The Newcomer
The Newcomer—2nd in the Amish Beginnings series—begins where the first book leaves off. Anna Konig and her group arrive in Port Philadelphia in 1737 and are eager to make their way into the frontier of Pennsylvania to set up their new community. While in port, they adopt a newcomer, Henrik Newman, into their community. Eventually, they are able to move out, but not until after their bishop, Jacob Bauer, has left with his wife and infant to prepare the settlement. The group suffers a third split when Bairn (Hans Bauer) decides to go on one more voyage before settling down. Can Anna’s love for Bairn survive the separation, or will the newcomer sweep her off her feet?
Peppered throughout the story are historical figures—Benjamin Franklin and Conrad Beissel—as well as historical places, including the Ephrata Cloister. These all lend an air of authenticity to the story, and Fisher does well in their portrayal in significance to the overall plot. Bairn’s story on the Lady Luck proves to be the most intriguing of the three subplots. While the writing is good, it was difficult for me to mesh with all the characters, and that made for a lumbering read. Overall, a sweet and, at times, historically informative inspirational romance.
