It’s the summer of 1951, and Maggie Esh is in need of some hope. Sweet-spirited and uncommonly pretty despite struggling with chronic illness, she is used to being treated kindly by the young men of her Old Order Amish church district. Yet Maggie wishes she were more like other courting-age girls so she could live a normal, healthy life.To make matters more complicated, Dat has recently … recently remarried, less than a year after her mother died. And while her stepmother is kind, Rachel is much younger than Mamm, and she simply doesn’t understand Maggie or her illness the way Mamm did.
When tent revival meetings come to the area, Maggie is curious, and the words of the Mennonite preacher challenge her to reconsider what she knows about faith. Can she learn to trust God even when hope seems a distant dream?
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I loved this intriguing Amish romance by Beverly Lewis. It was suspenseful. Will Maggie find true loev, and if she does, will she allow her disability to preven a future marriage? Will she be healed of her longtime illness? If so, will it be via the Mennonite Tent Revival preacher’s belief or a supplement? This book was fair to all sides of difereing beliefs. Very well-done. She writes so well that I could feel the oppressive 1951 heat she described, and could feel the excitement at the revival! This was my first Lewis book, but will not be my last!
What a story the author has given us, one that affects many people, not always with the same illness, but we can put faces on this Amish family.
A young woman about to join her church and a longing for a family of her own, but with her limitations and days of non-movement, she is sure she will never wed and have her own family.
We also meet another woman who has given her heart to a man who is a widower and has a ready-made family, but she seems to put her wishes and desires aside to make his family happy.
I loved that we get to experience revival meetings, and our Amish girl is so in love with the Lord, and you want to be with her, but will her family and church allow her going to these meetings? Will she want to go out into the English world because of this?
This is a sweet read, and so many characters are brought to the fore front, and we get to meet and be with each of them and enjoy the time spent.
You will find this one a compelling page turner, and you won’t regret spending time here!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House and was not required to give a positive review.
Usually the Amish novels deal with human drama-but this one’s a little different. There is drama, but the main character has a chronic health condition and the first love refers to Jesus. I enjoyed the story, and the faith of the protagonist.
Love Beverly Lewis!!!
Page turner but story ended too quickly with out a lot of details just jumping ahead in life. Beverly Lewis never disappoints with her Amish stories and interesting characters.
Great book
Great reading.
Whats not to love about Beverly lewis and the amazing way she writes books. Her books are always wonderful to read.
Packed full of emotion and Biblical truth, this latest novel by Beverly Lewis explores young Maggie’s struggle with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis as she comes of age. The First Love also reveals Maggie’s family’s struggle to accept their father’s new wife, less than a year after their beloved Mamm dies.
The reason I enjoyed the book was that it helped me see life from the perspective of people who have had a very different experience than myself.
Lewis carefully brings out the details of a disease like Maggie’s. Life is never predictable, health-wise, from day-to-day. Others may or may not understand the inability of one with RA to do tasks one day that they could do the day before. Bad health can make a romantic future uncertain. I learned to love Maggie and was especially glad when she takes a risk that changes her life.
I also really enjoyed the wisdom of Aunt Nellie. I am fortunate to have a godly person in my life with that kind of wisdom.
The camp meetings are an integral part of the narrative, yet I was torn, wondering if there was a way to get this most important message across without being preachy. It felt like the book was only a vehicle for the message at that point.
On to more positive. Having survived my own kids’ teenage years, I can identify just a pinch with Rachel who feels she is desperately trying to find her place in her stepchildren’s lives, let alone hearts. What a tough journey she undertakes, so courageously!
Quotables I loved:
Aunt Nellie’s goal: ”Her goal is to make one person smile every single day. “Definitely one of my goals.
“God won’t guide his footsteps unless he’s willin’ to move his feet.” God works best in those willing to obey.
And lastly, a prayer for my adult children: “I pray you never disdain prayer. It’s the simplest way you can serve our Lord, and suffering won’t hold you from it…”
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own and no review was required.
