Banished by Linda Byler is the first novel in The Long Road Home series. Oba and May Miller are eleven and ten when their kind, loving parents die in a tragic accident. They are sent to Arkansas to live when none of their Ohio relatives will take them in. The home of Gertie and Melvin Amstutz is starkly different from how the siblings grew up. Life is bleak, harsh, and hot on the cotton farm. May and Oba are unprepared for the long workdays and the cruelty of their guardians. I thought Banished was well-written with developed, realistic characters. The point-of-view switches between Oba and Mary. While Mary is a sweet girl with strong faith and helpful nature, her brother is angry at God for taking their parents. Oba’s attitude worsens after suffering at the hands of his uncle. Linda Byler is a descriptive writer who brings the scenery to life with her word imagery. The story takes place over a number of years as Oba and May grow from children to teenagers. I could understand Oba’s anger and his desire to escape from his harsh uncle. May is the opposite of her brother. I liked her faith in God, but I did not understand some of the choices she made. Banished is a difficult novel to read because of the violence and the attitudes. I will never understand why someone is treated differently because of the color of their skin. As May said, “God created us equal, no matter the color of our skin.” This book shows us life during the Depression in Arkansas on an Amish farm. I wish the author had specified the time period at the beginning of the book. I am guessing the tale begins in the late 1920s. Banished is a shocking tale that is nothing like any Amish book that I have ever read. We are left wondering what will happen next with Oba and May. We must wait for the next installment in The Long Road Home series to find out. Banished is a heart wrenching tale with hot heat, blossoming cotton bolls, an angry aunt, an unkind uncle, demanding duties, and cruel cousins.

This book kept me captivated from start to finish. When Oba and May’s parents are killed in an accident, they have to go live with their aunt and uncle and the living conditions are not what they are used to. They came from a loving, clean home and were placed in with a family whose house was filthy and they were mean to each. They were basically treated as slaves and while Oba struggled with his faith and eventually ran away, May used her faith to her advantage for strength until one day, even her faith was tested and
she could not stand the living conditions anymore.

I love how the author incorporated real life situations during a time period when people did not like to acknowledge the physical beating of a child or the falling in love of a mixed racial couple- both of which caused faith to be tested to the full limit.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my review and honest opinion.

This first book in the trilogy follows May and Oba's story after their parents die and leave them orphans. They are sent to live in Arkansas on their aunt and uncle's cotton farm. Their new family is cruel and abusive. Oba leaves after a beating and May is left alone. She meets Clinton and finds a friend that could help her escape. I struggled at the beginning with the aunt and uncle. At times, it was hard for me to read.

I received a copy from netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Linda Byler writes books with such depth that you feel as if you are in the story and feeling each character. This book, Banished is the first of Long Road Home trilogy. The author brings us to a time period where predjuice exists. After a tragic accident kills Oba and May Miller's parents they are sent to their Aunt and Uncle's cotton farm in Arkansas. They quickly discover this is not loving home but one of harsh disapline. May tries desperately to be obedient hoping one day life will change. Oba leaves after a severe beating but returns what seems a year or two later to find his sister gone. May befriends a young black man and runsaway but the cruelty of world exists beyond Arkansas. Oba and May each struggle to find peace, lost each, and possibly their faith in the Amish religion. The author will make you feel the hurt and the pain, Not your typical feel good Amish but a book you can't put down.

BANISHED by Linda Byler

Oba and May Miller are from Ohio, when their parents die tragically, they are sent to live and work with their aunt and uncle in Arkansas on an Amish cotton farm. That is basically the banished part of the title. Other family members in Ohio didn't want to take care of them at ten and eleven years old. The children found themselves abandoned by everyone and everything they ever knew. Little did they know, they would descend into Hell and back during their time in Arkansas.

Their uncle is a staid, upstanding member of their community in Arkansas. He unfortunately for Oba also has a sadistic side and beats Oba regularly and abuses both of the children, continuously. Some members of the community feel like there is something going on, but since there are no other witnesses, they chalk it up to teenagers having a hard time fitting in and basically ignore their feelings.

Their aunt is in poor health, she starts to make Mary do all of the work of the house and garden as she directs from her willow chair and continues to get fatter and fatter.

Finally, Oba can take no more, he hates to leave May but knows if he doesn't leave, either his uncle or himself will end up dead. Follow along with their story and see where Oba and May end up.

This was a nice novel, some of it harsh but with the indomitable spirit of Oba, he overcomes. May has hard decisions herself, that she will have to deal with.

Highly recommend.

Heartfelt gratitude to #netgalley for the complimentary copy of #banished I was under no obligation to post a review.

Blytheville, Arkansas Early 1900s

Banished is the beginning of The Long Road Home Series.

The setting is beautifully described. I could feel the oppressive heat and humidity and visualize the disrepair and lack of care at the homestead. It's a bleak life for Oba and May. After the tragic death of their beloved parents in Ohio, the young children are sent to live with their aunt and uncle on a farm in Arkansas (I visualize east Arkansas). Rather than providing a loving environment, Oba and May are seen as servants and treated poorly.

The novel spans a number of years and I loved that the author showed in Oba and May two different reactions to their nearly hopeless environment. Some of May's actions were difficult to understand or believe, but I was still caught up in her story. There are many horrible characters, but also a few helpful ones.

The ending certainly leaves readers in suspense about what will happen next for Oba and May in their early adult years.

The title itself didn't quite line up with the novel as I didn't see Oba and May as banished. I would have loved for some year markers to have been included. The only mention of a year was 1929 and the death of one of the characters. The presence of automobiles and other technical advancements give readers a sense of the time period, but having it more descriptive would have been a good addition.

Overall, an engaging read and I plan to continue the series to find out what happens to Oba and May.

In life, as long as we are mortals on the face of the earth, we will encounter prejudice, unfairness, evil, cowardly people. We need to remember God wants us to have courage, to face every obstacle with His strength, then we will be able to conquer.

Obadiah (Oba) and Merriweather's (May) parents suddenly died in a tragic drowning in their state of Ohio while at a young and impressible age. No family or their community would take them in and they were sent to relatives in Arkansas. Their story not only was tragic but turned into survival as their uncle Melvin was cruel to his kin. The hidden secrets of the Amish with abuse and how it is missed is a different change than what I usually read. Being set in the early 1900 and in the south it also dealt with race and the attraction that May had with a young man that treated her with kindness.

Both Oba and May dealt differently with the cruelty of their uncle. Oba became angry and May's mindset was to serve her uncle's children. She was afraid for them and sought the Lord differently than Oba. Their faith took different roads however, God was working his way thru circumstances. Reading their story as a 3rd party, you analyze their faith according to their circumstances. The author does a very good job in not judging those circumstances but you realize the complexity of faith and what one must do. Looking forward to the upcoming series.

A special thank you to Skyhorse Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

I love Amish fiction and this book was no exception. I have read previous books by Linda and have always enjoyed them. This first book in the trilogy follows May and Oba's story after their parents die and leave them orphans. They are sent to live in Arkansas on their aunt and uncle's cotton farm. Their new family is cruel and abusive. Oba leaves after a beating and May is left alone. She meets Clinton and finds a friend that could help her escape.

This book was good, but I struggled at the beginning with the aunt and uncle. At times, the story was heart-wrenching and it was hard for me to read. The aunt and uncle were just frustrating to me - I wanted them to suffer for the way they treated Oba and May. As usual, Linda's descriptions puts you right in the scene and you experience the story along with the characters. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.