13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Can't wait for more!, May 10 2008
By Jeanne Pallos - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Forbidden, The (Paperback)
The Forbidden continues the life of Nellie Fisher that was started in book one, The Parting. Beverly Lewis once again masterfully creates a world of characters that come alive on the page. She takes us into the Amish world and shows the struggles, thoughts and emotions of a people most of us don't understand. Her characters become living, breathing people that the reader cares about deeply. I am only sorry that I must wait for book 3, the end of the Nellie Fisher series. I cannot wait to see the twists and turns that Bev will take us on. I highly recommend The Forbidden and all Beverly Lewis books! A faithful reader.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Sequel, Jun 24 2008
By Tamela Mccann "taminator40" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Forbidden, The (Paperback)
The Forbidden picks up the story of Nellie Mae Fisher and her forbidden beau, Caleb Yoder. At the end of the first book, Caleb's father has told him that he must part from his beloved Nellie because of her family's split from the Old Order Amish Church. Here we see the separated pair trying to find ways in which to communicate and hopefully change Caleb's father's mind about their relationship. In addition, we follow Nellie's older sister Rhoda's struggle as she decides to leave the Plain life behind; the relationship between Christian and Zachary Yoder, Caleb's Mennonite cousins who were with Nellie's sister Suzy when she died; and Rosanna Lapp, whose cousin has recently given her the twins she'd borne so that childless Rosanna could become a mother. All of these stories are woven together through a sense of community and heartfelt conflict.
This book felt much more believable to me than its prequel, The Parting. I felt the religious issues were drawn more realistically, with fewer "out of the blue" conversions and less overt preachiness. The conflicts both within the community and characters showed the flaws of both convincingly, and Lewis has led us to care for the plight of our friends as they decide what will be the right path for them. Set in the 1960s, it's easy to see that the times are a-changin', not only for the Plain community but for the world at large as well. With her open endings, Lewis has set us up for changes in relationships that may not be what we are hoping for, but will make sense as they progress. I am eagerly looking forward to the final book in the series to see just how Nellie Mae and Caleb forge ahead with their lives in a world that's turned topsy-turvy.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Religious conflicts within the community, Sep 17 2008
By Bonnie McKinzie - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Forbidden, The (Paperback)
Nellie and Caleb are madly in love, yet the obstacles are too large for them to see a way to be together. The Old Order Amish is beginning to splinter in several directions, separating lovers, families and friends. Nellie's personal family is going many directions after the untimely death of one of her sisters after she had changed religions. There is an interesting "adoption" of twins that turns out differently than expected. There were several interesting interactions between Amish families, but for the most part, the book was very, very slow to come alive, and I certainly hope book three in this series is more active, and interesting much faster than this one was. This was not one of Beverly's better books.