Thursday, May 9, 2013

"The Fiddler" by Beverly Lewis

"Fear is courage on your knees."  This quote from the book could probably be the theme for most Christian fiction novels, as it was for "The Fiddler."  Like so many Christian novels, this story is sweet, clean, and sometimes painfully predictable. However, I still enjoyed it, especially since the author uses the power and love of music as a viable character throughout the story. 
Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which is a church that is very regimental in it's standards and observance, I loved reading about the struggle some of the characters faced as they tried to decide whether or not they believed and wanted to follow the teachings of their parents, and also what they felt was okay to hold onto from the world and their teachings.  
I found the balance Amelia was searching for in her life, which as a solo violinist who tours and plays all over the world was hard for her to find, interesting.  In contrast, I loved how the Amish life presented, in it's plainness and shunning of wonderful things, like some music, was just as unbalanced as Amelia's never ending concert playing.  I loved that Amelia and Michael both were looking for something in the middle. Michael says, "Despite their vastly different backgrounds, they were better together than apart." 
This book reminded me that there is so much that is good in the world, but that certain people classify as bad, and also, that there is so much bad in the world that people classify as good.
Not the  most engaging book, but definitely a wholesome contribution to literature.

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