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Miller Family #4
An Amish Family Reunion
During a rumschpringe visit to Niagara Falls, Phoebe Miller meets Eli Riehl, a young man who charms her--and everyone else--with his exceptional storytelling ability. When Phoebe sketches scenes to illustrate one of his tales, Eli encourages her incredible talent, and together they embark on a lofty and unlikely business venture for two young Amish people--writing and illustrating a children's book.
Eli's kindness and appeal extend beyond his knack for words to reach inside Phoebe's heart. But he is an only son with five sisters, and when his father suffers a heart attack, Eli gives up his writing to assume responsibility on the farm. Though willing to abandon his dream of becoming an author, he won't give up his beloved Phoebe.
Can their love for a good story develop into something that lasts forever, or will Phoebe's deep-seated fear of desertion stand in their way?
Eli's kindness and appeal extend beyond his knack for words to reach inside Phoebe's heart. But he is an only son with five sisters, and when his father suffers a heart attack, Eli gives up his writing to assume responsibility on the farm. Though willing to abandon his dream of becoming an author, he won't give up his beloved Phoebe.
Can their love for a good story develop into something that lasts forever, or will Phoebe's deep-seated fear of desertion stand in their way?
304 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2012
About the author
Mary Ellis
43 books271 followersMary Ellis is a former schoolteacher turned USA Today bestselling author who’s written twenty-six novels including Amish fiction, historical romance, and suspense. Her first mystery, Midnight on the Mississippi, was a finalist for the RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Award and a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award. Her latest book is One for the Road from the Bourbon Tour Mysteries from Severn House. One Hundred Proof Murder releases August 31, 2021. Her latest Amish novella is Missing at Amazon Kindle. She enjoys gardening and bicycling and lives in Ohio with her husband and dog. www.maryellis.net or www.facebook.com/Mary.Ellis.Author
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
May 29, 2012
"An Amish Family Reunion" by Mary Ellis was a delicious venture into Amish fiction. In the past, the only inspirational Amish fiction I have truly enjoyed was that of Beverly Lewis. When I saw the synopsis of "An Amish Family Reunion," I found it intriguing. It seemed unlike all the other familiar plots of the other Amish fiction books (which all seemed similar to me). I decided to give this one a chance, and I am very glad I did!
As I stated above, I really enjoyed many aspects of this book. One way it was unfamiliar from the other Amish books I have read is that much of it takes place in Amish communities in Ohio. Most of the Amish fiction I am familiar with are based on the Lancaster County Amish, which seem to have many different customs from the Ohio Amish. It was interesting to compare the differences between the communities as I was reading.
I also enjoyed the fact that all of the action did not take place on a farm or just in an Amish community. It was really refreshing see the world (such as Niagara Falls) through the eyes of the Amish. The two main characters, Phoebe and Eli go on a rumschpringe trip to Niagara Falls. I love that part of the book and think that it is very different to see the characters taking a trip like this in this particular genre.
I also enjoy the fact that even though we have our two main protagonists, there are also subplots going on between the characters in the extended family. They are characters from the author's previous books in this series. This is actually a book in a series, but I have not read the previous books. I found that one does not have to read the preceding books to understand this book. It was a little confusing at first for me to keep all of the characters straight, but the author has a "cast of characters" listed in the front of the book that I referred to often. I found it extremely helpful! I loved all of the subplots and fell in love with this big family. It is heartwarming how the author brings everything together at the end and the whole family is able to meet for a wonderful "Amish Reunion."
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It is a clean read.
I want to thank Harvest House Publishers & Mary Ellis for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review.The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.
As I stated above, I really enjoyed many aspects of this book. One way it was unfamiliar from the other Amish books I have read is that much of it takes place in Amish communities in Ohio. Most of the Amish fiction I am familiar with are based on the Lancaster County Amish, which seem to have many different customs from the Ohio Amish. It was interesting to compare the differences between the communities as I was reading.
I also enjoyed the fact that all of the action did not take place on a farm or just in an Amish community. It was really refreshing see the world (such as Niagara Falls) through the eyes of the Amish. The two main characters, Phoebe and Eli go on a rumschpringe trip to Niagara Falls. I love that part of the book and think that it is very different to see the characters taking a trip like this in this particular genre.
