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Book one in this series of life with the Amish. The author did a good job and showing the struggles parents, siblings and loved ones have in making a decision to remain Amish, or to "jump the fence" and become an Englisher. Teacher Leah has resigned herself to being an old maid and just enjoy the children she teaches in her Amish community. But two things happen, and Leah will have to choose what she will do.

One, a newcomer moves next door to them, Daniel Glick, a widower, with his 3 children. Everyone wants to match up Leah with Daniel. And two, Leah's childhood sweetheart, that she planned to marry long ago, Johnny, returns as an Englisher and needs her help with his new job in the community. Leah actually has a lot going on in this story and I appreciated the struggles she had to deal with. For me, it gave a very real look at how life is for those growing up Amish. I look forward to reading more in this series. ( )

In one sense, every Amish person makes a choice to stay within the Amish community by joining the church and agreeing to be subject to the Ordnung. From what I understand, leaving before joining the church has less ramifications than leaving after agreeing to join (as far as interactions with family members and others in the Amish community). Leah has already joined the Amish church--what seems to tempt her most is the learning opportunities that could be hers if she left. Leah's sister, Anna, does not appear to have joined the Amish church yet (based on the fact that she indicates she's in rumshpringa--the running around time for Amish teens.

Leah's other choice is in the romance area. When younger, Leah had an agreement to marry John Kile--until he left the Amish behind (after joining the church, apparently, since he appears to be under some of the shunning rules). Now, there is a new widower in Pleasant Valley--a man with 3 children, all of whom are in Leah's classroom. For reasons I don't fully understand, Leah chose not to get involved with anyone else after John left and figures she'll live out her life serving as the school teacher. She's miffed that so many people want to pair her up with the widower.

John returns to the area as a member of a team researching the genetics of the Amish. (Because of their history, there are many genetic diseases and because the Amish tend to keep genealogical records, there might be a way to track down information about the genetic diseases in DNA etc.) John recruits Leah to help with information gathering since he feels the Amish community would give her more information than they would anyone on the team.

For his part, the widower, Daniel, prefers little contact with the non-Amish world since his first wife left the Amish community and took their kids with her for 2 years. He's trying to return his kids to what he feels is the more stable Amish lifestyle.

Leah's role as the children's teacher has her getting more involved with Daniel's family than she might otherwise. In fact, Leah only agrees to help the genetic team because it might benefit children in the community sometime down the road.

So Leah's second choice comes between rekindling her childhood love for John or accepting the love of Daniel and his family and remaining Amish.

Many life choices are explored in other characters as well. How one person's choice can affect others who love them (John's parent and twin sister as well as Leah were all affected by his choice to leave the community, Anna's employer and her family as well as the Esch family were affected by her choices, Anna and Leah were both affected by their parents's decision to move to the daadi haus since they'd now be living in a house run by their sister-in-law.) How squashing interests in children can be a bad thing (Matthew's love of mechanics worries his father and drives a wedge between them). How keeping things to yourself can sometimes be bad (Elizabeth's perfectionism and worry about causing her mother's death, Leah trying to take on mothering Anna).

All-in-all a good book and a bit different than the typical romance. ( )

In this Amish tale, Marta Perry clearly illustrates the divide between the Amish and the English, and the pull that the English world has on the young people of the Amish community. Leah’s steady beau – the man she intended to marry – was drawn into that world. Wishing an education he could not receive as an Amish person, he left the faith behind. But he returns to Leah’s life, not as her beau but as a researcher wanting to help Amish children afflicted with genetic diseases. Now Leah must decide which is stronger: her faith as a young Amish woman or her past love for her now English friend. A dilemma for sure, made more so by a newcomer, a widower with children, who is looking at Leah as the answer to his prayers. An entertaining yet thought-provoking read. ( )

Widower Daniel is expected to find a new wife to handle the house and children while he runs the farm. The Amish community thinks that Leah, their current schoolteacher, fits the requirements. Leah is lonely, but still suffering for being jilted just months prior to marriage. Leah’s still single ex-fiancé returns from the English world to try to win her back, but Daniel may have other plans for her. She must decide whether her faith is strong enough to find happiness. ( )