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Saturday, October 26, 2013

The Bargain by Stephanie Reed~~A Litfuse Publicity Group Book Review, Blog Tour and Kindle Giveaway

The Story Ended Too Soon

Set in 1971, The Bargain introduces the reader to Betsie Troyer, a young Amish women, who is living in both the Amish and "English" worlds. Why? Because her cousin Nelson bought a Harness shop, but was drafted into the Army before he could learn the business. Nelson therefore asks Betsie to learn the business in order to teach it to him when he returns.

In Betsie's Amish world her parents have turned their back on their Amish faith after they learned the truth of Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Leaving her and her sister Sadie trying to figure out how to convince them to return to their community and their Amish faith.

In her English world she lives with the Sullivan Family, while she is learning the business. She finds her bishop's advice to spend as little time as possible with them nearly impossible, especially as she gets to know them.

I found the main characters easy to like, but my heart went out to the Sullivan's son, Michael. Michael was a witness to the Kent State shooting, which resulted in him withdrawing further into the 1970's peace culture. His attitude and outside appearance, masked his broken and searching heart. As a result his relationship with his father was strained, mainly because their personalities were so different. His father loved him but just didn't know how to relate to him.

Shelia Sullivan is another character that captured my heart. She is eleven years old and full of joy. Even when her and Michael's mother abandons the family to pursue an acting career.

Gerald Sullivan is the patriarch of the family. He has a good heart, and is trying to keep his family together, but when things spiral out of control his temper flares. This results with words being said that he regrets and relationships needing to be repaired.

I found myself drawn into the story, and didn't want to put it down. The reality of what the early 1970's were like was clear...the America of the 1950's, and early 1960's had disappeared. The Vietnam War both tore families apart and drew them together, as parents and their children navigated through those turbulent times.

The Bargain is the first book in The Plain City Peace series, isn't a stand-alone because Stephanie Reed doesn't bring the story to a neat and tidy conclusion; which left me wanting more... now I'll patiently wait for book two to find out what happens next. Or maybe not so patiently...

About the Book:

Book one in the Plain City Peace series.

It’s 1971, and Betsie Troyer’s peaceful and predictable life is about to become anything but.

When their parents flee the Amish, nineteen-year-old Betsie and her seventeen-year-old sister Sadie are distraught. Under the dubious guidance of a doting aunt, the girls struggle to keep the secret, praying their parents will return before anyone learns the truth—a truth that may end all hopes of Betsie’s marriage to Charley Yoder.

The Trailer:

 

Would you like to purchase the book?

Meet Stephanie:

 

Stephanie Reed lives on the outskirts of Plain City, Ohio, site of a once-thriving Amish community. She gleans ideas for her novels from signs glimpsed along the byways of Ohio, as she did for her previous books, "Across the Wide River" and "The Light Across the River."

Stephanie invites you to visit her website to learn more. 

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 Stephanie L. Reed is celebrating the release of The Bargain, the first book in her new series, Plain City Peace, with a Kindle Fire 'Bargain Bundle' giveaway!

bargain-raffle-copter
 
  One winner will receive a 'Bargain Bundle':
  • A Kindle Fire
  • The Bargain by Stephanie Reed
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 27th. Winner will be announced at the Litfuse blog on October 28th.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by the Litfuse blog on the 28th to see if you won. (Or, better yet, subscribe to their blog {enter your email in the blog sidebar} and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox)!

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Blessings,

**The Bargain by Stephanie Reed was provided for me free by Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest review.

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