Almost Amish (edit title/settings)

• Rated 2 stars

“Picked this one up at the library and decided to check it out for some easy escapism. I was easily a hundred pages into it before it revealed itself as Christian Fiction. I am a Christian, but I do not enjoy this reading genre. And it comes across as sneaky to me when nowhere in the synopsis, nor on the cover does it even hint at its true message...a message I agree with, but I don't think that people should be tricked into reading. It's as if they want to attract non-believers and get them interested in the story line before proclaiming the genre, because if they did it on the first page it would be set aside, but after a hundred pages readers may be enough into the story to want to finish. It just doesn't seem truthful to me, and in my opinion, we should NEVER use deceit to teach about Him who said, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life." ...ps: I did finish it, and it was merely okay. 2 and 1/2 stars”

• Rated 2 stars

“2* I didn't like it. The character descriptions were incomplete. The characters' motives were unclear. There was a lack of realistic thought in the whole plot idea, which puts 2 sisters-in-law (no husbands) and their 3 children in an Amish setting for a reality TV show. It should have been funny, but it was strained.”

• Rated 2 stars

“meh. never really felt like a real story started....i couldn't stand the character of Susan or Kendra. Glad it worked out better for Julie. i mean the overall message is sweet and important but i just wasn't feeling this story overall. i normally like Kathryn's work,too.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Interesting premise. This was a clever twist on what seems to be popular on TV these days. The story tried to "teach" life lessons, but I found the ending very typical. Really 3 1/2 stars.”

• Rated 4 stars

“The message in this book - take time to relate to your family and friends - is the reason for reading it. You will figure out the plot in the first few pages, but keep reading - the "quilting teacher" has some quite profound things to say. The writing is predictable and - yes- it is a "Christian" book although it won't beat you over the head and is not sanctimonious.”

• Rated 5 stars

“GREAT BOOK!”

• Rated 3 stars

“Ok. It's the kind of book you take to the beach to read just in case you are distracted.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Two SIL take on a task of living "Almost Amish" for a reality show, expecting this wuld lead to a career for one, while the other was participating as a favor. The families face numerous difficulties, and eventually realize the project wa not what they had expected. Both emerge changed for the better, and although they return to "real life" they both are permanently changed.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Pretty quick/easy read - simple but enticing - characters are relate-able - life lessons are tucked in here and there. ”

• Rated 5 stars

“
If you've ever read anything about the Amish lifestyles, you know that they live a much simpler life, no electricity, no technology, no cars and just a whole lot less stress. So when the Lisa Lee show gets an idea for a new reality show called Almost Amish, a modern family from California is going to get a lot more lessons in life than simply learning how to be Amish.

Susan Reynolds is a Martha Steward in training. She's a bit of what most would call overly assertive, a bit of a perfectionist, and willing to do whatever it takes to make sure not only she's on top of her game but also her young daughter, Angie as well. Since being divorced from her husband James, Susan's working harder than ever to make sure she provides the type of life she believes her daughter deserves even if it means pushing her a bit harder than most parents. So when an opportunity becomes available not only to sell her cookbooks, but also to star in a reality series based on a simple lifestyle, she jumps at the chance. Since the program is revolving around the Amish lifestyle, she manages to convince her sister in law, Julie Charlton, to join her with her kids for the summer shooting the series.

Julie Charlton has never been good at anything except the ability to overschedule and over commit herself to virtually everything happening in her families lives, from helping her husband Thomas out with work, attending to committees for her son Brian and her daughter Whitney, including all those after school sports events they are both committed to. Still Julie feels she is less than perfect. Even the cupcakes that she makes for the semi-formal, eight grade, parent- child dance come out wrong. They are lumpy and lean to the left or right, sometimes both, and even the frosting looks like a huge mess. So when Susan's offer for a simple lifestyle challenge is presented, she literally jumps at the chance to slow it down.

However what they all fail to realize is that this is a reality show based on ratings, the higher the ratings, the better the show, and the only way sometimes to generate that is to create the chaos going on with the family that now finds itself dropped off, on a dirt road, with only a mail box on the edge of a field as their only guide to the home they will be staying at. Not only that, they only have 60 seconds to retrieve their belongings before the driver takes off with them.

Almost Amish by Kathryn Cushman is such a breath of fresh air from your standard Amish fiction books. There is something in this novel for everyone. Think of it like the show Survivor but geared to how a modern family can make it living like the Amish. It is both funny, emotional and there is a lesson in it for all of us, who simply wonder if there is a better way at life, than the busy ones we find ourselves in. So what about you? If you had the opportunity to spend three months living a simple life like the Amish, would you do it? You may just want to pick this book up first to see just how "simple" it really is!

I received Almost Amish compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Bethany House Publishers for my honest review. I LOVED this one, such profound wisdom can be found throughout the pages, mostly in the words of Rosemary Foil, who comes to teach the women how to quilt but instead imparts such sage advice on thirsty soil in the hearts of them women who listen to her stories. She encourages, inspires and teaches them to look deep inside themselves to see why they have some to participate in this show. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and once again, Kathryn Cushman takes her readers to an unexpected place of pure enjoyment and speaks to the heart of a book lovers everywhere.”