The Bookseller's Promise by Beth Wiseman

The Bookseller's Promise (The Amish Bookstore #1). Beth Wiseman. Zondervan (2022). 336 pages. Genre: Christian Fiction.

First Line: "Yvonne reread for the third time the letter she'd received from Jake Lantz."

Summary:  Yvonne Wilson finds rare books for her clients.  Her best client - the one who spends the most money on books - is looking for a rare book called Walk With Me.  Yvonne has located a copy at an Amish bookshop in Indiana.  The problem is that the bookshop owner, Jake Lantz, refuses to sell his copy.  Yvonne is confident that if she shows up in person, she will be able to convince Jake to sell the book.

Not only will Jake not sell the book, he won't even let Yvonne see the book.  Jake took over the bookstore after his grandfather died and he promised him to never sell that particular book.  Jake has never even read the book and is not sure why his grandfather asked him not to sell it.  Since Yvonne made the trip from Texas to Indiana, she decides to stay a few days.  While there she gets to know Eva, an employee at the bookstore.  Before she returns home, Yvonne receives some devastating news that causes her realize there is more to life than making the sale. 

My thoughts:  The cover of The Bookseller's Promise makes this look like a light read.  While it is easy to read, the author covers some heavier topics.  One of the things I like most about Amish fiction is the glimpse into the Amish lifestyle.  There is some of that here, but the main character, Yvonne, is not Amish.  However, she does spend quite a bit of time in the Amish community where Jake and Eva live. The majority of the story focuses on Yvonne's quest to get Jake to sell the rare book.

After her parents died, Yvonne was raised by an aunt and uncle.  She had a great upbringing and loves her aunt and uncle.  However, one of the things missing from that upbringing was faith.  Her aunt and uncle are not believers and do not believe in an after life.  During the course of the book, this is something Yvonne questions and has to do some soul searching to figure out where she stands. Some of the other themes covered are grief, friendship, family, being honorable, and focusing on things that are truly important.

I thought I knew how the story was going to progress, but I was wrong.  The author surprised me several times.  At it's heart, this is a romance.  But there is also a mystery running through the story.  There were a couple of very suspenseful scenes as well.  

If you enjoy Amish fiction and are looking for a unique story, give this one a try.  I'm sure I will pick up the second book in the series when it comes out.