Fiddler, The: Home to Hickory Hollow Series, Book 1
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
GENRE: AMISH/ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: BETHANY HOUSE
PUBLICATION DATE: APRIL 10, 2012
RATING: 2.5 OUT OF 5 - AVERAGE
PROS: Will appeal to those who daydream about visiting Amish country to experience peace and contentment; interesting details about Amelia as a violinist
CONS: Predictable plot; too much head-hopping between points of view means that the reader never connects with any of the characters; not as deep or complex as her previous novels
Amelia DeVries is living a double life - she's a world-famous concert violinist who occasionally sneaks away from her overbearing father to play at more relaxed fiddling events. After being caught by her agent after one of her secret performances and pressured to sign on for a classical European tour, Amelia takes off on a more scenic route home through Pennsylvania. Finding herself stranded with a flat tire and no cell phone reception, she comes across Michael Hostetler, an Amish man who has left his family and is temporarily living in a cabin in the woods. They connect when they realise that they're both running away from their real lives. While Amelia waits for her car to be fitted with a new tire, she visits Michael's Amish community, Hickory Hollow, and finds an unexpected sense of peace and contentment. When she finally decides to return to her home in Ohio, she can't help but take a little bit of the Amish lifestyle with her, and use her newfound faith in God to help her make some difficult decisions about her musical career. Will these choices eventually bring her back to Hickory Hollow and Michael?
Like most fans of Amish fiction, I got started with Beverly Lewis. Over ten years since she entered the market with The Shunning, Beverly still remains a good "starter" author for those just getting into the Amish genre. She has a good grasp of the quirks of the Amish lifestyle and consistently creates engaging characters and storylines that bring readers back to her with each series she writes. As such, I had high hopes for The Fiddler, the first novel in the Home to Hickory Hollow series, especially as it returns to the community that featured in The Shunning. Sadly, I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with this most recent novel. I may not have read all of her books, but those that I have read I've thoroughly enjoyed, and The Fiddler did not live up to Beverly's usual standards. If I have to be entirely honest, this didn't even feel like a Beverly Lewis novel. The overall plot was pretty predictable and lacked the drama and engaging characters and complex family struggles of her previous books.
I will concede that while The Fiddler is relatively predictable, it does not completely follow the formulaic Amish plot of the English woman who falls in love with an Amish man and his lifestyle and then converts to the faith. Amelia doesn't convert to the Amish faith - how could she, being a musician? - but she does experience a stupendous amount of peace and contentment as a result of spending a couple of days among the Amish, and makes a connection with God during her trip. That's not to say that all Amish romance are uninteresting because they contain many similar elements, but I didn't feel that The Fiddler really did anything particularly unusual with its characters, setting or storyline to make it stand out from the plethora of Amish novels already on the market. Considering the novels I've previously read by Beverly Lewis, many of which delve into the theological implications of the faith while continuing to develop relationships between characters and their families, The Fiddler fell a little short. Rather than continuing on from the successes of the drama-riddled Heritage of Lancaster County series or the Abram's Daughters series, I felt that The Fiddler was instead buying into every reader's secret dream of visiting an Amish community and finding the signature sense of peace and simplicity that the Amish are so famous for. I'll admit it, I'd love to do this someday - but I don't imagine my experience would be exciting enough to write a book about.
I wouldn't have minded the simplicity of Amelia and Michael's romance so much if it weren't for the way that their story was told. While written in third-person point of view, The Fiddler head-hopped between Amelia, Michael and Michael's mother. Even if Michael's mother had been taken out of the equation - a good move, I believe, as her perspective added very little to the novel - the frequency at which Beverly jumped from one character to another made it very hard to make any connections with them. I'd just be starting to get inside Amelia's head when suddenly the perspective would switch to Michael, or his mother, and I'd lose what little I had grasped of her personality and emotions. Sometimes it seemed like each character was only given ten or so paragraphs before the book switched to the next character, not even enough to truly establish the scene. Despite the predictability of the plot, I honestly think it could have been strengthened if the storytelling had been stronger and hadn't jumped around so much. A standard romance can make itself into something more exciting simply with the addition of colourful, realistic characters. Amelia and Michael had the potential to be more than cardboard cut-outs, but as I never truly got the chance to experience their emotions and inner turmoil, I can't say that they were as engaging as the protagonists in other Amish novels I've read.
