Twenty years after she hit the scene with her debut Amish novel, Beverly Lewis continues to delight readers with a novel about learning to wait on the Lord.
With more than 100 books published in a dozen languages worldwide, Christian storyteller Beverly Lewis is a regular fixture on the bestseller charts. Born in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, Beverly’s keen interest in her mother’s Plain heritage inspired the author to write Amish fiction. Her debut Amish novel, 1997’s The Shunning (Bethany House), sold more than one million copies and was adapted into a Hallmark Channel movie.
Her latest novel is The Road Home (Bethany House). Grieving the death of her Amish parents and separated from her loved ones, Lena Rose Schwartz longs for the chance to return home. Can she find the courage to open her heart to other possibilities?
In this interview, Beverly shares about the faith themes woven throughout The Road Home, the best part of meeting her readers in person, and what readers can do to support their favorite authors…
Your new stand-alone novel is The Road Home. Can you tell us a little about the story?
After the sudden death of her Amish parents, Lena Rose Schwartz is separated from her nine close-knit siblings and her beau. She consoles herself that her new life in Lancaster County won’t be forever.
Surely someday soon, she will return to her beloved Centreville, Mich., and all she has left behind. But even as Lena Rose holds on to hope for a reunion with those she loves most, she discovers that Lancaster holds charms of its own.
Centreville, Mich., is a new setting for you. Why did you choose to anchor part of this book there?
While I have written about many Amish communities over the years, I’ve never set a book in Michigan, although I had filed away a unique story idea to be set in St. Joseph County, found in the southernmost area of that beautiful state.
Then, a year ago, when I became good friends with an Old Order Amish couple from Centreville, I knew it was time to research and write The Road Home, which features this thriving Amish settlement established in 1910. The rest is history!
Your books truly resonate with readers at the heart level. Does The Road Home explore any particular faith themes?
A number of themes interweave throughout this story, but one that comes to mind is the importance of patience and learning to wait on God—difficult for a planner like Lena Rose! She wants to return home as soon as possible, but the challenges that arise test her patience. And because she is so far away, she must also learn to trust God to care for her siblings, as well as her own future.
Click through to find out what Beverly considers the best part of meeting her readers in person…