Amish Snow by Roger Rheinheimer - Review

Amish Snow

by Roger Rheinheimer

This book is different from the normal Amish books I read, I would classify it as more about the 'dark' side, for lack of a better description. It starts out be telling how the Amish came to be in Germany, then jumps ahead 438 years to Lancaster, PA and the story of Ezra Neuenschwander and the abuse he and his mother and siblings suffered from his Father. His Father, Nathan, was abused as a child and wanted to break the cycle when he married Rebecca and he did for several years then it gradually started along with the drinking.

One day Ezra had finally had it and when Nathan pulled his fist back to hit him, Ezra swung back to protect himself. Nathan fell and hit his head. Ezra noticed the bleeding and the jerky motions, but went on with his chores. He put the horses up, went into the house and told his Mother what happened. Rebecca knew this would eventually happen so she got the bag she had ready for him with money, clothes, a cousins phone number that lived in Philadelphia, and a Bible. Ezra left not knowing if his father lived or died, never to talk to his family again.

In October of 1964 Ezra arrived in Philly in the middle of the night, got a room in a motel where they had hourly rates posted, the room was filthy and smelled with a stench he didn't recognize.

I will leave the rest of the story for you to read, there are lots of twists and turns, good and bad. I just about quit reading it around chapter eight or nine because I thought I knew the direction it was going, but I didn't give up on it and soon wanted to know the rest of the story. Needless to say, it didn't quite go in the direction I thought it would.

This is the first time I've read a book by Roger and I will say that I did enjoy it. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Roger Rheinheimer. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”