The Fiddler: A Book Review

In The Fiddler by Beverly Lewis, Amelia Devries is a famous violinist, caught between her father’s desires for her to continue in his footsteps as a world-renowned musician and her heart’s longing to make her own musical career.

Michael Hostetler lives in a completely separate world from Amelia with his Amish roots choking him as his parents yearn for him to join the church.  Caught between the English world and the world he’s always known, Michael knows that the consequences of his actions could separate him from the family he loves forever.

When a stormy night leads Amelia to a small cabin in the woods, she could never anticipate how it would spin her life off-course into an Amish community she will come to know and love.  Startled by the sudden appearance of an “Englisher,” Michael finds himself strongly attracted to the sweet violinist, whose music soothes his troubled soul.

Can two lives that are so different intertwine to help these two people find the paths they are meant to take?

Beverly Lewis has done it again, bringing God, love, and family together in the background of the Amish community.  Her characters are well-developed, giving the reader a feeling of knowing them personally.  Once again, the Amish community comes alive with a rich description of the lives of these people that live quite differently from “the outside world.”

Take a journey back in time in the middle of the 21st century as Lewis describes the lives of hard-working farmers, who travel by horse and carriage, live in houses without electricity, and find their faith in the God who provides their every need.

The only really negative thing I have to say about this book is that I felt like the ending was a bit rushed.  There seemed to be a missing segment in the lives of Amelia and Michael meeting again.  Without giving anything away, I would say that I had wished for a little more meat in the ending of the book.

Overall, though, I would say that this book is a must-read.  Once again, Lewis managed to capture my attention and make me reflect on my own faith.