A Simple Change by Judith Miller

 

A Simple Change by Judith Miller is the second book in her series Home to Amana.  I did not realize this was the second book in a series until I finished reading it, so you don't need to read the first to read this one. Jancey is living with her parents in Kansas City volunteering as a teacher in an orphanage.  Her parents decide to go back to the Amana colonies in Iowa where they originally met when Jancey's mother became ill. Jancey's parents leave the decision up to her if she wants to go with them or stay in Kansas City. She is torn about leaving the children she teaches and being with her mother for what time she has left on earth.  Jancey has been seeing Nathan, who works for her father, and he does not want her to go either but is it for love or for money.  Jancey decides to go with her parents.  There are lots of rules and changes Jancey has to adapt to at the Amana colonies.  Will Nathan woo Jancey back to Kansas City or will true love and a new way of living keep her in the Amana colonies?

Before reading this book I had never heard about the Amana colonies and am now interested in learning more about them. I read a lot of Amish books so reading about the lifestyle at the Amana colonies was very interesting, but I think fans of Amish fiction would enjoy this book too.  Now that I know this is the second book in a series I want to go back to read the first and then read the rest of the series.  Judith Miller is a new author to me, so I also want to look for other books she has written and check them out. I felt she did a great job describing the Amana colonies that I could actually picture it while reading the book. Several of the characters in the book that Jancey meets in the Amana colonies seem like wonderful people that I would love to be friends with and would to hear more of their stories of life growing up in Amana.

I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.