Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from LitFuse in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received and all opinions, as always, are my own.
When I requested a to be a part of the blog tour for The Bargain, it was because I like Amish fiction. I have read LOTS of Amish fiction, but I’ve never read one quite like this.
The Bargain starts out with a shot. Betsie’s parents have decided to leave the Amish community and move an hour away to join a normal English church. Betsie & her sister Sadie do their best to hide it while they try to get them to come back. Meanwhile Betsie is doing something approved by the Bishop but still unusual- she is apprenticing with an English saddle maker in her cousins place. He bought the shop but was drafted in the Vietnam War.
One of the things that made this particular book of Amish fiction different from any others was the setting. The Bargain takes place right smack dab in the middle of the Vietnam War drafts, the Kent State 5, and “peace” rallies. The English characters were also unique to the time period — the owner of the saddle shop was normal as was his daughter. This mother was a “liberated” woman who dreamt of being an actress & his son is…complicated. Betsie ends up spending a lot of time with him & while she isn’t yet interested enough to have thoughts of leaving, I suspect in future books, she might.
I loved the character development for Michael & the setting details are fascinating. Where most Amish fiction seems to be a bit on the typical & predictable side, I’m actually not sure what is coming in future books. And I’m curious to see where the story goes next.
Overall, if you are interested in Amish fiction but are looking for something a bit different, this would be a great choice. Also, if you’ve never read it before, this might be a good one to wade in with. It feels more ‘mainstream’ due to the setting & time period. I highly recommend The Bargain by Stephanie Reed.
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Stephanie L. Reed is celebrating the release of The Bargain, the first book in her new series, Plain City Peace, with a Kindle Fire ‘Bargain Bundle’ giveaway!
One winner will receive a ‘Bargain Bundle’:
- A Kindle Fire
- The Bargain by Stephanie Reed
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 27th. Winner will be announced at the Litfuse blog on October 28th.
