Author Suzanne Woods Fisher takes her readers into the world
of the Amish, a community that is often much misunderstood by outsiders, in her
newest book, The Lesson.
Nineteen-year-old Mary Kay Lapp, better known as M.K., is
the least likeliest person to be a school teacher. She was one of those
students that had difficulty paying attention in class, was constantly bored,
and couldn’t wait to graduate. But after the community’s teacher, Alice Smucker,
decides to take the first three weeks of school off to recover from injuries
M.K. caused, M.K. is appointed by the school board to be the substitute
teacher.
M.K. would rather do just about anything than be stuck in a
class room all day again. When a local sheep farmer is mysteriously shot dead
in his field, a “crime” M.K. hears but not sees, her detective antennae
instantly go into high alert. She pictures herself as a sort of detective and
is just itching to “help” the authorities solve this mysterious murder. Also,
she keeps dreaming of the day when she can leave her little Amish community
behind and travel around the world.
So, when she is forced to teach school, at first she is very
reluctant to do so. The position is supposed to be for only three weeks, but of
course, things don’t go as planned. And, as a teacher, M.K. is forced to deal
with students that try her patience, much like she tried Miss Smucker’s
patience in the past.
As if all this weren’t enough, two young men, one born Amish
who M.K. has known since childhood, and one who wasn’t born Amish but has been
baptized as an Amish and is new to the community, are vying for M.K.’s
attention and affection. Needless to say, it’s difficult for her to keep her
mind on her work.
What I
Like: I like reading stories about the Amish. It’s a fascinating culture, and
one I was exposed to during my childhood as there were Amish who lived within a
buggy ride of our small town. The Amish came to our town to shop at the
hardware store there, and it wasn’t unusual to see a horse and buggy tied up
out front of the store. I have a great respect for these quiet, industrious
people, and I always like learning more about them. The text is also peppered
with plenty of Pennsylvania Dutch sayings that lend themselves well to the
story.
The author also includes a list of discussion questions at
the end of the book.
What I
Dislike: Although this is a good story, and I did enjoy reading it, there were
a few things I didn’t like about it. For instance, the author over-used the word
“zoomed” in the narrative. M.K. had a scooter that she rode most everywhere she
went. When talking about it, the author kept saying she “zoomed” here or she
“zoomed” there. Perhaps the words “sped”, “wheeled” or “rolled” could have been
substituted on occasion.
The
author also included a few sentences that were awkwardly phrased, including one
that ended, “…just one more leaf less.” How about simply saying, “….just one
leaf less”?
And,
when one of the characters moves into a house that needs a lot of repairs, why
did he wait so long to fix a broken window? Seems to me, if you move into a
house with a broken pane of window glass, one of the first things you would do
would be to either replace the broken glass or at least cover the hole to keep
weather, insects and other critters out. But, in this story, the window wasn’t
repaired for several weeks.
I need to add that I was given an advanced reader copy of the book so the finished published text might have been edited to improve these shortcomings.
I need to add that I was given an advanced reader copy of the book so the finished published text might have been edited to improve these shortcomings.
Overall
Rating: Even with its shortcomings, I think this story still deserves a “very
good” rating. The author did a good job of giving the reader insights into the
Amish community, developing her characters, keeping all the story lines going
in a cohesive manner, and providing numerous twists and turns in the plot.
Age
Appeal: Teens.
Publisher Info: Revell Books, 2013; ISBN: 9780800719890;
Paperback, 304 pages, $14.99.
Buy the Kindle edition $9.68.
Special
Info: This is book #3 in the author’s Stoney Ridge Seasons series. Visit the
author’s website.
No comments:
Post a Comment