This is a beautiful story of faith and the power of God’s love and a portrait of contentment even when circumstances seem hopeless.
Maggie Esh suffers from rheumatic arthritis, and has since childhood. She lives with pain every day and has tried every remedy available to no avail. The story follows Maggie’s faith journey in the summer of 1951, when tent revival meetings took place in Lancaster County. Mennonite cousins invite the Old Order Amish woman to attend, as she’s in her rummspringe. Maggie is challenged by what she hears and is drawn to the meetings. She begins reading the Bible for herself, where she discovers her First Love, and ultimately finds healing for her whole self.
Beverly Lewis has such a way with creating deep characters, and I couldn’t help but feel for Maggie and agreed with her decisions wholeheartedly. She wasn’t a woe-is-me kind of character because of her illness, but she tried to be content and not put her hope in remedies that could help her. When she rejected an offer for a ride with a fellow after Singing, it was a noble decision since she wanted to spare him the “burden” of not having a healthy wife or having to care for her. She wondered if it was a pity-offer and had rather not found out.
Maggie’s character is wise beyond her years only because of her suffering. What an encouragement this character is in her story world but also to the reader! She counsels gently when needed but is quick to accept counsel from others who can relate to her circumstance. She is the type of friend a reader would love to have in real life!
The focus of the love story is Maggie’s relationship with the Lord, which is a breath of fresh air. There aren’t too many fiction stories out there with this focus. And in the end, Maggie does find someone who loves her just the way she is.
Once again, Beverly Lewis has given Amish fiction readers a gem.
I received an ecopy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own

This was a powerful story of faith! It takes place during the time of revivals held in tents all across the US. The story goes to show that planting the seed of faith and continually reading the Word deepens and strengthens one's belief. The main protagonist, Maggie, grows spiritually after attending the meetings which impacts her life after she faces life's highs and lows. The novel is beautifully written and one that was hard to put down. A must read!

Maggie has been battling a chronic painful illness for many years with no cure or relief in sight. As she maneuvers her teenage years, she loses her dear mamm and watches her friends and sister go to singings and court their sweethearts. Even though Maggie doesn't see herself marrying or contributing to her home, she strives to grow spiritually and be a blessing to everyone she meets. Beverly Lewis offers this uplifting story of gratitude and optimism while facing daily pain and despair.

Hey, ya'll, and Happy Wednesday! I have a great book to recommend for you today. You should know, first, that I don't recommend this one lightly. I used to be a big fan of Amish fiction, but it kind of fizzled out for me. They just got so sad! I got tired of reading about people being shunned and love never working out. So, I pretty much stopped reading them.

When I saw Beverly Lewis' new book, The First Love , I was intrigued by the description, and it seemed different. I gave it a try, and I'm really glad I did! Not saying that I'm going to jump on board reading all the Amish fiction, but I'm glad I gave this one a chance!

In this latest Amish novel Maggie Esh is coming of age in Old Order Amish community in 1951. She’s a very beautiful girl, but she struggles with a chronic illness that leaves her unable to do many of the tasks expected of Amish wives. She struggles to keep up in a home with her father’s much-younger second wife, who just can’t seem to understand Maggie’s sickness. Maggie has resigned herself to living a life alone. But she can’t stop thinking about one young man in particular. Then, Maggie’s Mennonite cousins invite her to a tent revival, and her life is changed. Can she reconcile the new things she’s hearing with the God she’s always heard about? Is healing possible for Maggie?

As I said, I’ve been out of the Amish-fiction loop for a while, but I thought this story was really fresh and different. There wasn’t a single mention of shunning in the whole book! It was a really great story, and I loved the ending.

Maggie was a great lead character, and I was really curious to know if she’d marry Jimmy, Glen or stay single. I won’t tell you how it went, but the last two chapters and the epilogue left me feeling pretty happy! I also though Rachel was a great secondary character, and I liked how the side stories played out. I also enjoyed the family dynamic, since it seems like so many Amish novels portray the families as harsh and unrelenting about their religions and ordnances. I loved how Maggie’s father was portrayed, and how he loved his family.

