What I'm Reading

After reading The Bridge of Peace, I was excited to receive another one of Cindy Woodsmall's books from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers.  After reading only one chapter, I was sorely surprised. The main character, a young Amish girl, is raped by a stranger on the side of the road. After realizing what I was reading I could not finish the rest of the novel. I know that some people enjoy reading realistic situations like this no matter how unsettling the text because it is reality and we can learn from it, but it is not the kind of thing I enjoy reading at the end of a long day when I just want to relax and put my mind at ease.

Although I did not read the remainder of the novel, I did however skim through to get the gist of the rest of the story. It seams this young girl goes through a lot of heartache and trouble as a result of her first traumatic experience. She is ostracized from her community and from those she cares most about over rumors and lies and misunderstandings. In the end, a few come to her aid, but things do not get resolved there. The Bridge of Peace is part of a trilogy so it does leave you wanting and I am sure if you enjoy this book, you would enjoy the following two.

This is not a novel I would recommend only because of the blatant imagery of rape which was too unsettling for my taste in novels. I do think that it is a well written novel following the woes of one young woman which many people could be enriched by. This just wasn't for me.

**I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review