The Photograph by Beverly Lewis

He studied the picture more closely, finding it curious that the young woman looked so boldly into the camera while wearing a white prayer Kapp shaped like a heart—the characteristic head covering for the Lancaster County Old Order Amish.

Why would a devout girl have her picture taken?

        When her sister Lily disappears only months after their widowed mother’s passing, Eva Esch fears she has been wooed away from the people. Yet Lily’s disappearance isn’t Eva’s only concern: she and her sisters must relocate once their older brother takes over the family farmhouse. Then Jed Stutzman, an Amish buggy maker from Ohio, shows up in Eden Valley with a photo of a Plain young woman. Eva feels powerfully drawn to the charming stranger—but the woman in the forbidden photograph is no stranger at all.

        The Photograph by Beverly Lewis is one of her stand-alone novels that I have been anticipating reading for quite some time. I’m a huge fan of Beverly’s, and have read almost every single one of her books, so I knew that this novel is one I would enjoy. I wasn’t wrong, and I’m so glad that I didn’t have to wait any longer to finally figure out the story behind the photograph mentioned in both the title and the description.

        Eva Esch is such a sweet character, just about as sweet as the candies she excels in making. I love her devotion to her sisters, especially after all that has happened, and I really loved watching her endlessly search for Lily after she disappeared. On top of that, she and Jed were the perfect match, so I definitely enjoyed seeing their relationship unfold. Who doesn’t love a good happy ending?

        Jed Stutzman is completely perfect. I don’t know what could’ve made him any more so. I can’t really describe to you all of the reasons he’s so perfect, but just trust me when I say he is. His kindness, his compassion, know no bounds, and he couldn’t be any more perfect for Eva if he tried. I know, I know, I’ve used the word “perfect” when speaking about Jed far too many times, but I just can’t help it. There’s no better way to describe him.

        All in all, I really enjoyed this story, and can happily give it four out of five bookshelves. I wish I could give it all five, but it just never really touched my heart quite like I wanted it to, so I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Maybe four and a half, but not all five, possibly just because a lot of the book’s I’ve read over the last few days (other than this one of course) have touched my heart so much I’ve cried at least once while reading them and I was disappointed that this one didn’t cause near the same reaction. No matter the reason, I still did really love this book, and I highly recommend it as one worth trying!

        Happy reading!

To see where I’m linking up, check out my Where I Party page.

All credit for the italicized synopsis goes to Beverly Lewis and Bethany House Publishers.