(Don’t worry… I didn’t cheat! The poem of the day is below.)
For today’s post, I want to wish Beverly Lewis a Happy 65th Birthday. Mrs. Lewis writes Amish fiction, and she’s one of my favorite authors as well as a very sweet lady.
If you don’t know about Mrs. Lewis, she was raised in Pennsylvania in the heart of Amish country, and began writing when she was a small child, though she didn’t seek to publish any of her work until her children were in middle school. She’s an award-winning author of nearly ninety books for adults and children, many of which have appeared on bestseller lists. She currently resides in Colorado with her husband, David, and enjoys hiking, biking, reading, and spending time with her family. You can learn more about her at her website: http://www.beverlylewis.com/
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Since today is a Throwback Thursday, I will share the story of the first time I got to meet Mrs. Lewis. She was traveling throughout Florida for a book signing, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to see her in person. Even though I arrived at the bookstore early, I stayed toward the back of the line so that I could just watch her interact with other fans before I we spoke. She was sweet and attentive to each fan, and looked genuinely happy as she posed for photos. Unfortunately, she had an injured wrist, so she couldn’t actually sign the books, but her publicist who accompanied her carefully adhered pre-autographed book plates to the inside covers of each book as Mrs. Lewis spoke with the fans. It was a wonderful day, and if I ever have the chance to meet her again, I won’t hesitate to take the opportunity.
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Finally, because we’re still in National Poetry Month, I offer the following verse:
Ode to Beverly Lewis
By: Rachel Carrera
For Amish stories
That are told so cleverly,
You can’t go wrong
With a book by Miss Beverly.
For interesting plots,
She never fails;
Let me tell you about some
Of her delightful tales…
In The Heritage of Lancaster County series
Katie Lapp finds a secret and is stunned;
She learns she is adopted and
Looks for her birth mother before she is shunned.
When five newly orphaned Amish kids
Go live with their Englischer Aunt Sarah Cain,
In the book about Sarah’s Redemption,
You’ll find out why she went Plain.
Grace Byler’s mom has a secret;
She has to save face;
Read all about it in the trilogy
Called Seasons of Grace.
The Rose Trilogy tells of two sisters,
One named Rose and one named Hen;
One sister looks outside for love,
And one looks for what might have been.
And when you read the three books in
The Courtship of Nellie Fisher,
You’ll find out how her sister passed away,
And how Nellie found a new mister.
In the Annie’s People series,
Annie Zook wants to pursue her art;
But if she does, she can’t stay Amish;
Will she follow her heart?
When Philip Bradley meets Rachel Yoder,
A wife he wants to gain;
The Postcard and The Crossroad
Tell us why he went Plain.
In the series of Abram’s Daughters,
You’ll learn all about Leah and Sadie,
And the family’s deep, dark secrets,
Like an out-of-wedlock baby.
In Sanctuary, Melissa James
Has to run for her life;
It was written by David Lewis
Along with Beverly Lewis, his wife.
But these aren’t nearly all the books
That Beverly Lewis has written;
She’s been blessed with a talent for story telling;
She’s lovely example of a Christian.
I hope my poem whet your appetite,
And made you want to read more
Of Beverly Lewis’ Amish books
Which you can find in your local bookstore.
I must admit it’s really true,
I do have an addiction
To stores of the Plain people,
To Beverly Lewis’ Amish fiction!
Rachel Carrera, Novelist 