
Somewhere to Belong (Daughters of Amana, Book 1)
BOOK SUMMARY:
Johanna Ilg has lived her entire life in Main Amana, one of the seven villages inhabited by devout Christians who believe in cooperative living, a simple lifestyle, and faithful service to God. Although she’s always longed to see the outside world, Johanna believes her future is rooted in the community. But when she learns a troubling secret, the world she thought she knew is shattered and she is forced to make difficult choices about a new life and the man she left behind. Berta Schumacher has lived a privileged life in Chicago, and when her parents decide they want a simpler life in Amana, Iowa, she resists. Under the strictures of the Amana villages, Berta’s rebellion reaches new heights. Will her heart ever be content among the plain people of Amana?
AUTHOR BIO:
Judith is an award winning and best-selling author of historical fiction for Bethany House Publishers. With a love of history, a dash of romance and a touch of mystery, Judith transports her readers to another time and place. Her passion for history and love of God keep her inspired. Judith and her husband are empty-nesters who live in the Flint Hills of Kansas.
MY THOUGHTS:
While I am a lover of Amish books I was almost more thrilled to find a book set in Amana. I frequently stop at the Amana Colonies on my way to Chicago and I have fallen in love with the historic place. Judith Miller will take you back in time to when Amana was functioning as a cooperative living set of villages. She writes with a talent that keeps you interested and curious about what will happen next. Two girls from very different worlds come together when Berta moves from Chicago to Johanna’s Amana. They learn to cope and grow from each other’s flaws and when Johanna is in Berta’s Chicago the tables turn. The story really shows what it is like to have “the shoe on the other foot”.
A copy of Somewhere To Belong was provided for review by Bethany House.