The Fiddler certainly has some potential, particularly coming from an established novelist like Beverly Lewis. The premise of a young woman finding peace in Amish country and re-evaluating her life as a result of her experiences will certainly grab the attention of many Amish readers, and the depth of research that Beverly has undertaken in order to make Amelia's musical talents appear authentic certainly brought that aspect of the novel to life. Unfortunately, this is where the novel's strengths end, and The Fiddler doesn't measure up to Beverly's previous books. I genuinely missed the depth of character development that I'd experienced in earlier novels, and I struggled in my attempts to connect with Amelia and Michael due to the incessant head-hopping. The Fiddler is a gentle, sweet romance but ultimately rather predictable, and while newcomers to Beverly's work may enjoy this novel, I'm afraid that many fans may be disappointed by the lack of depth and complexity.
Review title provided by Bethany House.
PUBLISHER: BETHANY HOUSE
PUBLICATION DATE: APRIL 10, 2012
RATING: 2.5 OUT OF 5 - AVERAGE
PROS: Will appeal to those who daydream about visiting Amish country to experience peace and contentment; interesting details about Amelia as a violinist
CONS: Predictable plot; too much head-hopping between points of view means that the reader never connects with any of the characters; not as deep or complex as her previous novels
Amelia DeVries is living a double life - she's a world-famous concert violinist who occasionally sneaks away from her overbearing father to play at more relaxed fiddling events. After being caught by her agent after one of her secret performances and pressured to sign on for a classical European tour, Amelia takes off on a more scenic route home through Pennsylvania. Finding herself stranded with a flat tire and no cell phone reception, she comes across Michael Hostetler, an Amish man who has left his family and is temporarily living in a cabin in the woods. They connect when they realise that they're both running away from their real lives. While Amelia waits for her car to be fitted with a new tire, she visits Michael's Amish community, Hickory Hollow, and finds an unexpected sense of peace and contentment. When she finally decides to return to her home in Ohio, she can't help but take a little bit of the Amish lifestyle with her, and use her newfound faith in God to help her make some difficult decisions about her musical career. Will these choices eventually bring her back to Hickory Hollow and Michael?
Like most fans of Amish fiction, I got started with Beverly Lewis. Over ten years since she entered the market with The Shunning, Beverly still remains a good "starter" author for those just getting into the Amish genre. She has a good grasp of the quirks of the Amish lifestyle and consistently creates engaging characters and storylines that bring readers back to her with each series she writes. As such, I had high hopes for The Fiddler, the first novel in the Home to Hickory Hollow series, especially as it returns to the community that featured in The Shunning. Sadly, I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with this most recent novel. I may not have read all of her books, but those that I have read I've thoroughly enjoyed, and The Fiddler did not live up to Beverly's usual standards. If I have to be entirely honest, this didn't even feel like a Beverly Lewis novel. The overall plot was pretty predictable and lacked the drama and engaging characters and complex family struggles of her previous books.
I will concede that while The Fiddler is relatively predictable, it does not completely follow the formulaic Amish plot of the English woman who falls in love with an Amish man and his lifestyle and then converts to the faith. Amelia doesn't convert to the Amish faith - how could she, being a musician? - but she does experience a stupendous amount of peace and contentment as a result of spending a couple of days among the Amish, and makes a connection with God during her trip. That's not to say that all Amish romance are uninteresting because they contain many similar elements, but I didn't feel that The Fiddler really did anything particularly unusual with its characters, setting or storyline to make it stand out from the plethora of Amish novels already on the market. Considering the novels I've previously read by Beverly Lewis, many of which delve into the theological implications of the faith while continuing to develop relationships between characters and their families, The Fiddler fell a little short. Rather than continuing on from the successes of the drama-riddled Heritage of Lancaster County series or the Abram's Daughters series, I felt that The Fiddler was instead buying into every reader's secret dream of visiting an Amish community and finding the signature sense of peace and simplicity that the Amish are so famous for. I'll admit it, I'd love to do this someday - but I don't imagine my experience would be exciting enough to write a book about.
