Life for Kristi just couldn’t get any tougher. Many teenagers find themselves facing some of the very issues she faces. A great book for the young teen and a intriguing read for an adult perhaps trying to understand a very angry one.
Title: A Plain Adventure The Plain Series, book 2
Author: Cyndi Lord
Genre: Young Adult, Coming of Age
Pages: 294
Published by: White Bird Publication
Published Date: March 17, 2015
ISBN-10: 1633630870
ISBN-13: 978-1633630871
The Plain Series:
A Plain Wish
A Plain Adventure
A Plain Love releasing winter, 2015
Publisher’s Summary: Kristi Becker ran away from Batesville, Indiana after her parents divorced. Once she made it to her Amish friend, Betty Miller’s house in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, she learned about family life grounded in God. Thinking her grandmother lives in Lancaster, Kristi’s dream of finding and regaining the love she once remembered will soon be fulfilled. When she learns her grandmother had moved to Clarksville, Texas, Kristi decided to drive across the country with her friend, Betty, and friend’s brother, Jacob. While they journey in A Plain Adventure, they encounter fears, trials, challenges, and something else happens. Is Jacob, the Amish young man, falling in love with the Englischer, rebellious, Kristi? In Texas, conflicts begin in ways Kristi never anticipated. In the end, love prevails, but what will the future bring?
My Thoughts: I realize this is a series and not reading the first book put me in the middle of an issue where I would have benefitted if I understood why Kristi had such anger issues and why she took such drastic risks by running away from home. Therefore reader, my suggestion is to read book one, A Plain Wish before you read A Plain Adventure.
Kristi reaches out to her pen pal, Betty, an Amish girl from Lancaster. She runs from home and stays with her family. In book two she is driving her new car, registered in her dad’s name, taking her friend Betty and her brother Jacob to visit her grandmother who now lives in Texas.
These two young people have never been outside an Amish community. All the gadgets we take for granted are completely new and sometimes frightening. This story not only is a good read, but we learn about the Amish who most people know very little about. The Amish in general don’t believe in hitting or hugging, they should never be rude, a man shouldn’t do ‘women’s work’, they are hardworking, early risers, soft spoken and speak very directly.
Kristi is looking for love. She has found it in Betty’s family. She remembers how much she enjoyed being with her grandmother and was disappointed she had left Lancaster moving to Texas. Kristi wants to belong to a family who loves each other. Her divorced mom and dad had remarried giving Kristi no sense of belonging. Strong and spirited, not willing to settle for the choice her parents gave her, she seeks her grandmother who she remembers as loving.
I was intrigued what Kristi’s friends thought and reacted about certain events and was charmed by the way they spoke and the way Jacob took care of his younger sister Betty. I understood the author spent some time with the Amish to better understand their people and community.
Kristi Becker was a young girl with lots of anger issues and blamed the course of her life on her dad. Her dad had taken her home from her and wanted to separate her from her friends and grandmother. As a character, I had problems connecting with Kristi. She seemed to have two personalities, one she kept for her Amish friends and her grandmother and the other for her father or anyone who gets in her way for what she wants. However, that being said, with all her flaws, I see the hurt person behind all she does.
We briefly meet Kristi’s father who is a frustrated parent having reached the end of his rope. The author portrays his frustration and anger superbly as well as the overwhelming anger Kristi is going through. Her dialog was right on.
I first learned of Ms. Lord’s talent when I read her mystery, They Call Me Murdered. She is presently working on the second of that series, They Call Me Missing.
I was pleasantly surprised she had ‘tucked in’ Sandra Derringer, a private investigator, into The Plain Series, as neighbor to Becky’s grandmother. Ms. Lord writes quality stories. By the time I finished with book 2, I was very interested in going back to book 1 and experience all this teenager had. It’s not easy being a teen-ager. They sometimes lash out without thought, but not necessarily without cause. Book 3 releases winter 2015 titled A Plain Love.
I very much recommend this book for young adults and older readers who delight in reconnecting with the hardest time in a person’s life – being a teenager.
About the Author: Cyndi Lord moved to North East Texas in 2005 where she lives on a ranch with her husband, two dogs, and two cats. An award winning author, she recently decided to go into semi-retirement from her career as a private investigator and research paralegal in order to write full time. Her novels incorporate her professional experience into the plots readers love to unravel along with the investigator.
She is active in a ministry to the homeless and enjoys many aspects of philosophy. As an animal lover, she is a vegan, and strong voice against cruelty to animals. Cyndi and her husband have nine adult children, sixteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild. For tranquility she loves to work in the garden, and bake. Painting nature scenes is her favorite joy after writing.
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