I also enjoy the fact that even though we have our two main protagonists, there are also subplots going on between the characters in the extended family. They are characters from the author's previous books in this series. This is actually a book in a series, but I have not read the previous books. I found that one does not have to read the preceding books to understand this book. It was a little confusing at first for me to keep all of the characters straight, but the author has a "cast of characters" listed in the front of the book that I referred to often. I found it extremely helpful! I loved all of the subplots and fell in love with this big family. It is heartwarming how the author brings everything together at the end and the whole family is able to meet for a wonderful "Amish Reunion."
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It is a clean read.
I want to thank Harvest House Publishers & Mary Ellis for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review.The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.
November 30, 2017
It was a very good book and series. This is a very good author!!!!!!!!!!!
March 13, 2012
3 1/2 stars
This book is part of a series, which I did not know, but it can stand alone. However, be advised that there are a lot of characters and, if you haven't read the previous books, it might be a bit confusing at times. But, although that can be a little distracting, it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of this nicely written book.
There are many themes woven together like a fine quilt: marital problems due to lack of effective communication, loneliness, fear, jealousy, among others. But aside form the many themes and the many characters, Phoebe and Eli emerge as the true leads in the story. She is a girl who keeps to herself, loves to be alone with her thoughts and her tablet to paint, but at the same time, she longs for something more, something more exciting, a new inspiration for her paintings.
And along comes Eli, whom I loved. He is unique; very outspoken, well read (something apparently not too Amish like) and somewhat fearless. He has big dreams, and Phoebe starts dreaming with him. The two are made for each other. And you wish to know more, to dig deeper into their relationship, but this is where the story is lacking. The reader is left wanting more, and not in a good way. We see Phoebe meet Eli (the Niagara Falls part is really good), and it's obvious they like each other, but then, instead of watching their story develop, we cut to Leah, and then Mathew, and later on Emma, and a few characters later we go back to Phoebe and Eli but already a few weeks have gone by. And this presents a problem because as you get interested in one story, the author cuts to a different one. And I understand that this novel is about the family per se, but when the selling point is Phoebe and Eli's story, and it certainly is a cute and sweet story, then the reader needs to spend more time with them, and it would have been better if the author cut back a little bit on the others, so not only we could see more of Phoebe and Eli, but we could understand better their thought process, their feelings and their decisions.
That said, the fact is that it is a good, enjoyable novel that in the end celebrates the importance of family and remaining close no matter the distance.
*I received a copy of this book from Harvest House Publishers through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
This book is part of a series, which I did not know, but it can stand alone. However, be advised that there are a lot of characters and, if you haven't read the previous books, it might be a bit confusing at times. But, although that can be a little distracting, it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of this nicely written book.
There are many themes woven together like a fine quilt: marital problems due to lack of effective communication, loneliness, fear, jealousy, among others. But aside form the many themes and the many characters, Phoebe and Eli emerge as the true leads in the story. She is a girl who keeps to herself, loves to be alone with her thoughts and her tablet to paint, but at the same time, she longs for something more, something more exciting, a new inspiration for her paintings.
And along comes Eli, whom I loved. He is unique; very outspoken, well read (something apparently not too Amish like) and somewhat fearless. He has big dreams, and Phoebe starts dreaming with him. The two are made for each other. And you wish to know more, to dig deeper into their relationship, but this is where the story is lacking. The reader is left wanting more, and not in a good way. We see Phoebe meet Eli (the Niagara Falls part is really good), and it's obvious they like each other, but then, instead of watching their story develop, we cut to Leah, and then Mathew, and later on Emma, and a few characters later we go back to Phoebe and Eli but already a few weeks have gone by. And this presents a problem because as you get interested in one story, the author cuts to a different one. And I understand that this novel is about the family per se, but when the selling point is Phoebe and Eli's story, and it certainly is a cute and sweet story, then the reader needs to spend more time with them, and it would have been better if the author cut back a little bit on the others, so not only we could see more of Phoebe and Eli, but we could understand better their thought process, their feelings and their decisions.
That said, the fact is that it is a good, enjoyable novel that in the end celebrates the importance of family and remaining close no matter the distance.
