I went back to my review of Paradise Valley the first book in this series, before starting this one. Reminded of where we had got to in the story, I plunged into this book with enthusiasm. In Book One, we learnt of Miriam?s attraction to the half Mexican half Native Indian, Domingo, and they are central characters in this story. More Amish families travel from persecution in America to the north, to join the Bender?s in this fertile valley in Mexico where they hope to continue their chosen way of life unmolested. However these are troubled times in Mexico. A civil war has only been over a short while and bands of lawless men roam the countryside, stealing, pillaging and kidnapping for selling on as slaves. Based on historical fact, Dale Cramer has woven another gripping tale with troubles and romance in equal measure.

I went back to my review of Paradise Valley the first book in this series, before starting this one. Reminded of where we had got to in the story, I plunged into this book with enthusiasm. In Book One, we learnt of Miriam’s attraction to the half Mexican half Native Indian, Domingo, and they are central characters in this story. More Amish families travel from persecution in America to the north, to join the Bender’s in this fertile valley in Mexico where they hope to continue their chosen way of life unmolested. However these are troubled times in Mexico. A civil war has only been over a short while and bands of lawless men roam the countryside, stealing, pillaging and kidnapping for selling on as slaves. Based on historical fact, Dale Cramer has woven another gripping tale with troubles and romance in equal measure.

Faced with religious persecution in his Amish home in Ohio in the early 1920s, father and leader Caleb Bender felt that he had no choice but to move his family to Mexico. As well-known Amish inspirational writer Cramer (Paradise Valley, 2011) continues the story of the Bender family in the newest novel in the Paradise Valley series, the newly established colony is experiencing further growth. Yet, despite hopeful expectations, these brave pilgrims find themselves beset by escalating violence and heartbreak and wonder if this will ever be the blissful home they seek. In a way that only Cramer can, the lives of these plucky, authentic characters are skillfully woven into the fabric of a richly researched historical tapestry, making for a strong series, sure to please readers of this inspirational fiction niche as well as readers who appreciate fictionalized accounts of family chronicles.