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Reviewed by Tracy A. Fischer for Readers' Favorite
Full disclosure, I have been interested and intrigued by the Amish culture and way of life since I was a young girl growing up near both Amish and Mennonite communities. Whenever I get a chance to read something about their culture, whether fiction or non-fiction, I will do it. So I was excited to pick up Brightest and Best, the third book in the Amish Turns of Time series by author Olivia Newport. And I am happy to report that I wasn't disappointed. Taking place in Ohio in the early 1900s, the story follows memorable characters Ella Hilty and Gideon Wittmer as they prepare for their upcoming wedding, and Margaret Simpson, an English schoolteacher, and her love Gray Truesdell. The Amish school has fallen into disrepair, and the community faces pressure from the government in the English world, wanting them to make changes in how their children are educated.
Brightest and Best is a wonderful, lovely story. Author Olivia Newport does an amazing job at developing characters that the reader will absolutely love and relate to, even though their cultures might be completely different from one's own. I read this book all in one sitting, and the only advice I have for any potential readers is to have a clear scheduled when you pick up Brightest and Best because you just won't want to put it down! Any reader who likes historical fiction, Amish fiction, fiction with a Christian background, or just a plain good read will love this book. I highly recommend Brightest and Best and am looking forward to reading more from Olivia Newport in the very near future.