The First Love by Beverly Lewis takes us to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is the summer of 1998 when Maggie’s reminiscing takes her back in time to June of 1951. Maggie misses her mother every day and it is hard to see her father move on so quickly. Joseph, Maggie’s father, married Rachel just seven months after his wife’s death. Maggie has suffered from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since she was eleven and the debilitating pain keeps her confined to bed many days. Maggie longs to be like the other women in her community, but she does not believe any man would want to be burdened by her. Maggie could talk to her mother about her concerns and she misses her warm, understanding presence. A tent revival meeting is coming to the area for six weeks and Maggie asks permission to attend. The minister’s messages are meaningful and have Maggie thinking about God and his saving grace. The future is filled with possibilities and hope. Join Maggie on her journey in The First Love.
I have read all of Beverly Lewis’s books and was looking forward to reading The First Love. I found The First Love to a slow paced story, though, it does pick up slightly in the second half. There are numerous characters in The First Love and it is hard to keep them all straight. Maggie comes from a large family with aunts, cousins, siblings plus there are her friends, the tent revival preacher, and so many more. There are two intertwining storylines in the book. At times, though, the book was disjointed (lacked a good flow). There is Maggie’s storyline plus her family adjusting to a new stepmother. I could understand what Maggie was going through with her painful disease. The pain gets to a person and affects their mood as well as outlook on life. It can be difficult to get up and do things during the day. I thought the author dealt with the topic respectfully and realistically. The ending wrapped up too quickly and felt unrealistic. It seemed the author had reached her word limit and quickly wrapped up Maggie’s story. The Christian elements are predominant. Relevant scripture verses are sprinkled throughout the story that help Maggie on her faith journey. We are also reminded the importance of prayer (anywhere and anytime), God’s grace, leaving our worries with God, reading the Bible, and having faith. I liked to see Maggie grow in her faith and become closer to God. I am giving The First Love 3 out of 5 stars. While this is not my favorite book by Beverly Lewis, I am still a fan of her work who looks forward to her next story.
Wonderful inspirational story. Maggie is a amazing young woman. The pain and suffering she lives with on a daily basis is totally awful. When the tent meeting comes to town Maggie worried about attending it. When she finally goes her life changes dramatically. The way Maggie’s family help each other is truly remarkable. You will feel God working throughout this wonderful book. I would give this book a higher rating than a five star review if I could.
I like Beverly Lewis”s books. Good clean stories
I enjoy every book I read about Amish People. The purity and beliefs of these people really impress me. It is good to know that they too can make mistakes, admit to them, and do something about it. Loved the base of the story.
It was inspirational. I was interested in seeing what was going to Maggie. One of the better books I have read lately.
Loved it. Beverly Lewis is one one of my favorite Aurthers. More like this
Anything written by Wanda Brunstetter is a wonderful read, especially about the Amish. Highly recommend
Love this kind of book I read all i can get.
Love her books! One of my favorite authors! Another book to treasure!
I liked it very much. “A little different than her books before”
1951: It’s a summer of change and acceptance. Maggie is learning to deal with her chronic illness and help her younger siblings accept their new stepmom. A Mennonite tent revival has set up in town and Maggie attends at the urging of her Mennonite cousins. Will the meetings bring her closer to accepting her illness and accepting her stepmom or will the meetings take her away from her Amish faith?
I knew very little about Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis until reading Maggie’s story. JRA sounds absolutely terrible not to know day to day when you wake up on how you are going to feel and if you are going to be able to move or not.
I applaud Lewis for her positive stepmom portrayal. So many times we read stories of a terrible stepmom who hates her step kids. Being a stepmom myself it made my heart sing to see the stepmom as loving and trying to keep their mom’s memory alive. Yes, there are hard times but with love and patience hard times can be overcome.
My favorite story line was Maggie’s spiritual awakening. The thirst for understanding and believing was beautiful. There were a lot of biblical stories mentioned that I was not completely familiar with and has made me interested to read more of my Bible.
Lewis has written another story that reminds you of the beauty in the world.
I received a complimentary copy from Bethany House through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.