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Beside Still Waters (A Big Sky Novel Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Tricia Goyer (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 3,975 ratings
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Raised among the Amish of Indiana, 18-year-old Marianna Sommer plans to get baptized into the church, marry Aaron Zook, and set up life in the only community she has ever known. But when her older brother chooses the world’s path following his rumschpringe, and a younger sibling begins showing interest in Englisch ways, Marianna’s parents move the family to Montana.

Although she is also in her rumschpringe years and not obligated to move, Marianna makes the journey to dutifully help her mother who is expecting another child. Surprisingly, from strangers on the cross-country train ride to the less rigid stance of the new Montana community, many Englisch influences awaken within Marianna—and even her father—the desire to pursue a deeper kind of joy and love for God.

After an accident, Marianna tells her friend Ben a defining story about the Sommer family, and his response further illumines the active relationship God seeks with His followers. In due time, she learns the move from Indiana was not about losing anything, but finding out who God really is. Despite all the shake-ups, Marianna feels a sweet peace, like still waters, in her soul.
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  1. Book 1 of 3
    A Big Sky Novel
  2. Print length
    323 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    December 2, 2013
  6. File size
    649 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

I've been a big fan of Tricia Goyer's book for the past 5 years. She's written books in many genres and has done a wonderful job switching between all of them. That being said, I was a bit worried about her turning to the Amish genre. I was hoping that she wasn't doing it just because it's the latest trend in Christian fiction and also was worried that it was going to cater to the average Amish reader. If you've read my reviews on Amish books in the past, you know that while I enjoy learning about the culture, I disagree with the way many Christian fiction authors have chosen to portray the Amish as the perfect and ideal lifestyle without going in depth about faith issues. Therefore, I started reading this book with caution afraid that I was going to be disappointed.

Well, my fears were for nothing. Goyer writes this book exactly how I wish more Amish books were like. She tackles issues and raises questions about why the Amish do things the way they do. The story makes it obvious to the reader and also brings awareness to the characters about how one shouldn't be doing things "just because" but instead they should know why they are doing them. It's never implied that what the Amish believe in is wrong and they should change their ways. Far from it in fact. But instead what is shown is that one should not be doing things blindly. It's ok to ask questions and learn why you are doing things a certain way instead of 'just because." books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com/

From the Back Cover

Raised among the Amish of Indiana, 18-year-old Marianna Sommer plans to get baptized into the church, marry Aaron Zook, and set up life in the only community she has ever known. But when her older brother chooses the world's path following his rumschpringe, and a younger sibling begins showing interest in Englisch ways, Marianna's parents move the family to Montana.

Although she is also in her rumschpringe years and not obligated to move, Marianna makes the journey to dutifully help her mother who is expecting another child. Surprisingly, from strangers on the cross-country train ride to the less rigid stance of the new Montana community, many Englisch influences awaken within Marianna--and even her father--the desire to pursue a deeper kind of joy and love for God.

After an accident, Marianna tells her friend Ben a defining story about the Sommer family, and his response further illumines the active relationship God seeks with His followers. In due time, she learns the move from Indiana was not about losing anything, but finding out who God really is. Despite all the shake-ups, Marianna feels a sweet peace, like still waters, in her soul.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004SBPF52
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ B&H Publishing Group (December 2, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 2, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 649 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 323 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 3,975 ratings

About the author

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Tricia Goyer

Tricia Goyer

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Tricia Goyer writes out of her passion for God and her love for family and others. The author of more than 70 books, she writes both historical fiction and nonfiction related to family and parenting.

This USA-Today Best-selling Author has also won a two Carol Awards and a Retailer's Best Award. She was also an ECPA Gold-Medallion Nominee and a Christy Award Nominee and won Writer of the Year from the Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference.

Tricia’s contemporary and historical novels feature strong women overcoming great challenges. She recreates historic wartime eras with precise detail through comprehensive research and is a beloved author of Amish fiction, as well, having written the Big Sky and Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series.

Whether for fiction or nonfiction, Tricia's writing style is vivid and heartwarming, allowing readers to take home more than engaging stories, but also messages that inspire faith and hope. Her goal is to write stories that matter.

Tricia is a popular conference speaker. She has spoken at events such as MomCon, Raising Generations, and Teach Them Diligently conferences and been interviewed by numerous national TV and radio programs and magazines. Her new podcast, Walk It Out, can be found on iTunes or downloaded on any podcasting app. Whether through writing, blogging, speaking or podcast, Tricia loves sharing messages of inspiration and hope.

