Book Review :: Plain Faith by Ora-Jay and Irene Eash, with Tricia Goyer

Plain Faith is a very interesting book. I was initially interested in it because I enjoy reading Amish fiction (such as books by Beverly Lewis, Wanda Brunstetter, etc.), but this book really is much more than just a way to get an inside peek at the Amish way of life.

The main text of the book is told by Irene and Ora Jay Eash in a traditional narrative style, but the text is enhanced with copies of letters that the Eash family had written - to their family or a grieving group they were a part of. These letters are interesting to read and really are a good way to see where the Eash family was at in their journey at the time.

Some who are raised in an Amish community will end up leaving the Amish being mainly motivated by the comforts and freedom of an "Englisch" life. This was not the case of the Eash family (although they did certainly find freedom) - they studied and prayed their way out of the Amish faith and into their current Christian community.

For me, Plain Faith ended up being so much more than just a story of a family that stopped being Amish. The trials they faced and the very rule-focused society in which they were raised made this book easy for me to relate to, and helped open my eyes to how similar a person's situation can be when on the outside it may appear that there is not a lot in common. Much like the book Unveiling Grace by Lynn K. Wilder (which I reviewed previously), Plain Faith takes you on a grace-discovering journey...and is sure to leave you inspired. I believe in a firm foundation of truth and obedience as do the Eash family, but this book showed how an over-focus on rules, regulations, and traditions can end up forcing out the truth (and the love) from a faith community.

I highly recommend Plain Faith to anyone who has an interest in the Amish (including Amish fiction fans), but also to anyone who comes from a very rule-based/checklist background...and also to anyone who wants to hear more about God's grace and love for all of His children. This was a wonderful, easy-to-read book.
FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.