I wouldn't have minded the simplicity of Amelia and Michael's romance so much if it weren't for the way that their story was told. While written in third-person point of view, The Fiddler head-hopped between Amelia, Michael and Michael's mother. Even if Michael's mother had been taken out of the equation - a good move, I believe, as her perspective added very little to the novel - the frequency at which Beverly jumped from one character to another made it very hard to make any connections with them. I'd just be starting to get inside Amelia's head when suddenly the perspective would switch to Michael, or his mother, and I'd lose what little I had grasped of her personality and emotions. Sometimes it seemed like each character was only given ten or so paragraphs before the book switched to the next character, not even enough to truly establish the scene. Despite the predictability of the plot, I honestly think it could have been strengthened if the storytelling had been stronger and hadn't jumped around so much. A standard romance can make itself into something more exciting simply with the addition of colourful, realistic characters. Amelia and Michael had the potential to be more than cardboard cut-outs, but as I never truly got the chance to experience their emotions and inner turmoil, I can't say that they were as engaging as the protagonists in other Amish novels I've read.
The Fiddler certainly has some potential, particularly coming from an established novelist like Beverly Lewis. The premise of a young woman finding peace in Amish country and re-evaluating her life as a result of her experiences will certainly grab the attention of many Amish readers, and the depth of research that Beverly has undertaken in order to make Amelia's musical talents appear authentic certainly brought that aspect of the novel to life. Unfortunately, this is where the novel's strengths end, and The Fiddler doesn't measure up to Beverly's previous books. I genuinely missed the depth of character development that I'd experienced in earlier novels, and I struggled in my attempts to connect with Amelia and Michael due to the incessant head-hopping. The Fiddler is a gentle, sweet romance but ultimately rather predictable, and while newcomers to Beverly's work may enjoy this novel, I'm afraid that many fans may be disappointed by the lack of depth and complexity.
Review title provided by Bethany House.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
29 reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
An Interesting Return to Hickory Hollow
12 April 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I preordered The Fiddler as soon as I read the last book in The Rose trilogy because I really wanted to see if I wanted to continue to read new Beverly Lewis books after the somewhat abrupt conclusion to that series, and I'm glad I did. I think The Fiddler is enough of a mix of all of Beverly Lewis' different books that it felt comfortable without feeling like a rehash.
In this volume the main characters of Amelia and Michael encounter each other one night while each is trying to work through feelings of discontent with their life's path while not wanting to hurt their parents and families with their choices. This part of the book was actually really endearing to me because it happened almost immediately and because there was a lot of actual dialogue instead of quick conversations followed by internal discourse. It was delightful just to have two characters chatting through an evening instead of thinking.
I've read most of Beverly's books, but some of the older ones I read nearly a decade ago at this point, so I don't remember everything about them...but I will venture that this volume reminds me more of those older books because they aren't following lives of dedicated Amish or Amish who are definitely going into the church. Instead, we have returned to a place with questions.
I loved that in this book Beverly actually ventures into (through dialogue on religion) the fact that Amish life and the faith isn't all quiet, peaceful tranquility where life is wonderful all the time. I think a lot of authors of this type of fiction have left fans idolizing this lifestyle. While there are certain elements of it that are quaint and that us Englishers could choose to implement in our day-to-day lives, it isn't all tea and skittles and a lot of it is quite harsh and dogmatic. A dose of realism never hurts readers!
Both Amelia and Michael were quite likable in this book and the potential for romance existed from the get-go but not in a typical gushy kind of way. It was more of a peaceful acknowledgment of contentment versus flutters and shortness of breath. Very sweet.
When I read the last book in The Rose Trilogy The Mercy (The Rose Trilogy, Book 3) and left my review, I commented that I didn't like the abruptness of the ending after having been drug through a trilogy built around these people. With The Fiddler, that will not be a problem as this book is the complete story. While the characters in here may appear in other books in "The Home to Hickory Hollow" series, they are unlikely to be a focus as the main players went full circle. I have two speculations about who will be the star of the next book, "The Homecoming": Elizabeth or Joanna. However, it could be an entirely new person...always a possibility when an author is mixing up their writing formula.