*I received a copy of this book from Harvest House Publishers through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
May 3, 2012
4.5 Stars.
Phoebe loves to sketch. She loves to spend hours making pretty pictures and would rather do that then her other chores. She is also quite shy and does not go to many social gatherings. When her cousin Henry tells her about a rumschpringe trip to Niagara Falls she can’t wait to go! On this trip she meets Eli who has his own talent telling stories and she is soon drawing sketches to go with his story telling's. Through this a friendship is born. They soon start to work together to create a children’s book and try to get it published. But will life get in the way of this dream as well as a happy ever after?
This was a new author for me and I really enjoyed this book.
What I liked: I really liked the characters of this book. Eli and Phoebe are young 18 and 19 in this book. The author did a great job of depicting the age. Being young they had dreams but at the same time they also showed the beginnings of adult maturity. I couldn’t help but like them and want their dreams to come true! I also liked the family. What I did not know when I first starting to read this book was that fact that the other characters in this book where at one time main characters in a series by this author. Even though they where I did not feel like I was missing any story lines but I would love to go back and read about them because I liked them a lot.
What I did not like: This book rotates through Phoebe, Eli, Julia(Phoebe’s Aunt),Leah(Julia’s daughter),Matthew(Julia’s son) and Emma(Julia’s daughter). This book is really wrapping up the past series as well as telling the story of Phoebe and Eli. It may be a little distracting for some but still very enjoyable.
Over all this was a great book and I don’t know how I missed hearing about this author before now she is wonderful! I really hope to go back and read the series that leads into this book. Definitely a book to add to your wish list!
http://abbiesreadingcorner.com/2012/0...
Phoebe loves to sketch. She loves to spend hours making pretty pictures and would rather do that then her other chores. She is also quite shy and does not go to many social gatherings. When her cousin Henry tells her about a rumschpringe trip to Niagara Falls she can’t wait to go! On this trip she meets Eli who has his own talent telling stories and she is soon drawing sketches to go with his story telling's. Through this a friendship is born. They soon start to work together to create a children’s book and try to get it published. But will life get in the way of this dream as well as a happy ever after?
This was a new author for me and I really enjoyed this book.
What I liked: I really liked the characters of this book. Eli and Phoebe are young 18 and 19 in this book. The author did a great job of depicting the age. Being young they had dreams but at the same time they also showed the beginnings of adult maturity. I couldn’t help but like them and want their dreams to come true! I also liked the family. What I did not know when I first starting to read this book was that fact that the other characters in this book where at one time main characters in a series by this author. Even though they where I did not feel like I was missing any story lines but I would love to go back and read about them because I liked them a lot.
What I did not like: This book rotates through Phoebe, Eli, Julia(Phoebe’s Aunt),Leah(Julia’s daughter),Matthew(Julia’s son) and Emma(Julia’s daughter). This book is really wrapping up the past series as well as telling the story of Phoebe and Eli. It may be a little distracting for some but still very enjoyable.
Over all this was a great book and I don’t know how I missed hearing about this author before now she is wonderful! I really hope to go back and read the series that leads into this book. Definitely a book to add to your wish list!
http://abbiesreadingcorner.com/2012/0...
September 30, 2014
I love reading Amish books, there are so many reasons why I love it. Religion is a big part of it. I love how they act and feel about God. They are one of the religions that puts God first. I love that. Another reason is they dont use any devices that we have today. Cell phones, tv, computers, tablets. There life is so simple but they go out work in there yard/farm, or the women are cooking and cleaning/taking care of the kids. It is amazing to me. Families are so important to them. I love reading about all this.
This book fell short on so many different levels to me. Yes they are Amish, but they use the phone when necessary. They use insurance when their suppose to pay cash. Just small things like that, that bugged me. Plus alot of the characters were not interesting to me. One of the characters I did like was Phoebe and Eli Riehl. Mainly because of the love story there. The rest of the story I just couldnt get into. It just seemed to take forever to finish. I really really wanted to get into this book.
So to me this book was really boring. But hopefully to the others that read it, they will enjoy it.
This book fell short on so many different levels to me. Yes they are Amish, but they use the phone when necessary. They use insurance when their suppose to pay cash. Just small things like that, that bugged me. Plus alot of the characters were not interesting to me. One of the characters I did like was Phoebe and Eli Riehl. Mainly because of the love story there. The rest of the story I just couldnt get into. It just seemed to take forever to finish. I really really wanted to get into this book.
