Debut of the New Directions series
The Weaving of Life by Linda Byler is the debut of the New Directions series. I like the author�s writing style. It makes the story easy to read. I thought the characters were developed. The storyline is different from other Amish novels that I have read. Susan Lapp is in her twenties and has two jobs. She has no desire to marry. Susan has seen how her sister Kate�s husband Dan treats his wife and kids. Susan prefers her independence. I found Susan to be a hard character to like. She is extremely opinionated and stubborn. She refuses to listen to other opinions or thoughts (such as in any marriage there is good and bad). It made Susan insufferable. The pacing in the first half of the book is a little slow. It does pick up in the second half when Susan relocates to Wyoming. The author addresses some difficult topics in this story (mental abuse, alcolhism, mental illness). Susan is judgmental about her sister, Kate�s situation, and her brother-in-law�s behavior. I wish Susan had been sympathetic and helpful instead of judgmental. I was very surprised that Amish singles and couples were allowed to go off on trips without a chaperone. I liked seeing them head off for a snowboarding weekend and their RV adventure. It seemed like an unAmish thing to do. Since the author is Amish, she would know what is appropriate or inappropriate for Amish singles. The Weaving of Life ended abruptly and left me wondering what would happen next. I will have to wait for the next book in the New Direction series to find out.
