The River

I have finished reading Beverly Lewis' book called The River.

My thoughts:
Sisters Tilly and Ruth left the Amish world years ago.  They are notified by a brother of an upcoming anniversary party for their parents and invited to come.  The sisters debate going and having to face their past.  They eventually decide to return together for the celebration.  Their Dad is having heart trouble so they find it a good opportunity to see him again.

Tilly enjoys her life in the modern world with her husband and twins.  She has always had a strained relationship with her father.  She has always felt distant from him and that she never measures up. She fears returning and wonders if the tension in their relationship will always be present.

Ruth is also settled into her life in the modern world with her home, job, and church. She does miss her former beau though and wonders if she will see him when she returns home. This creates mixed emotions for her.

Both sisters are grieved over the loss of their younger sister Anna years before.  The grief over this loss hangs over the entire family and is central to the book.

I enjoyed this book overall.  It seemed slow in some parts, but I thought the story line was enjoyable. I felt sorry for Tilly and her relationship with her Dad.  I never was sure if he understood how much his treatment had hurt her through the years. I appreciated the close sister relationship of Tilly and Ruth, and it seemed they grew closer by returning home together.  They both had to face some hard issues of their pasts, and the trip seems to bring healing.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for sending me this book for my honest review.

Have a day of blessings!