The Newcomer

In 1737, Anna Konig and her fellow church members stagger off a small wooden ship after ten weeks at sea, eager to start a new life in the vibrant but raw Pennsylvania frontier. On the docks of Port Philadelphia waits bishop Jacob Bauer, founder of the settlement and father to ship carpenter Bairn. It's a time of new beginnings for the reunited Bauer family, and for Anna and Bairn's shipboard romance to blossom.

But this perfect moment cannot last. As Bairn grasps the reality of what it means to be Amish in the New World--isolated, rigid with expectations, under the thumb of his domineering father--his enthusiasm evaporates. When a sea captain offers the chance to cross the ocean one more time, Bairn grabs it. Just one more crossing, he promises Anna. But will she wait for him?


When Henrik Newman joins the church just as it makes its way to the frontier, Anna is torn. He seems to be everything Bairn is not--bold, devoted, and delighted to vie for her heart. And the most dramatic difference? He is here; Bairn is not.


Far from the frontier, an unexpected turn of events weaves together the lives of Bairn, Anna, and Henrik. When a secret is revealed, which true love will emerge?



My Review

I am a fan of this author's. I enjoyed the New World as well as the people. Although, to be honest, neither of the men, Bairn or Henrik "the Newcomer" interested me. Bairn was more interested in sailing the seas, so there was no romantic connection between he or Anna. I had a big issue with the fact that Henrik was referred to as "the newcomer". Yes, I knew he was the new one in town but I did not need to keep being reminded. I found this distracting when in one sentence Henrik's name would be used and in the next sentence he was referred to as "the newcomer".

At first I was good with Henrik but as the story went on I did feel like he was more interested in his interests than truly about Anna. When it was all said and done, I would have been fine with Anna being single. Actually, I found Bairn's younger, brother Felix to be more intriguing. He was full of spunk and wonderment.

The other storyline that I was drawn to was Bairn and Felix's parents, Dorothea and Jacob. They had quite the journey as well. They showed what love was about.

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