Book Description: Following up on Plain Jayne, a fun new look at Amish life from the outside in, author Hillary Manton Lodge continues with young Sara Burkholder’s perspective on English life and romance in Simply Sara.
Sara, who left her Amish family to live with Jayne, discovers that the English world is a bit more challenging than she expected. As she finds a job, buys English clothes, wears makeup, and learns to drive, she begins a journey to becoming the person she might have been had she not been born into an Amish family. But when romance becomes complicated and school proves difficult, Sara escapes to her Amish sister’s home, wondering if she should return to the life she left. Torn, she seeks answers in prayer, but is the God she is seeking the same in both worlds? What’s a quilt-making, fashion-loving, formerly Plain girl to do when a new way of life starts to change her?
My Review: I enjoyed reading Plain Jayne. In fact, this is the book that "broke" my sabbatical from reading Amish books. I waited ever so (im)patiently for Simply Sara to arrive.
Sara is such a sweet, innocent young lady who is trying to find her place in the world. She simply doesn't want to live as an Amish person. She wants color in her life without consulting the Bishop. Sara wants to LIVE!
She finds a job in a lovely bookstore and after obtaining her GED she is accepted into the fashion/art college. I loved this part of the read. The feel of the materials, the design of the quilts and the colors was amazingly described by the author. All of this made me feel as if I was in Sara's place.
Sara simply attracts friends like honey attracts flies. She has a wonderful circle of people to help her as she becomes English. Sara takes to being English as a duck takes to water. But she still bakes from scratch and doesn't leave the God of her childhood. She has a few escapades that help one to understand the difference in the cultures and that of leaving the Amish community to live as a an Englischer.
Then there's her boss (actually her second boss) at the bookstore. Will seems to bear a grudge against Sara. Sara does a good job of taking care of the bookstore, going to college and making quilts. Why does Will not like her? Sara in her quiet, unassuming way hopes to find out why Will seems to dislike her. Then there's her brother, Levi who is engaged to Jayne. Is Sara in their way since she has left the Amish community?
This is an interesting almost going backwards Amish read . . . instead of learning to become Amish and being accepted into the Amish lifestyle like Jayne had to do . . . Sara is leaving the Amish community to take on the English way of living. A neat way to "see" things from a person who lives in America but yet has been reared so differently. No TV, no electricity, no cars/traffic, no color! all of these "no's" sum up Sara's idea that maybe there's no life. Sara takes on life!
This is one book THAT I Simply couldn't guess the ENDING! Wonderful!!
This is one book THAT I Simply couldn't guess the ENDING! Wonderful!!
I suggest that you read Plain Jayne before reading Simply Sara. This is not a must do but there are a lot of references to the first book, Plain Jayne, that will help you understand more of what is going on in Simply Sara.
Simply Sara WAS a simply wonderful 5 star read! I simply hope that there will be a third book!
*I reviewed this book for Reader's Favorite.com*
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