The Fiddler - Book Review

The Fiddler is the story of an Englisher woman who happens across an Amish man while having car trouble. Once Amelia meets Michael she is enveloped into Amish culture. Although Michael and Amelia seem to come from two different worlds, they are more similar than you would think.

I really wanted to like this book, and I thought I would. I gave my gramma my review copy before I had a chance to read it, and she breezed through the book and loved it. I did not breeze through the book and thought the first half moved at a snail's pace. The second half of the book more than made up for it. Even though I could guess how the book was going to end, I found the second half of the book to be a page turner. (My assumptions about how the book would end were correct by the way.) If I wasn't writing a review I don't know if I would have finished the book.

Not only did the first half move slowly, I had a really difficult time relating to Amelia. Amelia is career driven as a concert violinist, an only child, spoiled, and seems to make her decisions to please her parents (at least at the beginning of the story.) Here is a young woman in the book who has her own home, the freedom to stay in an Amish town for a long weekend, ditches/forgets her plans with her boyfriend, yet, doesn't want to speak up to her parents about what she wants. I was confused by the independent/not independent bit with her. Although that was the premise of the story, I found Amelia unrelatable and I just didn't like her. For example, she just forgot her anniversary with her boyfriend? Her one night car trouble turns into a long weekend away with very little communication with her family? She didn't think the Amish people would hear her music and get upset with her?

I know the book is fiction, but found it completely unbelievable. I like fiction books that can be real and have a bit of truth in it. I'll be honest, I'm not an expert on Amish people so maybe this book is believable, but I found it far-fetched. On the other hand, it was sweet.

I like the character Joanna, but felt the author left us hanging with her story. I suppose we will learn more about Joanna's story in the next book in the Home to Hickory Hollow series. If that is the case, I may pick the book up.

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher, in exchange for my honest opinion and review.