So to me this book was really boring. But hopefully to the others that read it, they will enjoy it.
November 25, 2024
This fourth and last book of the Miller family series focused on Phoebe Miller. She has grown up and is now at the age where she could be courting. She’s shy though and hasn’t gone out socializing much. But when her cousin Henry tells her about a trip to Niagara Falls, she plans to go. She soon meets Eli Riehl, who lives near her and has actually seen her around. They quickly start talking and soon are going places in and around Niagara Falls. Eli is impressed with Phoebe’s artwork. And Phoebe loves how Eli can tell a story. They keep in touch after the trip and are meeting at the library. Eli tells Phoebe a story about a cow and Phoebe makes illustrations throughout the story. With the help of the librarian, they soon have a story with illustrations on paper that they are able to send to Christian publishers. Even though they have their difficulties with the Amish ways, and Eli’s dad suffers a heart attack, one publisher accepts their work.
Julia’s idea of having a family reunion comes together in the summer. She misses her three older children and their families who have moved away.
Leah and her husband are expecting. Leah’s worries are gone when she finds out she won’t have to move to Wisconsin, where her mother-in-law’s family lives.
Emma stands up for herself with her English mother-in-law and tells her she does not want to go to Haiti on a mission trip. She will put together a fund raiser at home which will make a lot of money to help Haiti.
Martha, married to Matthew, does not like living in New York where Matthew works for an English horse training place. With coming home for the reunion, Matthew gets a chance to reminisce about where he grew up, what’s important, and what will make his wife happy. He buys land across the way from his parents and will happily make a living working at Macintosh farm once again and with his brother rehabilitating horses.
Julia’s idea of having a family reunion comes together in the summer. She misses her three older children and their families who have moved away.
Leah and her husband are expecting. Leah’s worries are gone when she finds out she won’t have to move to Wisconsin, where her mother-in-law’s family lives.
Emma stands up for herself with her English mother-in-law and tells her she does not want to go to Haiti on a mission trip. She will put together a fund raiser at home which will make a lot of money to help Haiti.
Martha, married to Matthew, does not like living in New York where Matthew works for an English horse training place. With coming home for the reunion, Matthew gets a chance to reminisce about where he grew up, what’s important, and what will make his wife happy. He buys land across the way from his parents and will happily make a living working at Macintosh farm once again and with his brother rehabilitating horses.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2022
Julia’s children are grown with families of their own, and no longer living near. Julia misses her kids and her grandkids so much that she decides to hold a reunion with them all - no excuses for missing this event. So everyone arrives home, but some come with problems, some are unhappy, and some need to make life-changing decisions. New relationships are blooming but not with thorns, and old ones need to clear up some misunderstandings. It’s quite an entertaining tale, filled with a large cast of characters, all interesting and likable. Life may not always be easy, but somehow, things always work out. Though this is the fourth book in the series, it still works well as a stand-alone, and readers should little trouble understanding the characters and their backstories.
December 19, 2016
This was the first book I ever read by this author and I liked it very much. I did not realize that it was part of a series so I was a little confusedby some of the characteristics of the characters. Overall though I would say this is an excellent book and it portrays real human emotions unlike other Amish books they portray them as holier than thou and never having outburts or worries. A great read and I'll have to check out the other three in the series!
May 22, 2019
Refreshing Entertainment!
Mary Ellis weaves a refreshing take about a large extended family and their love for one another. I enjoyed reading about each character and how that person contributed to family as a whole.
Mary Ellis weaves a refreshing take about a large extended family and their love for one another. I enjoyed reading about each character and how that person contributed to family as a whole.
January 3, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this last one, book #4, An Amish Family Reunion, which is perfectly named.
I’ve gotten to know the Miller Family and all their relatives and friends in the community — and I’m going to miss them. This has been a wonderful series.
I’ve gotten to know the Miller Family and all their relatives and friends in the community — and I’m going to miss them. This has been a wonderful series.
September 27, 2018
After reading the first 3 in the series how I love Mary Ellis writings. . Everyone in the story came together beautifully.
November 25, 2018
Read & relax
This was a perfect read while relaxing a bit. I look forward to the next book in this series!
This was a perfect read while relaxing a bit. I look forward to the next book in this series!
