Leaving Lancaster

GIVEAWAY!

LLOYD, KATE
LEAVING LANCASTER

Can a splintered Amish family reconcile?

More than anything else, thirty-something Holly Fisher longs for family. Growing up in Seattle without a dad or grandparents, she wonders what it would be like to have a heritage, a place of belonging. Holly is furious when her mother, Esther, reveals a long-kept secret: Holly’s grandmother and uncles are still alive and begging Esther to return. And Holly is shocked when she learns that the family she’s never known lives on a Lancaster, Pennsylvania, farm—as part of an Amish community her mother once abandoned.

Guilt-ridden Esther, terrified to see her mother and siblings, begs Holly to accompany her on a visit to Esther’s mother before she dies. But can their journey to a conflicting world heal their emotional wounds and finally bring them home?

Set in the heart of contemporary Lancaster County, Leaving Lancaster explores the power of forgiveness, family reconciliation, and love where least expected.

My Review:

Lloyd's writing is infused with strong emotion as she takes her readers on a journey towards one family's redemption. So many things struck me as I read! How the Amish, who preach non-judgement and forgiveness...don't always abide by those precepts. How difficult it is to undo a wrong the longer you wait to make amends. That old adage -- pride goeth before a fall...you'll find it in spades in this book. And while most mother/daughter relationships are complicated, Esther's and Holly's goes way beyond the norm.

Leaving Lancaster is an emotional study in relationships and forgiveness. Surprisingly I felt more empathy for Esther than I did Holly. Sometimes I just wanted to shake some sense into that girl! Of course, I wasn't the one raised in utter darkness about my relatives. Nor was I the one who always yearned to belong only to find she could have all along. Holly has reasons for the way she reacts, but I still felt dreadful for poor Esther every step of the way...right up until the explosive family reunion.

But Lloyd has managed to wrap the drama up in humour and warmth and even spread a little love along the way. A delicious mix that results in a spell-binding read!

Giveaway Opportunity:


If you would like a chance to win a copy of this book, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday June 8 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!