The Judgment

April 1, 2011
Self-absorbed and impulsive, Hen doesnt understand why her modern husband wont abandon his own life and flourishing business to join her in what he refers to as Amishville, where she hopes to recapture the security of her childhood. Dutiful Rose, on the other hand, continues to support their bedridden mother and enjoy her limited courting time with Silas Good, although she is also mourning her best friend Nicks disappearance and considering the repercussions for the bishops ministry. When Rose learns that Nick has been seen in a Philadelphia homeless shelter, and realizes that she and his foster mother were the only ones who ever appreciated him, she begins to question the unforgiving tenets and insular prejudices under which she was raised. Continuing the intriguing story arc established in The Thorn (2010), Lewis Lancaster, Pennsylvania-area Amish Rose trilogy further develops Roses struggles with her faith and the behavior expected of her, as she observes with startling clarity her sisters and the communitys lack of Christian charity in their daily actions.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)