The Reckoning, written by Beverly Lewis, is the third in a series of books that includes The Shunning and The Confession. Written for a typical Christian audience, the book tended to be more preachy than I felt it needed to be since a vast majority of those who read it are familiar with the saved by faith principle. However, I did enjoy learning more about the Ordnung (Amish behavioral rules) and the Meinding (Amish shunning practice) that is one of the most severe actions that the Bishop can mete out for disobedience. I also found it interesting that each Amish district made up their own governing rules with some allowed to do things that were absolutely forbidden in other districts.

Set between the picturesque setting of Hickory Hollow, Lancaster County and Canadaigua, New York, our protagonist, Katie Lapp/Katherine Mayfield, takes you on a journey of struggle and repentance after having been shunned by the Amish Community for refusing to destroy a guitar. The guitar, a gift from her beau, Dan Fisher, who had been presumed dead, started Katie on her quest to reunite with her birth mother, Laura Mayfield, who died soon after Katie arrived, leaving her the entire Mayfield Estate. However, despite her enjoyment of the Englischer comforts, Katie’s Amish roots are deeper than she may have wished and she still finds a portion of herself that will always be Katie Lapp.

Katie, still struggling to find her true self, had just begun dating new beau, Justin Wirth, when Dan shows up begging her forgiveness for not letting her know that he had not died in the boating accident five years previously. At first Katie is angry and refuses to be swayed by his pleas for a second chance, but by the story’s end, all is forgiven.

Overall, the story wasn’t that bad, just nothing spectacular as it was a typical romance fiction with young lovers who run into problems and reunite in the end. I guess my main complaint about the book is that several parts needed to be expanded on to fully explain why the characters acted in a certain way. Example: the author just drops Justin Wirth after he presents Katie with an engagement ring. Yes, she does let us know that Katie decides to marry Dan, but she fails to tell us Justin’s reaction to Katherine’s rejection.

Would I recommend the book? I think that depends on what you hope to get out of it. If can look past the constant preaching there is merit to the book but don’t expect to have all of your questions answered or want to stay up all night to find out what will happen next.

Tags: amish, book review, fiction, beverly lewis, the reckoning, mennonites, salvation, grace, faith, romance, ordnung, meinding, shunning, faith through works