Book Review of The River by Beverly Lewis

I really enjoyed reading The River by Beverly Lewis.  In this book, we meet Tilly and Ruth, two sisters formerly Amish, who reluctantly return to Lancaster County for their parents' wedding anniversary.  Tilly is married to an Englisher, but Ruth is still single and hasn't completely forgotten of the Amish man that broke her heart.  Both have unresolved relationships that they must face.  Tilly and her father have always had a difficult relationship, and she has never felt that he truly loved her.  Tilly also blames herself for the death of her little sister, Anna.  "Past meets present as Tilly and Ruth yearn for acceptance and redemption.  Can they face the future in light of a past they can't undo?"

I don't want to give the entire story away, but this is a story of forgiveness.  There are a few characters that need to forgive themselves as well as others.  I thought it was brave of Tilly to return to Lancaster County when so many of her family members blamed her for her sister, Ruth, leaving the Amish life as well.  I would definitely recommend this book!

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Bethany House.*

Book Review of Noah: A Wordless Picture Book by Mark Ludy

I was so excited to receive Mark Ludy's wordless picture book, Noah and to share it with my daughter.  Because this book has no text, it is an excellent book to use along with the Bible.  The pictures are beautiful and extremely detailed.  The book goes right along with the Bible.  If you don't know the complete story from the Bible of Noah and the ark, you may want to have your Bible handy because there may be pictures that your child has questions about.

My daughter loved looking at the pictures.  Because of the extreme detail, she spent a lot of time looking at the pages. This book is perfect for you to tailor the Bible story to the age of your child.  You can go into as much depth as you choose because there are no words.  It stands out from other books about Noah's ark because it covers the entire story rather than bits and pieces.  I cannot tell you enough how beautiful the illustrations are.  You need to see them for yourself!  I highly recommend it!

*I received this book from Handlebar Marketing as part of their bloggers book review program in exchange for an honest review.*