The only reason I am docking a star on this book is for a portion of several pages toward the end that almost began to feel like reading a brochure. I can't talk about it in depth here because it would be a plot spoiler, but an astute reader will see what I mean when you get there. However, I still highly recommend this book despite my nitpick.
In this volume the main characters of Amelia and Michael encounter each other one night while each is trying to work through feelings of discontent with their life's path while not wanting to hurt their parents and families with their choices. This part of the book was actually really endearing to me because it happened almost immediately and because there was a lot of actual dialogue instead of quick conversations followed by internal discourse. It was delightful just to have two characters chatting through an evening instead of thinking.
I've read most of Beverly's books, but some of the older ones I read nearly a decade ago at this point, so I don't remember everything about them...but I will venture that this volume reminds me more of those older books because they aren't following lives of dedicated Amish or Amish who are definitely going into the church. Instead, we have returned to a place with questions.
I loved that in this book Beverly actually ventures into (through dialogue on religion) the fact that Amish life and the faith isn't all quiet, peaceful tranquility where life is wonderful all the time. I think a lot of authors of this type of fiction have left fans idolizing this lifestyle. While there are certain elements of it that are quaint and that us Englishers could choose to implement in our day-to-day lives, it isn't all tea and skittles and a lot of it is quite harsh and dogmatic. A dose of realism never hurts readers!
Both Amelia and Michael were quite likable in this book and the potential for romance existed from the get-go but not in a typical gushy kind of way. It was more of a peaceful acknowledgment of contentment versus flutters and shortness of breath. Very sweet.
When I read the last book in The Rose Trilogy The Mercy (The Rose Trilogy, Book 3) and left my review, I commented that I didn't like the abruptness of the ending after having been drug through a trilogy built around these people. With The Fiddler, that will not be a problem as this book is the complete story. While the characters in here may appear in other books in "The Home to Hickory Hollow" series, they are unlikely to be a focus as the main players went full circle. I have two speculations about who will be the star of the next book, "The Homecoming": Elizabeth or Joanna. However, it could be an entirely new person...always a possibility when an author is mixing up their writing formula.
The only reason I am docking a star on this book is for a portion of several pages toward the end that almost began to feel like reading a brochure. I can't talk about it in depth here because it would be a plot spoiler, but an astute reader will see what I mean when you get there. However, I still highly recommend this book despite my nitpick.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
"Does Your Life Magnify or Minimze Christ?"
17 April 2012
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Wow. Let me say it again - WOW!
The title of my review is a quote from page 206 of the book and it so well expresses the theme that carries throughout the book. It is nice to see both an Amish-raised (but not yet member of the church) man and an "Englisher" woman struggle with this.
Some might say it was "circumstances" that brought these two together - as Amelia gets lost in a storm and has a flat tire near the cabin where Michael is staying and trying to sort out his life. Others would see it as "providence".
I am not going to share about the plot in this review because I want to focus on a couple of other things that I think are good to know.
First of all, if you have never read any of the other books from the Hickory Hollow series - read them ASAP because the references to certain characters will make more sense when you read this book. (I recommend all 3 books from The Heritage of Lancaster County series).
Secondly - while this is part of a series - and specifically the first book in the series - trust me - the ending is quite satisfying and you will feel like you've read the complete story and not be left hanging. I suspect the other books in the series will cover two characters that are introduced in this book: Elizabeth - the girl who "runs away" to the English but winds up coming home - and Joanna - the Amish girl who has already been baptized into the church and is being courted. I hope Joanna's story is next because I truly fell in love with her character and feel like Elizabeth needs to be developed more in the second book. However - that is just me....
Finally - let me state that I did not get the impression at all that the Amish lifestyle is better or the English lifestyle is better. Both lifestyles are described and talked about but neither one was stressed as being more "spiritual" than the other
Thanks to Beverly Lewis for a GREAT read! I just realized I have read ALL of the rest of your Amish books (I was checking to see what I had left to read). Now I have to wait for your next book to be released!
