Blog Tour and Review: The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher

From the author who has grown up around the Amish all her life:

A fresh fiction series that explores what happens when
one young Amish woman must make the choice of a lifetime…

With a vibrant style and authentic understanding of the Amish way of life, author Suzanne Woods Fisher brings readers into the world of a young Amish woman who is faced with a choice that will impact the rest of her life.

Suzanne Woods Fisher has straddled the world between the Amish and the English all her life: Many of her relatives are of a strict religious sect like the Amish, known as the Dunkard Brethren Church. Because of Fisher’s ties to the Amish, she has made every effort to keep her storytelling authentic, showcasing the Amish’s strong communities, their simple life-style and their willingness to put each other first. She is also the author of the nonfiction collection of stories about the Amish that came out in October, Amish Peace.

In her fiction debut, The Choice, Fisher paints a moving picture of the decision Carrie must make as she comes of age: to follow the man she loves and leave the Amish community, or stay and marry another man. Her choice begins a torrent of change for her and her family, including a marriage of convenience to silent Daniel Miller. Both bring broken hearts into their arrangement—and secrets that have been held too long. 

Combined with Fisher's exceptional gift for character development, this novel, the first in the Lancaster County series, is a welcome reminder that it is never too late to find your way back to God—no matter what choices your past may hold.

My Review:

Rating: 4.5/5.0


The Choice is beautifully written and the plot and characters well-developed.  I felt like I was a part of the Amish Community along with Carrie.

This is a wonderful book.  From the moment I picked it up I was drawn in and when I would put it down the next time I picked it up I was swept up again.  So much is going on in this book, yet it's not overwhelming.  I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters and look forward to seeing them again in future books of this series.  I especially enjoyed Carrie.  I felt I was right there with her going through the decisions she had to make.  Ms. Fisher does a wonderful job in getting into the mind of a young Amish woman and to the mind of the collective community.  There is so much I didn't know about the Amish religion and community and I feel I come away from this book having learned something.  I think we can all learn something from the way the Amish put others first.  They take care of their own and it is wonderful to witness.

Carrie struggles some with her faith in the book, but truly she understands that God knows all and will take care of her.  So much goes wrong in her life, yet she stands with God, only struggling with what she should do with her life.  It's a beautiful story of giving up your life to God who does know what will happen and how He will take care of you.

I also enjoyed the love story in this - it is so simple and beautiful to witness.  Not only the romantic love but the community love and how differences are put aside in the end to find the love.  Ms. Fisher has written a very engaging story that is full of love, mystery, and characters that will make you feel at home and make you never want to leave the quite Amish town in Pennsylvania.  Thankfully we get to return in October when the second book in the series, The Waiting, is released.


Suzanne Woods Fisher's interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised in the Dunkard Brethren Church in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Benedict eventually became publisher of Christianity Today magazine. Suzanne's work has appeared in many magazines, including Today's Christian Woman, Worldwide Challenge, ParentLife, Christian Parenting Today, and Marriage Partnership. She has contributed to several nonfiction books and is the author of Amish Peace and two novels. Fisher resides in Alamo, California.

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books that bring the Christian faith to everyday life.  They publish resources from a variety of well-known brands and authors, including their partnership with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and Hungry Planet.

For more information, visit www.RevellBooks.com.

Available January 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.