Book Review: The Newcomer by Suzanne Woods Fisher

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The Newcomer (Amish Beginnings Book #2)

From Amazon:

In 1737, Anna Konig and her fellow church members stagger off a small wooden ship after ten weeks at sea, eager to start a new life in the vibrant but raw Pennsylvania frontier. On the docks of Port Philadelphia waits bishop Jacob Bauer, founder of the settlement and father to ship carpenter Bairn. It's a time of new beginnings for the reunited Bauer family, and for Anna and Bairn's shipboard romance to blossom.

But this perfect moment cannot last. As Bairn grasps the reality of what it means to be Amish in the New World--isolated, rigid with expectations, under the thumb of his domineering father--his enthusiasm evaporates. When a sea captain offers the chance to cross the ocean one more time, Bairn grabs it. Just one more crossing, he promises Anna. But will she wait for him?

When Henrik Newman joins the church just as it makes its way to the frontier, Anna is torn. He seems to be everything Bairn is not--bold, devoted, and delighted to vie for her heart. And the most dramatic difference? He is here; Bairn is not.

Far from the frontier, an unexpected turn of events weaves together the lives of Bairn, Anna, and Henrik. When a secret is revealed, which true love will emerge?

My thoughts:

I just say it right at the beginning this book was hard to put down. The Newcomer was a page turner from the beginning and I never wanted to skip to the good parts. I was just taken back in time to the New World in 1737. With wonderful descriptions I could see the old shops, the cobblestone pathways, and a vast wilderness that now we can only imagine.  

I began to feel what it must of been like to land in a strange place and understand why they would want to come. At the same time, I was afraid for the people with their limited understanding of the surroundings. They had to learn new ways and establish new priorities as soon as they landed. It was a hard life. 

Characters flowed so well in this book, I loved them all!  I have to say that reading about one notable man from American history was kind of neat. It was fun to read about his eccentrics here.  

The well researched history combined with romance makes this book a wonderful, wonderful read!  

This is the second installment of a series but I feel as though you can read it alone.  

I was given this book by Net galley.. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

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