April 16, 2019
Another great read. I enjoy these books very much. I'm so sorry to see the Saga end. This book is different from the trip to Niagra Falls to the writing and publishing of a children's book.
June 26, 2019
Another great Amish read.
September 25, 2019
Great read
July 19, 2020
Love mix of stories about one extended family.
December 15, 2020
good easy read
May 24, 2021
I love how in this series, we got to really look at how all the characters in the series are doing and how God helps each one with their problems. Very good!
June 27, 2021
Inspirational. Amish.
May 22, 2022
Ok — not as good as others
June 18, 2024
wonderful
This book is about family, horses, food, romances and farming. I loved it and highly recommend it to you all
This book is about family, horses, food, romances and farming. I loved it and highly recommend it to you all
Read
July 24, 2024nice, gentle little Amish Romcom! It was fun to read how she tied everything together in the end.
January 21, 2026
Loved the story line the the continuation of watching the Miller family.
August 11, 2024
Loved this series and this last one was great as well!
March 5, 2012
Phoebe Miller was five years old when her mother died. She withdrew and stopped talking. Her step mother, Hannah, lovingly brought her out of her silence. Even as a 17 year old, she still preferred to go off by herself and and do her favorite thing - sketch. She hardly went any activities in her community. But when her cousin, Henry, showed her a brochure for a trip to Niagara Falls something stirred in her and she knew she just had to go.
As she was boarding the bus for the trip, she met Elli Riehl. Eli was immediately taken with Phoebe. They became friends on the trip. They discovered they were a lot alike. They both lived in Holmes County, Ohio, they both chose not to go to any youth events and they both were creative. They decided to create a children's book together. Eli would write the story and Phoebe would illustrate it. Phoebe started to like this young man who had a way with words.
Eli and Phoebe lived in different districts. When they got home, they decided to meet at the public library to work on their book. Phoebe really looked forward to their meetings. With the help of the librarian, they got their book idea sent to several publishers. Just as everything seemed to be coming together for their book, Eli's father had a heart attack and Eli had to take over the family business. He told Phoebe that he couldn't work on the book anymore. Phoebe was hurt and angry.
Meanwhile, Phoebe's aunt, Julia Miller, was missing her children. She had one at home, Henry, but the rest were married and out of the house. Matthew lived in New York with his wife and two children. Leah lived close by with her husband. Emma lived in nearby Charm with her husband and two children. Simon, Julia's husband, had the brilliant idea to have a family reunion so his wife could see everyone.
Does the family reunion go as planned for Julia? Do Phoebe and Eli ever get book their published? You'll have to read An Amish Family Reunion to find out.
I had trouble getting into this story when it first started. I was thankful for the list of names of the family members at the beginning of the book. There are so many story lines going on that I had to keep looking back to see who was who. After I got everyone figured out, I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened with them. This book shows us that there is no better place to be than with those who love you. Also, with relationships there may be problems along the way but they are worth working out. Read An Amish Family Reunion to see how the Miller family works out their relationships and keeps loving each other.
The Miller Family Series
A Widow's Hope #1
Never Far From Home #2
The Way To A Man's Heart #3
I received a free copy of this e-book from NetGalley for my honest review.
As she was boarding the bus for the trip, she met Elli Riehl. Eli was immediately taken with Phoebe. They became friends on the trip. They discovered they were a lot alike. They both lived in Holmes County, Ohio, they both chose not to go to any youth events and they both were creative. They decided to create a children's book together. Eli would write the story and Phoebe would illustrate it. Phoebe started to like this young man who had a way with words.
Eli and Phoebe lived in different districts. When they got home, they decided to meet at the public library to work on their book. Phoebe really looked forward to their meetings. With the help of the librarian, they got their book idea sent to several publishers. Just as everything seemed to be coming together for their book, Eli's father had a heart attack and Eli had to take over the family business. He told Phoebe that he couldn't work on the book anymore. Phoebe was hurt and angry.
Meanwhile, Phoebe's aunt, Julia Miller, was missing her children. She had one at home, Henry, but the rest were married and out of the house. Matthew lived in New York with his wife and two children. Leah lived close by with her husband. Emma lived in nearby Charm with her husband and two children. Simon, Julia's husband, had the brilliant idea to have a family reunion so his wife could see everyone.
