Anna's Crossing by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Anna, along with many of the "Peculiar" people, are crossing the ocean. It's not farming, and it isn't easy by a long shot. The year is 1737, and the ship, is the Charming Nancy. Their people are the Amish, and even then, they weren't like the others. Part of the group is Mennonite. Among them, Anna is the only one who can speak English as they embark on a trip to reach a new land, and new lives. Some are hoping to re-join with others who went on ahead of them. Others, like Anna, are leaving behind people they will probably never see again. For Anna, it is her Grandparents in Germany.  In Anna's case, she is to find a husband, and figure out what God's plans are for her. Most of these travelers are fleeing from being persecuted, some of these believers have been been killed. 

Thus Anna is stuck on a long voyage, with a strange man on board. Bairn is the carpenter, and third highest in rank on this vessel. Anna isn't sure what make of him. Felix, one of the little boys just can't contain his curiosity and it is leading in to all kinds of things, including a good understanding of the boat they are in. 

It will take 83 days to get across the ocean. Will they all make it there alive? What changes will have happened to them during their crossing, and what of the loved ones waiting on the other side? 

This book is "Amish", but different. It speaks of lives that aren't the same, and lives that are because of the common thread in which we believe. It speaks of a good bit of what it took for this voyage, but it spares the reader much of the really horrible, horrible things that happened in such trips back then. The Author's notes at the end of this book are very helpful for added perspective.

Over all, I found myself enjoying yet another of Suzanne Woods Fisher's books. While I've never considered myself fond of this particular genera, she is one of the few authors who's work in this area still intrigues me. Carol :) 

My copy of this book came from Revell in exchange for my honest review and nothing more. 

About The Book 

"This novel is a winner."--Publishers Weekly
Some endings are really beginnings . . . 

On a hot day in 1737 in Rotterdam, Anna König reluctantly sets foot on the Charming Nancy, a merchant ship that will carry her and her fellow Amish believers across the Atlantic to start a new life. As the only one in her community who can speak English, she feels compelled to go. But Anna is determined to complete this journey and return home--assuming she survives. She's heard horrific tales of ocean crossings and worse ones of what lay ahead in the New World. But fearfulness is something Anna has never known. 

Ship's carpenter Bairn resents the somber people--dubbed Peculiars by the deckhands--who fill the lower deck of the Charming Nancy. All Bairn wants to do is to put his lonely past behind him, but that irksome and lovely lass Anna and her people keep intruding on him.

Delays, storms, illness, and diminishing provisions test the mettle and patience of everyone on board. When Anna is caught in a life-threatening situation, Bairn makes a discovery that shakes his entire foundation. But has the revelation come too late?

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to the beginning of Amish life in America with this fascinating glimpse into the first ocean crossing--and the lives of two intrepid people who braved it.

"I found Anna's Crossing to be everything I love in a novel, especially in a historical novel! Fast paced, character driven, filled with rich descriptions and enjoyable dialogue. It was a pleasure to read, and I am honored to have had the opportunity to endorse it."--Shelley Shepard Gray, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series, the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of an Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner for The Search, a Carol Award finalist forThe Choice, and a Christy Award finalist for The Waiting. She is also a columnist for Christian Postand Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.

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Endorsements

"I found Anna's Crossing to be everything I love in a novel, especially in a historical novel! Fast paced, character driven, filled with rich descriptions and enjoyable dialogue. It was a pleasure to read and I am honored to have had the opportunity to endorse it."

Shelley Shepard Gray, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Letters, The Calling, the Lancaster County Secrets series, and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the...

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