The Devoted

    Most Amish fiction can be a little whatever, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one. Instead of focusing on a romantic angle, there was more depth. Yes, there was some romance involved, but it didn't stand out to me as the main theme. Just background.
    Ruthie Stoltzfus is restless. She wants to do more with her life, like go to college. She has secretly taken her GED and is waiting for the right time to leave. But something keeps her from going just yet.
   Patrick Kelly is exactly the opposite. He wants to become Amish. He has given himself one month to learn Pennsylvania Dutch, drive a buggy, and master the Amish lifestyle. As Ruthie's family gets to know him, they notice he seems uncoordinated. As it turns out, that is the very reason he has decided to become Amish.
   Luke Schrock is somewhat of the town's menace. He is reckless, wild, and everytime something goes wrong, every head turns his way. Ruthie's dad seems to be the only person who thinks there is any good in him.
   And the list goes on. These are the main characters, although there are several more prominent ones yet. It seems as though a lot goes by in this book. Sometimes you read a story and at the end you wonder how on earth the author came up with 250 pages, but here you know there could even have been several more.
   
      I received this book from REVELL, a division of Baker Publishing, in exchange for my review.