by Dale Cramer
Bethany House, $14.99, 365 pages
This story is about an Amish community in Ohio in the 1920’s. Severe persecutions were threatening their children and their very way of life. One family with ten children decided to migrate into a remote valley in Mexico to rebuild their peaceful way of life. Other families promised to follow if things worked out for them. This pioneering family took their belongings, said goodbye to their dear friends, left behind their church family and started a new life in the unknown. They found their paradise valley and began digging wells, building houses and barns. Paradise isn’t perfect. There are new dangers, mysteries and challenges but this family’s faith is able to carry them through life’s struggles and bring them joy and contentment.
Dale Cramer’s Paradise Valley takes you on an emotional ride of love, of pioneer family life and a sparkling glimpse into an Amish community. Cramer skillfully builds the characters believability and sense of family ties by sharing in their emotions and their everyday lives. This heartwarming tale gives readers a glimpse into the peaceful Amish life and their strong beliefs in that way of living.
Reviewed by Mary Church