ABOUT THE BOOK:
TITLE: The Sound of Distant Thunder,#1 The Amish of Weaver’s Creek
Paperback, 352 pages
ISBN:9780800729318
PUBLISHER: Revell
PUBLISHED: September 18, 2018
Katie Stuckey and Jonas Weaver are both romantics. Seventeen-year-old Katie is starry-eyed, in love with the idea of being in love, and does not want to wait to marry Jonas until she is eighteen, despite her parents’ insistence. So much can happen in a year. Twenty-year-old Jonas is taken in by the romance of soldiering, especially in defense of anti-slavery, even though he knows war is at odds with the teachings of the church. When his married brother’s name comes up in the draft list, he volunteers to take his brother’s place. But can the commitment Katie and Jonas have made to each other survive the separation?
From the talented pen of Jan Drexler comes this brand new Amish series set against the backdrop of the Civil War. She puts her characters to the test as they struggle to reconcile their convictions and desires while the national conflict threatens to undermine and engulf their community.
MY REVIEW:
An old-order Amish community, making every effort to keep itself separate from the world, finds it cannot escape the distant rumblings of war. We view the Weaver’s Creek community mostly through the eyes of young Katie and Jonas, who hope to wed but are slowed by their youth and the worldly changes that intrude even upon those who would ignore them.
War is such a divisive subject in any era. In the United States, the Civil War was arguably one of our most contentious as it divided friends and families and our nation itself. Then add to that, the idea of an Amish man considering joining ranks of the volunteers, and the incredibility of the situation just skyrockets. Indeed, the Amish of Weaver’s Creek believe they can look the other way until conscription begins…and names on the list include Englischers and Amish alike.
What didn’t I like about the book? It made me think. I couldn’t find any easy answers. I wanted to vilify one character (and his choices) or the other. The black and white lines blurred into gray and blue… and red. Red for loss of life, loss of a way of life, loss of innocence and standing apart from the world.
A wise quote for today: “Labeling folks with ideas different from your own as “them” and calling yourself “us” is the surest way to create division.” Hm… I do believe many, many groups today could profit from this bit of wisdom.
What a heart-warming, yet heart-wrenching family-centered novel about one of the darkest times in our nation’s history.
I gratefully received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and the publisher. This in no way affects my opinions, for which I am solely responsible. I was not required to leave a positive review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jan Drexler brings a unique understanding of Amish traditions and beliefs to her writing. Her ancestors were among the first Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren immigrants to Pennsylvania in the 1700s, and their experiences are the inspiration for her stories. Jan lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband of thirty-five years, where she enjoys hiking in the Hills and spending time with their expanding family.
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