The title of my review is a quote from page 206 of the book and it so well expresses the theme that carries throughout the book. It is nice to see both an Amish-raised (but not yet member of the church) man and an "Englisher" woman struggle with this.
Some might say it was "circumstances" that brought these two together - as Amelia gets lost in a storm and has a flat tire near the cabin where Michael is staying and trying to sort out his life. Others would see it as "providence".
I am not going to share about the plot in this review because I want to focus on a couple of other things that I think are good to know.
First of all, if you have never read any of the other books from the Hickory Hollow series - read them ASAP because the references to certain characters will make more sense when you read this book. (I recommend all 3 books from The Heritage of Lancaster County series).
Secondly - while this is part of a series - and specifically the first book in the series - trust me - the ending is quite satisfying and you will feel like you've read the complete story and not be left hanging. I suspect the other books in the series will cover two characters that are introduced in this book: Elizabeth - the girl who "runs away" to the English but winds up coming home - and Joanna - the Amish girl who has already been baptized into the church and is being courted. I hope Joanna's story is next because I truly fell in love with her character and feel like Elizabeth needs to be developed more in the second book. However - that is just me....
Finally - let me state that I did not get the impression at all that the Amish lifestyle is better or the English lifestyle is better. Both lifestyles are described and talked about but neither one was stressed as being more "spiritual" than the other
Thanks to Beverly Lewis for a GREAT read! I just realized I have read ALL of the rest of your Amish books (I was checking to see what I had left to read). Now I have to wait for your next book to be released!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Pretty good for the most part
17 April 2012
Format:Paperback
I was pleasantly surprised that this new book was pretty good. After reading the author's last series and being extremely disappointed I hadn't held up much hope for this new book. But in general, it was a good read. I got it from the library, however, wasn't going to chance spending money on her book.
Pretty much the same theme done to death--young Amish person tries to decide to stay Amish or become English. The twist in this story is the other subplot of an English girl going thru similar struggles.
I was happy that the author wasn't over religious/preachy as in her last series, HOWEVER, around page 204, she started with the religious stuff and started preaching for a good bit. As a Christian, I certainly welcome references to God and faith if put in a context that makes sense but this author tends to just go on and on making people sound like simpletons.
One thing that really made no sense was that Amelia, the English girl in the story, has a father who is sick and this is why she feels so much guilt to continue to do what he wants her to do, but the author kept making references to his "illnesses", but didn't really say what was wrong with him--just didn't make alot of sense. Also, there were some odd references to Amelia's mother being some kind of secret novelist, which made absolutely no sense and contributed nothing to the story. I don't know if this will be part of a story in the next book, but since the title of the next book is The Bridesmaid, I doubt it.
But all in all, it was a pleasant read. I just wonder, since this author has been cranking out 2 books every year for as long as I can remember, if that is why her writing, in my opinion, has gone downhill a bit. Doesn't seem to be alot of inspiration in her writing, just more of an obligation to keep putting out 2 books a year.
Pretty much the same theme done to death--young Amish person tries to decide to stay Amish or become English. The twist in this story is the other subplot of an English girl going thru similar struggles.
I was happy that the author wasn't over religious/preachy as in her last series, HOWEVER, around page 204, she started with the religious stuff and started preaching for a good bit. As a Christian, I certainly welcome references to God and faith if put in a context that makes sense but this author tends to just go on and on making people sound like simpletons.
One thing that really made no sense was that Amelia, the English girl in the story, has a father who is sick and this is why she feels so much guilt to continue to do what he wants her to do, but the author kept making references to his "illnesses", but didn't really say what was wrong with him--just didn't make alot of sense. Also, there were some odd references to Amelia's mother being some kind of secret novelist, which made absolutely no sense and contributed nothing to the story. I don't know if this will be part of a story in the next book, but since the title of the next book is The Bridesmaid, I doubt it.
But all in all, it was a pleasant read. I just wonder, since this author has been cranking out 2 books every year for as long as I can remember, if that is why her writing, in my opinion, has gone downhill a bit. Doesn't seem to be alot of inspiration in her writing, just more of an obligation to keep putting out 2 books a year.
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