Hannah's Choice: A Novel (Journey to Pleasant Prairie)

Hannah's Choice by Jan Drexler is set in Conestoga Creek in 1842. Hannah Yoder is eighteen years old. She lives with her parents (Annalise and Christian) and her siblings (Liesbet, Margareta, Peter, William, and Jacob. There were more children but they died nine years earlier from illness (all the children got very ill). Since then Annalise has been extremely depressed (and has treated Hannah horribly). Hannah is good friends (all her life) with Adam Metzler. Adam, though, is a Mennonite. He is in love with Hannah, but Hannah is Amish (her father would never approve the match). Christian Yoder is worried about the lack of Amish in the year. More Amish are leaving the area for greener pastures. Christian is worried about the non-Amish influences on his children (he wants to make sure that the stay Amish). Christian gets an opportunity to move his family to another state where a new Amish community is being started. With this news comes Josef Bender who is instantly attracted to Hannah. Josef starts spending time with Hannah. Hannah will have a choice to make? Stay in Conestoga Creek and marry Adam (with all that is familiar). Or marry Josef Bender and move to a new state (a new life). Adding to Hannah dilemma is an issue with Liesbet. Liesbet (at sixteen) fell in love with an Englischer (who was just seducing Liesbet). Liesbet leaves her home (which makes their father more determined to move) and marries her young man. But life is not rosy for Liesbet (it is not at all what she imagined). What if Liesbet comes looking for them and they are gone? Hannah will have to make a choice.

Hannah's Choice was a good book. It is the first book in Journey to Pleasant Prairie series. I read it straight through late one night. I liked the characters and it was easy to read. The setting sounded so lovely (I do not blame Hannah for not wanting to move). I give Hannah's Choice 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). If you like historical, Christian fiction, you will enjoy Hannah's Choice. It is a well-written story and I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Revell in exchange for an honest review.