Sometimes I want to read something that’s just for fun, and not deep or heavy. That’s how I was feeling this past weekend when I picked up The First Love. It fit the bill perfectly. That isn’t to say it didn’t have a spiritual message. I’m not a believer in faith-healing, so I didn’t really know how that part of the story would go, but I ended up enjoying it very much.

I cut my reading teeth on Beverly Lewis books when I was just a teenager, and I’m very excited that I got the chance to read this one. I know that lovers of Amish fiction will love it, but I also think that those who don’t usually read Amish fiction will enjoy this, too. The First Love is a great story that will leave you with a little smile on your face long after you’ve turned the last page!

Maggie Esh is a young Amish woman who hopes to find the love of her life and settle down once she is baptised into the Amish community. However, her chronic illness makes feel her pitied by all the young men of her Old Order Amish church district. To make her situation worse, she has to accommodate her father's new young wife, only a few months after the death of her mum. Out of curiosity, she attended the popular tent revival meetings when invited by her cousins. Little did she know that the preacher would stir something deep inside her.

The First Love is a quiet story set primarily in the 1950s and told from Maggie and her step mum, Rachel's perspectives. Ms Lewis gives readers insight into the life of a person living with a delibitating disease, clinging onto hope while searching for a miracle. Readers will empathise with Rachel's role of filling into a stepmom's shoes, taking care of a large family while maintaining your dreams. This family drama is a quick read and would be ideal for anyone looking for some encouragement in the midst of a tumultuous time.

I liked that the book starts off with Maggie Esh reflecting on her life as she prepares to celebrate a milestone birthday. She’s taken back to 1951 when she’s a young girl. That was an interesting choice the author made in my opinion because we meet her siblings, Dat and stepmother and her Mennonite cousins who all play important roles in the storyline and shape her life throughout the years. It was nice to meet to them as younger characters before we see them in adulthood.

Maggie had to face a potentially crippling illness from a young age which made me feel so sorry for her, especially since she had the same dreams that every young woman has, a husband, children and a home to raise their family in. As much as I liked Maggie, I liked her stepmother, Rachel much more. I can’t imagine being a newlywed and an instant mother to kids that are still grieving the loss of their mother. Rachel did all she could to show her family how much she loved them and treated them with kindness and respect.

The tent revivals were interesting and made Maggie grow stronger in her faith which surprised me because I wasn’t sure how an Old Order Amish girl would fit in and enjoy a different way of worship and to meet people she wouldn’t normally encounter. I always find it interesting when people have preconceived notions of others that don’t share or express their beliefs in the same way we do.
The First Love is a sweet story that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. It’s a relaxing and slower paced read that I found predictable but I liked that for a change.

I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley and was under no obligation to give positive review. All opinions are my own.

I was so excited to read this book! I have been reading Beverly Lewis books for years, and they never disappoint! I read this book in 2 days, and I was very interested to see what would happen to the main character, Maggie, who was a young Amish girl suffering with crippling arthritis. The story was clean and sweet, with memorable characters. The book had a nice ending, and I enjoyed seeing the character development of Maggie throughout the book. My only complaint is that the book ended abruptly, with everything quickly tied up in a neat bow. I would have liked to read more about Maggie's courtship with Jimmy and her healing.

This is a sweet story about an Amish family that is going through lots of changes. The mother passed away and the father remarried a little too quickly for most of the older children. Maggie, the oldest girl has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and suffers immensely. Mennonite tent revivals give comfort to Maggie when attends with her cousins. But Amish are discouraged from attending the revivals so Maggie struggles with her decision to go. Maggie's faith increases as she begins to read the Bible more and hope for healing. Lots of characters and different things going on in this latest book by Beverly Lewis but it has an encouraging message. Recommended!

I’ve read just about every book by Lewis, so I was looking forward to her latest release. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with it in the same way as I did many of her other books. I LOVE the fact that Maggie is dealing with a chronic health issue (something not commonly addressed in Amish fiction). Her struggles were realistic, and things were handled in a respectful way. There seemed to be more characters in this book than in past ones, making it was a bit hard to follow, at times. It also felt a bit disjointed in some parts. The pacing was too slow for the majority of the book, but it did pick up near the end. I would have liked to see more of Jeremy. While this wasn’t my favorite Lewis book, it was enjoyable, and it may cause the reader to reflect on their own first love.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and NetGalley, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

