga Creek. In 1842, this corner of Lancaster County is settled and peaceful--yet problems lurk beneath the placid façade. Hannah's father worries about the spread of liberal ideas from their Mennonite and Brethren neighbors. And Hannah blames herself for a tragedy that struck their home nine years ago. She strives to be the one person who can bind the threads of her family together in spite of her mother's ongoing depression and her sister's rejection of their family. But her world is threatening to unravel.  When two young men seek her hand in marriage--one offering the home she craves and the other promising the adventure of following God's call west--Hannah must make a choice. Faithfully perform her duties to her family? Or defy her father and abandon her community?

I loved this book and had trouble putting it down.  I finished it far more quickly then I would have liked and can't wait for the next installment coming Fall 2016 (first chapter in the back of this book for a teaser).  The great thing is that I have never read this author before but I was instantly drawn into her writing and couldn't wait to learn more about the characters.  I felt that the characters really came alive in the struggles that they were going through.  Hannah was deciding between two lives and the men that went with them.  There were many hard ideas to overcome and mesh with her Amish faith but she pulled through with thoughtful decisions where all of her options were weighed.  Her mother goes through the process of letting go of the children that died so that she could take care of the ones that are still alive which moved her forward and to a better place.  All of the family grows as they get ready to move West and overcome more obstacles on their trip.  I hope that you pick up this book and see how all of the characters grow and how it can teach us to do better in our lives.  I know that you will enjoy this one as much as I did!!

**I was given a copy of this book for my review.  All opinions here are my own.