Anna's Crossing ( An Amish Beginnings Novel) by Suzanne Woods Fisher ~ My Review

Anna's Crossing
(An Amish Beginnings Novel)
by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Copyright 2015
Revell Books
ISBN: 9780800723194

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The Story:
Some endings are really beginnings . . . 

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?

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to the beginning of Amish life in America with this fascinating glimpse into the first ocean crossing--and the lives of two intrepid people who braved it.


My Thoughts:
Since I read so many books, they tend to blend together and often they seem like the same story, especially those in the same genre. Admittedly, Amish fiction is one of those genres I nearly gave up on reading a few years ago, but thanks to new faces in the genre and a select few talented veterans like Suzanne Woods Fisher, I love the genre again!

Fisher is keeping it fresh with a historical Amish romance. Anna's Crossing isn't your typical Amish tale. Sure there's talk of faith and separating oneself from the world as you might expect from a story with Plain characters, BUT it's set aboard a ship in the early 18th century! Roguish seamen and simple Anabaptists aren't people you come across in the fictional world very often, but it makes for an entertaining and captivating read. The Amish and the sea-roughened ship's crew mesh like oil and water.

Two people, the only English speaking Amish woman Anna and ship's carpenter, Bairn must communicate if they are to get everyone safely across the Atlantic to the Americas. Their constant interaction leads to some very complicated feelings and one huge revelation. Anna's Crossing reads more like a sea adventure than a story about the Amish. The story has a wide appeal -- even if you don't normally go for Amish stories but enjoy Christian historicals, this is a read worth considering!

~ My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ~

*I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.*

Happy Reading!