Mary Beth carries a lot of responsibility in her Amish family as the oldest of four (and the only girl). All she wants is time to herself and she finds it in the old barn nearby. Her father has forbidden her from going there, but it’s the only place she can be alone so she can’t help herself. She thinks it is her place, until she discovers that somebody has been staying there.
A Summer Secret does an excellent job of getting into the heads of a child and gives a very clear picture of Amish life. It perhaps could have used a bit more talk about the Amish lifestyle (why they live the way they live for example), because it is so strange and foreign to most people, but it does serve as a good introduction.
The thing I liked least was that, though titled a mystery, the actual mystery is solved fairly quickly and easily. Not to say the rest of the story wasn’t interesting, it simply wasn’t much of a mystery.
I enjoyed reading this book but I don’t intend to read another in the series.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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