A Small World After All

While my girl was at a birthday party one evening, I spent some time in one of my favorite pursuits: browsing at a bookstore. I happened across a title by a new author that looked promising, and I brought it home. But there was a bonus for me hidden in the pages of this book.

Plain Perfect by Beth Wiseman pretty much lives up to its title. I was caught up in the story of Lillian, who fled Houston for her Amish grandparents' farm, seeking the peace that had eluded her in the dysfunctional way in which she was raised. And how like so many of us Lillian is, as we seek peace in "doing" rather than recognizing that heart change must happen first.

Of course, I loved the fact that Lillian was from Texas, and even Houston, where I was born and raised. In the story, Lillian is a high school English teacher before she uproots herself and moves to the Amish community. About halfway through the book, as she is reflecting on her life, it even mentions the name of a high school where she taught. I almost dropped the book when I read the name of the high school I graduated from!

As a friend says, "To make a short story long," I grabbed my laptop and found Beth Wiseman's website and emailed her. Was this a random high school she picked or was there a connection?

Would you believe she graduated from that same high school?! The year after I did!! (Go Ragin' Raiders!)

She is delightful and we enjoyed several emails back and forth that day. I enjoyed the book even more knowing that little tidbit.

This is Beth's first book, and it is already #13 on the CBA Bestseller List; she hangs out on that list with such names as Tracie Peterson, Cindi Woodsmall, Karen Kingsbury, Francine Rivers & Ted Dekker, among others. It is also in the top 20 of CBD's Bestsellers.

Plain Perfect is the first book of the Daughters of the Promise trilogy. Her second, Plain Pursuit, is due out in April, 2009. She is currently writing the 3rd book.

Take a look at Beth's website - she's got some wonderful pictures of the Amish community. She also has a blog, which I immediately subscribed to. I'm looking forward to keeping up with her work!

Here's more about the book:

A search for peace in Amish country proves anything but simple for a woman on the run from life . . . and herself.

On the rolling plains of Lancaster County, PA., Lillian Miller is searching for her grandparents’ house . . . and so much more. After years of neglect and abuse, she’s turning to a lifestyle of simplicity among the Amish to find herself.

As she discards the distractions of her former life, she befriends the young boy working on her family’s farm and his attractive widowed father, Samuel Stoltzfus. Despite Lillian’s best efforts to the contrary, her feelings for Samuel—and his for her—deepen. Will Lillian find her faith in Plain living, or will she be forced to return to her former life?

Plain Perfect is the first in the Daughters of the Promise series . . . a charming story of simple truths and simpler times. Of reconciling the past and restoring hope for what lies ahead.

You never know what treasures you'll find in a book. Happy Reading!