"Anna's Crossing," by Suzanne Woods Fisher

"Anna's Crossing," by Suzanne Woods Fisher

On a hot day in 1737 in Rotterdam, Anna König reluctantly sets foot on the Charming Nancy, a merchant ship that will carry her and her fellow Amish believers across the Atlantic to start a new life. As the only one in her community who can speak English, she feels compelled to go. But Anna is determined to complete this journey and return home--assuming she survives. She's heard horrific tales of ocean crossings and worse ones of what lay ahead in the New World. But fearfulness is something Anna has never known.

Ship's carpenter Bairn resents the somber people--dubbed Peculiars by the deckhands--who fill the lower deck of the Charming Nancy. All Bairn wants to do is to put his lonely past behind him, but that irksome and lovely lass Anna and her people keep intruding on him.

Delays, storms, illness, and diminishing provisions test the mettle and patience of everyone on board. When Anna is caught in a life-threatening situation, Bairn makes a discovery that shakes his entire foundation. But has the revelation come too late?

I read this book in one sitting, it was that good.  I was hooked right from the start and I HAD to know what happened next.  This was written about a subject I had never read about, the earliest Amish and Mennonites traveling from Europe to settle in the "New World."  The way the author describes the conditions the passengers had to endure in the ship told of the absolute faith they had in God.

There are a couple of paragraphs that talk about the slave ships; quite eye opening and well worth pondering.

The way the character Anna was portrayed was just lovely.  If I had to complain about something it was to name the main male character, "BAIRN."  That was a stupid name as it means child in Scotland and Northern England.

There is a main twist in this story that brings everything together nicely.  Even at the end there was another surprise.  So right until the end you are kept interested.

Stars out of 5 : 5 I really did enjoy this book and I learned something, which is always good.   This is an Amish Beginning Novel, so I am going to assume there is a series of books, but I could not find any more information on others.  This is a book worth reading and I am sure you will enjoy it.

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

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