The Timepiece by Beverly Lewis – Book Review
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Thank you so much to Beverly Lewis and Bethany House Fiction for sending Hope and Wildflower a copy of her book The Timepiece to review for our readers.
Product Description
Sylvia Miller of The Tinderbox has always held a special place in her Old Order family being the only daughter, one Adeline Pelham jeopardizes when she shows up at the Millers’ Hickory Hollow farm. It isn’t that Adeline means to be a threat, but her very existence is a reminder of the painful secret in the Miller household. And with Sylvia and her mother still struggling to come to terms with that news, this is a challenging time to welcome this Englisher into their midst.
Despite the Millers’ unexpected hospitality, Adeline is well aware that she’s treading on Sylvia’s turf, and she feels guilty about doing so when Sylvia is grappling with issues of her own. Sylvia is trying to rebuild her trust in her father, but now she is also uncertain what to make of her once-promising engagement to Titus Kauffman, who hasn’t pursued her since she confronted him. Adeline wishes she could help Sylvia, but she’s not sure that either she or Sylvia is ready for that in their relationship.
Can God make something good come out of the mistakes of the past? Or does Adeline’s
arrival mark one too many surprises for the Millers and their Amish community?
Review
Beverly Lewis is one of my favorite Amish fiction authors and she has outdone herself once again with this beautifully written story. The Timepiece is a sequel of the Tinderbox which was just as fantastic as the Timepiece. Beverly Lewis has such a special way of making you feel like you are right beside each character she introduces. Her attention to detail pulls you right into the story. You’re not looking from the outside in but, rather you are sitting beside her watching the story unfold page by page. After reading both stories I was drawn to the Wise Woman of Hickory Hollow, Ella Mae Zook. I could see myself going to visit Ella from time to time and sipping some hot mint tea with her. It sounded as if the women of the community also benefited from their visits with Ella, as she encouraged them, and wise counsel, and made time to listen to each one. We all need an Ella in our lives or better yet, be Ella in our community, to our friends, and to our family.
“Ella Mae looked at her kindly o over he dainty rosebud teacup. “Could be that neither of ya really stopped to listen to God’s answer-sometimes our hearts try to go before our heads ‘specially when it comes to romance. But that doesn’t mean that your time with Titus didn’t teach ya a thing or two about what gut relationship should look like. We learn from our experiences in life, ain’t so?” (Ella Mae Zook, The Timpiece)
Throughout both novels, the Miller family faced one curveball after another. That is how life is though, you face one challenge only to have one pop up right around the corner. Both of these pieces from Lewis were very timely in my life. Whenever I began to read The Tinderbox I was dealing with a huge curveball of my own. Some of the words of wisdom (mostly from Ella Zook’s insight) and the reactions of Sylvia and her mom to their sudden shocking news helped me to face my trials and reconsider my own actions. Both novels taught me to slow down before reacting quickly (go for a walk), to seek wise counsel and pray. This book may have been fiction, however, there is a lot of truth in both books that I think many people could benefit from.
“I’m learning that it’s not what comes our way that matters so much as it is how we react.”
― The Timepiece
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About The Author
Beverly Marie Jones (Lewis) was born in the heart of Amish country—Lancaster, Pennsylvania. At the tender age of nine, she began writing short stories and poetry. Prior to that, she made up lyrics to the “little fingers” piano pieces she learned, at the age of five.
“My mother saved everything I wrote, even the stories I dreamed up during my grade school years,” Beverly says. One such tale is semi-autobiographical, about a young girl whose parents can no longer afford to give her piano lessons. The manuscript was 77 pages long and titled “She Shall Have Music,” penned under the shade of a lone willow tree. “Reading, writing, and playing piano have been top three on my list of favorite things,” she says.
Not until her own children were well into middle school did Beverly seek to publish her work, first in magazines such as Highlights for Children, Dolphin Log, and Guideposts for Kids. Her first book followed in 1993—Mountain Bikes and Garbanzo Beans—presently retitled Big Bad Beans (book #22 in the popular Cul-de-Sac Kids series of chapter books—see list of Bev’s children’s books). Read more here
Find Beverly Lewis on her Website and Facebook
Pre-Order The Stone Wall ( Available, September 8, 2020)
Anna is eager to begin a new chapter in her life as a Lancaster County tour guide in the picturesque area where her Plain grandmother once stayed. Anna wishes she could talk with her grandmother about those long-ago days, but the elderly woman suffers from Alzheimer’s, and beyond a vague hint about an old stone wall, much about that time is a mystery. Thankfully, Martin Nolt, a handsome Mennonite, takes the young Beachy Amish woman under his wing for her training, familiarizing her with the many local highlights, including Peaceful Meadows Horse Retreat, which serves children with special needs. The retreat’s mission so inspires Anna that she returns to volunteer, and she quickly strikes up a friendship with Gabe Allgyer, the young Amish widower who manages it.
As Anna grows closer to both Martin and Gabe, she finds herself faced with a difficult choice–one in potential conflict with the expectations of her parents. Will Anna find true love and the truth about her grandmother’s past in Lancaster County? Or will she find only heartbreak?
