The Stone Wall by Beverly Lewis

Book Summary

The Stone Wall by Beverly Lewis has Anna Beachy needing a fresh start after her boyfriend chose a different path for his life.  She gets an opportunity to work at the Mennonite Information Center as a tour guide in Strasburg.  Anna remembers that her grandmother, Mammi Eliza spent time there one summer when she was sixteen.  Anna misses her talks with Mammi Eliza who offered guidance and wisdom.  Mammi Eliza has Alzheimer’s and has few lucid moments.  When Anna tells Mammi Eliza about Strasburg she mentions a stone wall and meeting under the moonlight.  Anna is curious what happened that summer and hopes to find someone in Strasburg who remembers her grandmother.  Anna is living with her mother’s cousins, Sadie and Glen Flaud who are Old Order Amish which is different from Anna’s Beachy Amish upbringing.  Anna enjoys spending time with her co-worker, Martin “Mart” Nolt who is a Mennonite.  She finds it easy to talk with him.  One day Anna notices the stone walls surrounding Peaceful Meadows Horse Retreat.  She decides to visit and meets Gabe Allgyer, a widower, with a young daughter, Emmie who has not spoken since her mother passed.  Anna begins volunteering at the Peaceful Meadows and bonds with Emmie.  She gets to spend time with Gabe and finds her thoughts frequently thinking of him.  Anna finds herself conflicted.  Her parents made their expectations clear that they wish Anna to settle down in Mifflinburg and become a baptized member of the Beachy Amish.  What does the future hold for Anna Beachy?

Beachy Amish Church Service

My Thoughts

The Stone Wall by Beverly Lewis is a charming Amish story. The author blended the past and present beautifully with Anna and Eliza’s stories.   I thought this was a unique Amish novel as it features Beachy Amish, Mennonites, and Old Order Amish.  It allowed me to see the differences and the similarities between them.  I thought The Stone Wall was well-written with developed characters.  It moves along at a gentle pace which suits this story.  Anna Beachy needs a change and has been praying on it.  The opportunity arrives when she receives a letter from her mother’s cousins in Strasburg about an opening at the Mennonite Information Center as a tour guide.  Anna is close to her grandmother, Mammi Eliza.  Unfortunately, Mammi Eliza has Alzheimer’s and she has few lucid moments.  When Anna tells her about going to Strasburg, Mammi Eliza has a moment of clarity.  Her words about a stone wall linger with Anna and it has her searching for it in Strasburg.  It is interesting to see the parallels of their time in Strasburg.  There is more than one type of wall in The Stone Wall.  Anna also has a wall around her heart because she is afraid of getting hurt again.  There are two men who catch her attention.  Since both men reside in Strasburg, Anna is torn because her parents did not want her to marry and live so far from home.  Another issue is that neither of them are Beachy Amish.  Anna becomes a volunteer at Peaceful Meadows Horse Retreat which practices hippotherapy.  It was interesting learning about it and how it helps individuals.  If you enjoy reading Amish novels, then you do not want to miss out on The Stone Wall.  My favorite phrase from the book is, “The Lord had something better in mind for me than rehashing the past.”  Mammi Eliza had once told Anna that it was a “waste of time to look back with regrets” because “the past simply can’t be changed.”    I never thought of it that way.  The Stone Wall is a thoughtful, heartwarming Amish story.  

The Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center

The Stone Wall is available from Amazon* along with other major booksellers (Barnes & Noble, Kobo, CBD, Google Play).  You can find other novels by Beverly Lewis here.  Thank you for reading my review today.  I was at the grocery store today and I could actually go down an aisle in either direction.  No more arrows on the floor (I always ended up at the wrong end).  I was happy to see that patrons were still maintaining social distancing.  Tomorrow, I am a stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Dog-Gone Dead by Jackie Layton.  It is the 2nd tale in A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series.  I hope that you have an uplifting day.  Take care of yourself, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

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