Two decades have passed since the publication of The Shunning, launching the popular Amish fiction category. In the years since, your name frequently appears on bestseller lists, and your books have been published in twelve languages. What do you think of the widespread appeal of your fiction?
Completely astonished! Only God could have foreseen where this journey has taken me. This interest has surprised and pleased my own Plain relatives.
It has truly been a blessing to hear from thousands of readers over the years, many of whom have written to say my novels seem to speak directly to them, touching them on a heartfelt level. I’m so very thankful for the opportunity to share God’s love through something I love as much as story. He alone is the first and best storyteller!
What have these years taught you since your debut?
This writing journey has taught me the importance of meticulous research. And demonstrated to me just how universal some themes really are—love and loss, the need for hope, friendship, faith, and family. At its core, every book I write is about lifting the spirit and stirring the heart—which allows readers from all ages and walks of life to relate to my characters, however cloistered and unalike they may initially seem.
Any hints about what you are working on right now?
Absolutely! The First Love will release in September of 2018. At the tender age of eighteen, sweet-spirited Maggie Esh is in need of some hope. Uncommonly pretty despite struggling with a painful illness, she is used to being treated kindly by the young men of her Old Order Amish church district. Yet no one but Jimmy Beiler ever asks her out, and Maggie wishes she were more like other courting-age girls so she could be sure of his intentions. Does Jimmy truly care for her, or is it pity that moves him?
To make matters worse, Maggie’s Dat has recently remarried, and while her stepmother is kind, she’s much younger than Mamm, and she simply doesn’t understand Maggie the way Mamm did.
When tent revival meetings come to the area, Maggie reconsiders what she knows about faith. Can she learn to trust God even when hope seems a distant dream?
What is the best way to keep current on your latest news and book releases?
Social media offers many great ways to stay in touch. To sign up for my free newsletter, readers can visit my website or my Facebook fan page. The website includes story excerpts and book trailers, my monthly blog, photo galleries, and authentic Amish recipes.
Visit Beverly Lewis’ author page:
https://www.familyfiction.com/authors/beverly-lewis
The Road Home
Beverly Lewis
Bethany House
As the sun began to rise, Lena Rose leaned against the cool pane of the bus window and gazed out at the familiar landscape of her life. I’m leaving my family and everything I know behind. She sighed, trying to keep her composure.
Grieving the death of her Amish parents and the separation from her nine close-knit siblings, Lena Rose Schwartz consoles herself that her new life in Lancaster County won’t be forever. Surely someday soon she will return to her beloved Michigan settlement, including her beau. But even as she holds on to hope for a reunion with those she loves most, she discovers that Lancaster holds charms of its own. Will she find the courage to open her heart to other possibilities?