The Keeper Book Review

SUMMARY:  A family. A farm. A heart. All in need of repair.
     Life on Windmill Farm hasn't been the same since Julia Lapp's father has had trouble with his heart.  But that doesn't stop Julia from hoping for a bright future.  She has planned on marrying Paul Fisher since she was a girl.  Now twenty-one, she looks forward to their wedding with giddy anticipation. But when Paul tells her he wants to postpone the wedding - again - she is determined to change his mind.  She knows who is to blame for Paul's sudden reluctance to wed: the Bee Man.
     Roman Troyer, the Bee Man, travels through the Amish communities of Ohio and Pennsylvania with his hives full of bees, renting them out to farmers in need of pollinators.  A mysterious man who relishes his nomadic life, Roman especially enjoys bringing his bees to Stoney Ridge each year.  But with Julia seriously at odds with him, Windmill Farm is looking decidedly less appealing.
     Can Julia secure the future she's always dreamed of?  Or does God have something else in mind?

REVIEW:  Julia becomes the head of the house while her father is very ill with heart problems.  She has to look after and care for her two younger sisters and younger brother while running a household and working farm.  A life with Paul would mean help in the fields and taking care of the property like it should.  Plus, it doesn't hurt that Julia has been in love with him since childhood.  When Paul decides to postpone the wedding for a second time after talking to Rome, Julia is determined to get him back and to put Rome in his place for interfering.  With the help of a new housekeeper, Fran, and Rome, Windmill Farm is brought back to its former glory and the household is running smoother than ever.  Even though Fran is a stern taskmaster, she helps Amos, Julia's father, with his heart issues.
     I like how the author weaves Rome's past in with the Lapp's current situation.  There were a couple of times I was worried about the intentions of a minor character that kept popping up but they were laid to rest at the end of the story.  Even though the Lapps have to endure heartache (both literally and figuratively), Roman and Fran, along with others in their Amish community, come together to help them out.
     This is a great book which I highly recommend.

This book was provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, for review without compensation.

Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Choice, The Waiting, The Search, and A Lancaster County Christmas, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W.D. Benedict, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.  Benedict eventually became publisher of Christianity Today magazine.  Suzanne is the host of Amish Wisdom, a weekly radio program, and a columnist for Christian Post.  She lives in California.  For more information, check out her website at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.