Beverly Lewis was the first Amish writing author I read so many years ago when she first started publishing and all these years later I'm still happily reading her books. I have really learned a lot about the Amish culture through her books and have come away with a stronger faith base as well.
Her books have just gotten better and better over the years. There are very few books I've not read of hers including her nonfiction ones.
This book starts out with Maggie reminiscing about her younger years.
There is for sure a lot going on in this book. Maggie has juvenile meteoroid arthritis and it affects her strength and how much she is able to do to help the family. She is about to join the church and longs for marriage and a family of her own but surely no one will want her with her limited mobility.
Maggie's father remarries shortly after his wife's death and the his new wife puts all her hopes and dreams aside to please her new ready-made family as she keeps the memory alive of his past wife.
It was fun to read about the big tent revivals that Maggie and some of her cousins go to. These revivals become very important to her despite her father not approving of her going. Will this cause her to become part of the Englisher world?
Very sweet and enjoyable book with a strong faith filled message. It was a delight to see how much stronger Maggie's faith became during the book as she thirsted for spiritual food.
Pub Date: 04 Sep 2018
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House publishers through NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.

What a story the author has given us, one that affects many people, not always with the same illness, but we can put faces on this Amish family.
A young woman about to join her church and a longing for a family of her own, but with her limitations and days of non-movement, she is sure she will never wed and have her own family.
We also meet another woman who has given her heart to a man who is a widower and has a ready-made family, but she seems to put her wishes and desires aside to make his family happy.
I loved that we get to experience revival meetings, and our Amish girl is so in love with the Lord, and you want to be with her, but will her family and church allow her going to these meetings? Will she want to go out into the English world because of this?
This is a sweet read, and so many characters are brought to the fore front, and we get to meet and be with each of them and enjoy the time spent.
You will find this one a compelling page turner, and you won’t regret spending time here!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House and was not required to give a positive review.

The First Love by Beverly Lewis is a wonderful book. It gives such insights into the life of the Amish and in particular Maggie. Maggie has arthritis and has such a difficulty walking and with pain. She has several brothers and sisters. Her Mother died recently when the book opens and within a year of losing her Mother her Dad remarries Rachel who became her step mother. It is not easy for Maggie or the other children in the family to get used to Rachel when they miss their mother. Her Mennonite cousins invite Maggie to the tent evangelical meetings in the 1950s. She attended several times and hopes for her healing. The minister's son Glenn is very kind to her and shared about his healing that occurred during the tent meetings. Maggie experiences a real spiritual transformation during these tent meetings. She learns to love God's word and love the Lord. The book is very tender and follows Maggie's love for God and his word and also for her desire for God to heal her. Her siblings and the other Amish people around them are very kind to her. What will become of Maggie and her future? It is hard to have health problems and live in the Amish world. I feel for her to be in this situation. She has a beautiful character that shines through her ups and downs. I found her to be very inspiring. Thank you for a wonderful story Beverly Lewis. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book. I have enjoyed Beverly Lewis's books for a long time and this one is sure to be a success!

A longtime fan of Beverly Lewis, I am always excited when she has a new book out. Since she doesn't release books as often as other authors I always see her books as a treat and can't wait to start reading them. However, The First Love proved a bit of a difficult read for me.

There are several characters in this book and I found trying to keep who was who straightened out in my head a bit difficult. Not only is there Maggie and her family to get to know but then there are her aunt, cousins, and the tent revival preacher and family and it was just a bit too much. I did like Maggie and felt sorry for her due to her health issues. The author wrote of her issues in a respectful and realistic way which was nice.

I feel like there was a bit much going on in the story too. Not only is there Maggie and her attending the tent meetings but there is also the storyline of the family trying to get used to their new stepmother. These two storylines worked ok together but it seems like they could have been integrated better.

The thing that bothered me the most about the story was the slow pace. One of the reasons I like Amish fiction is the slower pace of their lives but this story just moved too slowly for the first half. During the second half the pace picked up slightly and I found it much quicker to read. I would have like to have had more scenes with Maggie and Jimmy, too.

All in all this is an ok read but not my favorite from this author. If you are a fan of Beverly Lewis you will probably like the story but if you aren't already a fan I would choose a different title from her to start with.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions are mine.