"Susie Mast's Old Order life has been shaped more by tragedy than her own choices. But when she decides to accept another's invitation and stop waiting on her childhood friend, she soon realizes her mistake. Will family secrets and missed opportunities dim Susie's hopes for the future? Or is what seems like the end only the beginning?"-- Provided by publisher.

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Susie had the weight of the world on her young shoulders. Concern about her mam’s worsening health as well as earning enough money to pay for food keeps her hopping. She still misses her dat and her brother Eli, but at least she has her adopted younger sister Britta to help share the load. She has also leaned on her longtime friend Obie, but his departure to become an apprentice to his uncle is eminent. Britta is longing to find out more about her birth mother, but people who know are reluctant to say much. It’s quite an interesting story, with characters to match, and written by a masterful Amish storyteller. There are some surprises at the end which hopefully will lead to a sequel. ( )

It has always amazed me how Beverly Lewis can continue to come up with great stories to tell. 41 adult fiction novels has not slowed down her imagination. The Beginning is another one that is especially poignant. While her readers will expect a romance story that always ends well, the reason for the title has nothing to do with courting and marriage. I won't be a spoiler. You will want to read the book to find out.

The story begins with Susie Mast wondering if she will ever have any boy interested enough in her to want to marry her. She hopes that Obie Yoder has romantic feelings for her but she never expresses her feelings to him. Suffering from the death of her brother several years earlier, Susie has found that the best way to cope is to keep busy. She is always cleaning, working in her mother's store or selling her family tree embroideries. She rarely relaxes or socializes. Susie's mother, Aquilla, has been in declining health since the death of her husband and son in an auto accident. Her adopted sister, Britta, is a big help to her with chores but has begun to ask alot of questions about her birth parents. Susie knows a little about Britta's past but is afraid to tell her anything about her adoption. She fears more loss will occur if Britta gets the answers she is seeking.

The Beginning is one of my favorite books that Lewis has written. The ending gathers and clarifies all the loose ends written in to the story. While I haven't read all of her books, this type of ending seemed more complex than the ones that I have previously read. It made the book much more satisfying than the usual girl finally gets the boy. The wisdom issued from the lips of the elderly women in this Amish district was amazing and the foods the ladies prepared made me hungry. I ended up ordering in on the day that I read the book. If there is anything unusual about the story it was how often they made tea. Someone was making tea on almost every page. The characters must have spent alot of time in the outhouse.

Beverly Lewis is the reason that I read Amish fiction. She is the gold standard for these types of stories and I highly recommend this novel. ( )

Another winner but this one holds dearer tomy heart since we are adopting too ( )