Meek and Mild

I am a fan of Amish Fiction and I thoroughly enjoyed reading Meek and Mild by Olivia Newport. The story is about the Amish but is rich with complex issues you aren't looking for in the plain lifestyle. Clara Kuhns' is in love with Andrew Raber but is hesitant to wed. Clara's mother passed away in childbirth, leaving her worried and anxious about having children of her own.  Her family is part of an Old Order Amish community. Her mother's family is part of a growing Mennonite group who believe in teaching Sunday School.  The Bishop of Clara's community has made it difficult for her to visit with her aunt and cousins by instituting the age old custom of shunning people with different beliefs.  As the story developed, I felt impatient with the old order because of this practice.

Truth about a change that began by a vote when Clara was very young comes to light and sends the community on the brink of big change.  Reading about what happened was not predictable and the outcome was surprising enough to lead me to appreciate Olivia's writing style. The characters are very well written and I found myself disappointed to put the book down.

I really liked this book because of how it dealt with the heart of the young heroine who has so many questions about life and her faith and feels quite alone.  Her stepmother seems to be pushing her out of the home by making her feel unneeded for even the simplest task around the house.  Andrew has been tempting fate and the Ordnung with his acquisition of a car found by the side of the road bearing a note asking the finder to please take the car. Cars are not part of the simple life and Clara is worried it may get Andrew Shunned. Andrew takes everything in stride which worries Clara more. It is a twist of fate that changes her heart toward love and marriage.

This new glimpse into the Amish people has given me a chance to do a little extra research afterwards. Suffice it to say that not only is this a wonderful love story, it is a nice work of historical fiction on a difficult period for the Amish. They have succeeded in continuing to live good lives of strong faith and adherence to a lifestyle that has survived since it began in 1693.

I've read several of Olivia Newport's books and truly enjoyed every one. Meek and Mild is no different, with a cast of characters that range from overly self-righteous to kind, caring people, to everything in between. 

Clara Kuhn lost her mother when her little sister was still-born. When she was eleven, her father remarried and Clara loved her step-mother, Rhoda, and the children her step-mother bore. In fact, Clara loves her cousin's daughter, Sadie, and loves to tell her stories from the Bible. She's just scared spitless about having her own children, afraid that what happened to her mother will happen to her, as well. 

Andrew Raber is sweet on Clara and would marry her in a heartbeat if only she'd say yes. He's not sure that every rule in the Ordnung is biblical, and he's drawn to the Model T Ford that he found on the side of the road. He has his own place and he works hard. This car, though, takes every spare thought and every spare moment he has, even to learning how to repair it under the tutelage of a nearby mechanic. 

Yonnie Yoder is Andrew's best friend, but he holds a tighter rein on what he thinks is right and wields his opinions with a bit of superiority. He feels that he needs to tell the bishop about the transgressions he sees in others without considering his own sins. 

Moses Yoder is a relative of Yonnie and is the bishop of the meeting. He uses his position to hold sway over the meeting and anyone who disagrees should come under the shunning. 

Mose Beachy is the new bishop who takes over after Moses Yoder becomes too ill to keep up with the duties of the office. Mose Beachy is expected to enact the changes that would reverse some of the decisions Moses Yoder pushed through the congregation. Eventually this caused a split in the group and a more lenient form of the Amish was formed. 

Fannie is Clara's cousin and she is wishing for another boppli to fill her arms. She has Sadie, but she has more love to give. When her mother becomes pregnant, she can hardly stand it. 

Every character in the pages of this book have a need only God can fill and Olivia skillfully and seamlessly weaves these needs into her novel to make a tapestry that is rich in color and texture. Her plot tells a history of how the Beachy Amish sect came into being and why. It is very easy to insert one's self into the story of the book and see how the events could have played themselves out.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a ride in a Model T. 

My thanks to Barbour Publishing for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This was an amazing story based on actual events in Amish history. I really enjoyed learning more about the history of the church. I've read many books that had Beachy Amish but never knew where the name came from.  Loved the book!

Meek and Mild by Olivia Newport is a lovely historical Amish Christian fiction book.  The book starts out in 1895 when the Niverton Amish community is asked to take a vote about shunning members of Maryland Amish community.  The Maryland Amish have started Sunday school services for their young children and have added a few new hymns.  Little do the people know how much this vote will affect their lives in the future as well as their children's lives. 

Meek and Mild then skips forward to 1916.  Clara Kuhn is 23 years old and still living at home with her father (Hiram), stepmother (Rhoda), and their children.  Clara's stepmother has decided it is time for Clara to marry so she is not letting her spend time with other children, help around the house, or work outside the home.  Clara is in love with Andrew Raber but she is afraid to have children.  After her mother dying in childbirth and hearing the troubles other woman have during labor, Clara is scared.  

Clara spends more time visiting her mother's relatives in Maryland.  Fannie Esh is Clara's cousin and is married to Elam.  They have one child but would like more children (the Amish way).  Fannie is obsessed with having more children and gets more upset and depressed each month when she finds out that she is not expecting.  Fannie and Elam's marriage is starting to suffer.   

Clara will have to get over her fear of childbirth and  Fannie will need to put her worry's aside and give over the situation to God.  The two Amish communities are going to have to come up with a solution.  Meek and Mild is such a good book and very enjoyable to read.  I especially love the ending of the book.  Meek and Mild is the second book in this series.  Wonderful Lonesome is the first book in the Amish Turns of Time series.  Happy Reading! 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another great addition to the Amish Turns of Time.

A touching story concerning the divisions in an Amish congregation. Explains the history of the Beachy Amish, who are more accepting of modernity. The human stories interwoven through this tale add a great deal to the enjoyment.

Like its predecessor Wonderful Lonesome, the second book in the Amish Turns of Time series - Meek and Mild - shows the damage that can be done to a community when legalistic spiritual leaders are given too much power. Also like its predecessor, Meek and Mild is beautifully written and based on historical accounts of actual Amish communities in the early 1900s.  But where Wonderful Lonesome seemed dis-satisfyingly somber to me, Meek and Mild was able to retain a much lighter tone without sacrificing any of the sobering reality. 

The history is fascinating, and the author's note at the end provides more information on some of the characters and situations who were based on real-life people and events. This, to me, is the best sort of fiction because the end isn't really the end - your interest is now piqued and you are drawn to do more research, learning far more than you expected and carrying a part of the story around with you forever. 

Clara and her stories, Andrew and his Model T - these brought elements of fun and laughter amid the heavier issues addressed in the book. Just try to imagine an Amish man trying to teach himself how to drive a cantankerous Model T, and you have an idea of how amusing those scenes will be! And Clara - probably my favorite character in the book.  Pure of heart but strong in spirit (once she gets up enough gumption), she giggles freely and loves warmly and serves selflessly. Clara and Andrew together are simply delightful! 

Bottom Line: You will experience a full gamut of emotions while reading this book! Not a light read, Meek and Mild addresses the agony of infertility as well as the harsh reality of legalism and abuse of power in the Amish church at the turn of the 20th century. Despite the heaviness of the issues, Olivia Newport's characters are full of life and there are many opportunities for you to smile as you follow their lives throughout the pages.