Does the family reunion go as planned for Julia? Do Phoebe and Eli ever get book their published? You'll have to read An Amish Family Reunion to find out.
I had trouble getting into this story when it first started. I was thankful for the list of names of the family members at the beginning of the book. There are so many story lines going on that I had to keep looking back to see who was who. After I got everyone figured out, I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened with them. This book shows us that there is no better place to be than with those who love you. Also, with relationships there may be problems along the way but they are worth working out. Read An Amish Family Reunion to see how the Miller family works out their relationships and keeps loving each other.
The Miller Family Series
A Widow's Hope #1
Never Far From Home #2
The Way To A Man's Heart #3
I received a free copy of this e-book from NetGalley for my honest review.
February 7, 2012
This is the first book that I’ve read by author Mary Ellis so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. Amish stories can go both ways for me; I either love them or hate them. This one landed more towards love. Apparently if you’ve read her other books you would have already gotten to know the characters in this book a little more, but I didn’t know that going in to the story and it didn’t really affect my reading at all. I got to know all the characters pretty quickly and instantly was drawn in to their lives.
The best part of this story is the characters Phoebe and Eli. Phoebe is 18 and she is really in to drawing and painting. She has never had any desire to leave home until she is shown a brochure for the Niagara Falls. After some convincing she gets her parents to agree to let her go on a chaperoned trip to the Niagara Falls. While on the trip she meets Eli. Eli is a lot like her, a dreamer and a lover of the arts. I loved reading about these two. Their antics are great and I just love their sweet relationship.
The big event of the book is the family reunion. All the children and their families get together for one whole month and it sounded like a great time! There were lots of different families with lots of different stories going on and they were all fun to be a part of.
The only thing I disliked about this book is the lack of tension or drama as I like to call it. This is just my personal preference, but I like a little tension, mystery or drama to go on in my stories, like an accident, an injury, etc. etc. In An Amish Family Reunion things just run too smoothly for my taste so I found it a bit boring at times. Not everyone needs the drama to enjoy a story so I’m sure there are others out there that’ll love this book because it is very well written and the characters are truly lovable!
Thank you to the publishers through FIRST Wild Card Tours for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my personal and honest opinion. All opinions are my own!
The best part of this story is the characters Phoebe and Eli. Phoebe is 18 and she is really in to drawing and painting. She has never had any desire to leave home until she is shown a brochure for the Niagara Falls. After some convincing she gets her parents to agree to let her go on a chaperoned trip to the Niagara Falls. While on the trip she meets Eli. Eli is a lot like her, a dreamer and a lover of the arts. I loved reading about these two. Their antics are great and I just love their sweet relationship.
The big event of the book is the family reunion. All the children and their families get together for one whole month and it sounded like a great time! There were lots of different families with lots of different stories going on and they were all fun to be a part of.
The only thing I disliked about this book is the lack of tension or drama as I like to call it. This is just my personal preference, but I like a little tension, mystery or drama to go on in my stories, like an accident, an injury, etc. etc. In An Amish Family Reunion things just run too smoothly for my taste so I found it a bit boring at times. Not everyone needs the drama to enjoy a story so I’m sure there are others out there that’ll love this book because it is very well written and the characters are truly lovable!
Thank you to the publishers through FIRST Wild Card Tours for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my personal and honest opinion. All opinions are my own!
March 27, 2012
Title: AN AMISH FAMILY REUNION
Author: Mary Ellis
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
February 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7369-4487-8
Genre: Inspirational/Amish/women’s fiction
Julia Miller’s children have all grown and have families of their own, but Julia misses the houseful of laughter and joy. She hopes to gather the family for a summer celebration.
Julia’s niece, Phoebe, goes on a rumspringe trip with other Amish youth to Niagara Falls. Her father is initially against the idea, but he relents when he learns the trip is well-chaperoned. It isn’t as well-chaperoned as Phoebe thought, as she as plenty of time with another Amish youth Eli, from another district. Eli is enthralled by Phoebe’s artistic talents, and encourages Phoebe to join him in a venture—he’ll write stories, if she illustrates them. Can their love for literature develop into something that will last forever?
AN AMISH FAMILY REUNION is the next book in Ms. Ellis’ Amish series The Miller Family, but enough information is given about each character that you don’t have to read the previous books, though I’d suggest that you’d want to, to get the full story.
