"A Plain Leaving," by Leslie Gould

"A Plain Leaving," by Leslie Gould

Three years ago, Jessica Bachmann walked away from everything: her family, their beloved farm, her Amish community, and Silas Kemp. After clashing with the new bishop and her brother about her role in her family and the future of the family farm, anger and restlessness wouldn't allow her to stay.

When she is forced to return home because of her beloved father's death, her arrival stirs up all kinds of emotions--sorrow, grief, and yearning alike. Jessica knows things can't return to the way they were, but, especially upon seeing Silas again, she can't help wonder what might have been--and what still could be. The stakes grow higher when she learns that her brother, Arden, is still pursuing potentially hazardous fracking on the family's land.
As Jessica wrestles with her next step, she learns the cautionary tale of Ruby Bachmann, a Revolutionary War-era ancestor who faced similar struggles. Will Ruby's decisions motivate Jessica to leave her family, the land, and her community forever? Or is there healing, love, and belonging yet to come for her in Lancaster County?  

This book tells two stories side by side of Jessica and Ruby, one set in the present day,Jessica; and one set in the 1700's, Ruby.  Honestly I am not a huge fan of a story skipping back and forward, add to the fact that this particular book took me a couple of chapters to really get into, this book was hard work to start with.

However, after a few chapters I began to get the feel of the book and I did want to know what was going to happen next.  I never did guess what would happen in the end, but will say I was very pleased with the out come.

Stars out of 5 : 3.5  This is the first book in The Sister's of Lancaster County series, with the next book due out in the middle of 2018.  If you enjoy Amish stories and a bit of history you would probably enjoy this book.  I know I won't remember reading this book in a week or two so am not overly bothered if I don't read any more of the series.  It's an easy read though so a good one to pick up and read in a couple of afternoons.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".