Another good story and another good ending. This has been a good series and I have enjoyed reading them and getting to know this Amish community. In this story Miriam Raber is a young woman enjoying her Old Order Amish community and waiting for the day that Saul Fisher will propose to her. She doesn't believe the rumors that he might be leaving their world and going to live with the Englischers. But one thing she knows, is that she loves Saul and knows he is the one for her. But can she give up her Amish world and follow Saul into the English world?

There is also another whole story going on in this book about a cousin of Miriam's who has lived in the English world and not made good choices. She has now come to visit her Amish relatives and hopefully they can help her get her life straightened out. ( )

Another great read by Beth Wiseman.

I enjoy her books mainly because there is not always a tragidy that happens in her books.

This one was about an Engligh girl that comes to live with her amish relatives as her parents are getting a divorce and she has gotten into some trouble.
It is about an Amish girl who must decide if her love for a man is enough to live the Amish way of life for the english way of life.

There is joy, there is sadness but there is a love of God and for that I am grateful.

( )

Miriam Raber has been in love with Saul Fisher her whole life and hopes to marry him one day. Saul is in love with Miriam but longs to be a chef, which would mean leaving the Amish community. He has a job offer, but he's not sure he can leave his younger brothers alone with their alcoholic father. Miriam's Englisch cousin Shelby has her own set of problems - she fell in with the wrong crowd and her parents sent her to live with her Amish relatives in the hopes to set her on the right path. Miriam, Saul, and Shelby all have different issues that they pray God will help them with - and He does in surprising ways.

"Plain Proposal" is the fifth book in Beth Wiseman's "Daughters of the Promise" series and it may be the best one yet. Readers new to the series will enjoy reading about Miriam and Saul as they struggle with trying to do the right thing for not only themselves but their families. Miriam seems to know exactly what she wants and it is interesting to read as she begins to realize God may have other plans for her. Saul's story is heartbreaking, not only because he longs for things the Amish world can't give him but his struggles with his father's alcoholism (this storyline reveals a great deal about the Amish people who rally behind each other in times of need yet can be judgmental at other times). Shelby's storyline was interesting, but I felt that her past life could have been developed more - she seems to adapt far too quickly to the Amish lifestyle. While newcomers can enjoy this book as a stand-alone book, fans of the series will be happy to revisit characters from previous books. Without giving anything away, I'll just say the book took some unexpected (and at times sad) twists and turns. Nothing in the book, including the ending, happened the way I thought it would. One event in particular seems to set up a plot line for future books and I look forward to see what happens in both the "Daughters of Promise" and "Land of Canaan" series.

"Plain Proposal" is another excellent book by Beth Wiseman. ( )

This was my first book by Beth Wiseman and hope to read to read more. Her characters seemed to have a closer relationship with God than some others I have read. I also liked Shelby who showed the Englischer's point of view of the Raber family. ( )

BETH WISEMAN'S "PLAIN PROPOSAL" (A REVIEW)

This is actually the first Amish novel I've ever read and I can honestly say that I loved it. Part of me found myself wishing I could live such a life in all its simplicity even in the face of adversity and the hard work they perform every day. This book is not just about a love story but also about making decisions, learning your place in life and figuring out what you truly want.

I love the way Beth Wiseman writes, you can see the characters and the lands, and gain a true sense of who these people are and why they live the way they do. It makes me want to go visit! I look forward to reading more from Beth Wiseman.

-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club
©2010, Kitty, all rights reserved. ( )