There are many different characters in this book, each of them having a place in the prior books, so you get a lot of continuing stories in AN AMISH FAMILY REUNION. The main story (Eli and Phoebe) is a romance, but the rest of the stories are with married couples and since they make up the majority of the book, I’m classifying it as women’s fiction.
If you like Amish fiction, then you will want to read AN AMISH FAMILY REUNION by Mary Ellis. It is rich in description, leaving you see both the Ohio countryside and Niagara Falls in New York. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Eli and Phoebe’s story and catching up with the other characters. Discussion questions and some yummy sounding recipes are included at the end of the book. $13.99. 303 pages.
Author: Mary Ellis
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
February 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7369-4487-8
Genre: Inspirational/Amish/women’s fiction
Julia Miller’s children have all grown and have families of their own, but Julia misses the houseful of laughter and joy. She hopes to gather the family for a summer celebration.
Julia’s niece, Phoebe, goes on a rumspringe trip with other Amish youth to Niagara Falls. Her father is initially against the idea, but he relents when he learns the trip is well-chaperoned. It isn’t as well-chaperoned as Phoebe thought, as she as plenty of time with another Amish youth Eli, from another district. Eli is enthralled by Phoebe’s artistic talents, and encourages Phoebe to join him in a venture—he’ll write stories, if she illustrates them. Can their love for literature develop into something that will last forever?
AN AMISH FAMILY REUNION is the next book in Ms. Ellis’ Amish series The Miller Family, but enough information is given about each character that you don’t have to read the previous books, though I’d suggest that you’d want to, to get the full story.
There are many different characters in this book, each of them having a place in the prior books, so you get a lot of continuing stories in AN AMISH FAMILY REUNION. The main story (Eli and Phoebe) is a romance, but the rest of the stories are with married couples and since they make up the majority of the book, I’m classifying it as women’s fiction.
If you like Amish fiction, then you will want to read AN AMISH FAMILY REUNION by Mary Ellis. It is rich in description, leaving you see both the Ohio countryside and Niagara Falls in New York. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Eli and Phoebe’s story and catching up with the other characters. Discussion questions and some yummy sounding recipes are included at the end of the book. $13.99. 303 pages.
February 25, 2012
Phoebe Miller is a quiet shy, introverted young woman whose main interest is drawing. She isn't interested in home skills, nothing but drawing. She is a bit of a dreamer, but she is so shy, she doesn't share those dreams with anyone. At nearly eighteen, she knows that she needs to begin growing up, after all most girls her age have jobs, helping to bring money home to the family. An advertising brochure for a trip to Niagara Falls, catches her attention and that is all she can think of, how will she convince her daed? Her mamm helps convince him, and Phoebe Miller's life will never be the same.
She meets Eli Riehl, and is amazed by his imagination and his love for words. His imagination leads them to collaborate on a children's story. With Eli providing the imagination and story, and Phoebe drawing the illustrations. What neither of them expect is the feelings that began to grow between them. Have they met their mates for life? Eli's father has a heart attack and Eli abandons the project has convinced Phoebe that he is not her soul mate, and that she must move on with her attentions.
A side story to Phoebe's story, is her Aunt Julia gathering all her kinner home for a month long visit, concluding in a large family reunion. Julia is sure that she can help her grown children resolve the issues that she plainly sees in their families, however as usually happens, her help seems to be causing more problems. I enjoyed this book and getting to know each of the Miller children, and their intricate family stories. 352 pages 4 stars US $13.99
This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review
She meets Eli Riehl, and is amazed by his imagination and his love for words. His imagination leads them to collaborate on a children's story. With Eli providing the imagination and story, and Phoebe drawing the illustrations. What neither of them expect is the feelings that began to grow between them. Have they met their mates for life? Eli's father has a heart attack and Eli abandons the project has convinced Phoebe that he is not her soul mate, and that she must move on with her attentions.
A side story to Phoebe's story, is her Aunt Julia gathering all her kinner home for a month long visit, concluding in a large family reunion. Julia is sure that she can help her grown children resolve the issues that she plainly sees in their families, however as usually happens, her help seems to be causing more problems. I enjoyed this book and getting to know each of the Miller children, and their intricate family stories. 352 pages 4 stars US $13.99
This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review
June 28, 2012
I think Mary Ellis is a great author. Her style of writing always takes me away from the moment and brings me to the actual setting of the book. i just love her character development, as well.
At first, when i started reading this book, I found it a bit hard to follow. That is just me. I find it hard when there are multiple characters and when you start flipping from one place to another. I usually like following one character/family.
Mary does, however, provide a nice family tree in the beginning of the book. So, if you do have trouble, you can always refer to it.
Once I kept reading the book, I was hooked and I could hardly put the book down. I became connected with each character~~especially Phoebe. She is a bit of an Amish free spirit who is dedicated to her faith, but has interests outside of the box as demonstrated in her artistic ability. Her romance blossoms with the handsome Eli Riehl. In fact, although I loved reading about Phoebe's extended family~~her Aunt Julia, and cousins, I would have loved reading a book just dedicated to Phoebe and her relationship with Eli. Maybe in books to come???
This book is about love, family connections, hope, sacrifice, trust, and hardships (which are overcome).
I do highly recommend this book, however, I would definetly read "A Widow's Hope" , "Never Far From Home" and "The Way to a Man's Heart" first. These books center around the other family members that are touched upon in this book and would make it easier to follow.
At first, when i started reading this book, I found it a bit hard to follow. That is just me. I find it hard when there are multiple characters and when you start flipping from one place to another. I usually like following one character/family.
Mary does, however, provide a nice family tree in the beginning of the book. So, if you do have trouble, you can always refer to it.
Once I kept reading the book, I was hooked and I could hardly put the book down. I became connected with each character~~especially Phoebe. She is a bit of an Amish free spirit who is dedicated to her faith, but has interests outside of the box as demonstrated in her artistic ability. Her romance blossoms with the handsome Eli Riehl. In fact, although I loved reading about Phoebe's extended family~~her Aunt Julia, and cousins, I would have loved reading a book just dedicated to Phoebe and her relationship with Eli. Maybe in books to come???
This book is about love, family connections, hope, sacrifice, trust, and hardships (which are overcome).
I do highly recommend this book, however, I would definetly read "A Widow's Hope" , "Never Far From Home" and "The Way to a Man's Heart" first. These books center around the other family members that are touched upon in this book and would make it easier to follow.
February 18, 2012
I will definitely be reading many more of Mary Ellis' books in the future! I immensely enjoyed Ms. Ellis' latest tale of a large Amish family, following the many branches within the famiy tree.
Even though I haven't read the first three books in the series I was instantly able to figure out what was going on and easy follow along. I loved how it was like the book had 5 different storylines all going on at once, yet they all came beautifully together as the story progressed. I can only assume that characters such as Leah, Emma, Martha, Hannah and Julia were focused on in earlier installments of the series, but it didn't matter, I enjoyed this book all the same :)
I was really drawn into the main story with Phoebe and Eli, and their interactions. In this book Phoebe and Eli were opposites who attracted, in a totally sweet way. I liked their differences, and how they complimented each other's personalities.
Overall this is a delightful Amish tale, not just about the first blush of romance, but also about the struggles that couples face after they tie the knot. I laughed along with the characters, and sympathized with them when things got tough. Well written and brimming with simple, but realistic charm, you will not want to miss An Amish Family Reunion!
Final Rating: 4.25 out of 5
I received this book from teh publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Even though I haven't read the first three books in the series I was instantly able to figure out what was going on and easy follow along. I loved how it was like the book had 5 different storylines all going on at once, yet they all came beautifully together as the story progressed. I can only assume that characters such as Leah, Emma, Martha, Hannah and Julia were focused on in earlier installments of the series, but it didn't matter, I enjoyed this book all the same :)
I was really drawn into the main story with Phoebe and Eli, and their interactions. In this book Phoebe and Eli were opposites who attracted, in a totally sweet way. I liked their differences, and how they complimented each other's personalities.
Overall this is a delightful Amish tale, not just about the first blush of romance, but also about the struggles that couples face after they tie the knot. I laughed along with the characters, and sympathized with them when things got tough. Well written and brimming with simple, but realistic charm, you will not want to miss An Amish Family Reunion!
Final Rating: 4.25 out of 5
I received this book from teh publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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