A homeschooling mom of ten, including seven by adoption, Tricia is also a grandmother of four and wife to John. With a busy life she understands the importance of making every word count.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
3,975 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Toni Shane
5.0 out of 5 stars Finding Peace
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2024
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A young Amish girl, from Indiana, joins her family when they move to Montana. She is leaving behind a young Amish man whom she feels will one day be her husband. Amish life in Montana was different. She struggled, being torn from what she knew and her new life. God was with her to help her find peace.
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katherine
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2024
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Tricia is a good writer . I enjoyed her description of the mountains and an area I have never visited. Her characters became real on the pages
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lizzy
4.0 out of 5 stars liked it in spite of myself
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2023
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After reading some Amish novels years ago, I vowed “never again.”
Sappy sappy.
Tricia takes a different look at the Amish and it’s interesting. She doesn’t judge, just offers some insight on their practices.
I appreciate this story and the Faith elements that spoke to me.
Sure there are some predictable things but also fresh takes as well as surprises along the way. I did enjoy it.
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CamilleElise
5.0 out of 5 stars Unique, Beautiful, Intriguing!
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2011
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And now back to the Amish fiction!

Today I have

Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer

Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer is the first book in the Big Sky Series that Tricia Goyer has recently released.

We follow the main character, Marianna, who was born on a night of tragedy. Her family was hit by a semi-truck in her buggy. Her two older sisters were killed and her mother went into premature labor and had her.

Her whole life Marianna has grown up feeling less than she can be. She isn't an adequate replacement for the two sisters her mother lost, and she feels like her mother has loved her less because she is a reminder of the loss every day.

Marianna finally has her chance to get baptized and marry Aaron Zook when her family announces they will be moving away to Montana, away from everything she knows. While she is aware her family doesn't like staying where she grew up because of the reminder of the accident, and the fact that her older brother has left the church and lives nearby is another pain to her parents every day. Also, her mother is with child and her parents just feel she needs to be away from their tragic past in order to be safe in giving birth.

Against her wishes, Marianna agrees to go to Montana for 6 months until her mother gives birth and is acclimated to the new baby. All she really wants is to return back home and to get to know Aaron better and see the house he is building for their future.

Her move to Montana is challenging to say the least, but she can see a positive change in her mother. She cannot avoid the English world as easily now though because in Montana the cultures are so much more mixed, and Marianna wants to be sure to avoid their influence, but she cannot help but take notice of Ben, an English boy, who has some bad secrets in his past, just as Marianna has in hers...

When she gets the chance to return home again and leave Montana behind, what will Marianna choose?

Read Beside Still Waters to find out!

I absolutely loved this book. It intrigued me, it was beautiful, and it was understandable to feel what she was going through. As a young woman I could see how Marianna felt she was leaving her entire future behind to move to Montana, but I appreciated her understanding of how important family is, enough that she was willing to be away from Aaron for six months in order to fulfill her family obligations.

I would definitely say this is much more unique than Amish fiction, and I also love that the series continues with the same main characters into the next book rather than entirely wrapping up Marianna's story and then featuring another main character in the next book.

I am excited to jump into Along Wooded Paths as soon as I possibly can!

4.5 out of 5 stars!

Camille
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Linda DeGree
5.0 out of 5 stars Feelings and Faith Over Following Strict Rules
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2023
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I loved the book Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer because it showed that following strict rules is not always the way of God. God is about love, using talents for good, forgiveness, and knowing God created each of us for a special purpose. This book shows that God is alive in different faiths. I was raised Roman Catholic and was taught that God chose Catholics to be the only ones that would get to heaven. When my parents had two children that entered high school at the same time, I learned that there are good people in many religious faiths. I had longed to go to the Catholic high school, but there was not enough money for both my brother and I for the tuition. I was sad. But I also learned that the Roman Catholic way was not the only way to get to heaven. I met people who had deep faith that were not Roman Catholic. In this book the main character learns that the Amish way of life is not the only way of life. Amish people do not believe in developing the talents God gave his children in music or in art or sports. In this book it showed Amish people to be good people, but that the Amish way is not the only way to live a good life in Faith and Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself. The Amish way of silent praying is good, but that praying aloud with sincerity is also good. It showed that God loves all his children, not just children from one choosen religious and specific faith.
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Marbeth Skwarczynski
5.0 out of 5 stars It's time for Marianna to create her own story.
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2023
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The story surrounding Mari's birth has shaped her entire life. The strictures within her Amish community help her feel like she belongs, even though she never quite measures up within the walls of her family home. Nevertheless, she knows things will improve when she marries and can begin a new life with a clean slate.

But when her parents decide to move the family across the country for a year, Mari's plans are put on hold so she can help them settle. She doesn't want to go to Montana but doesn't feel like she can remain in Indiana while her mother desperately needs her help.

While the family is consumed with their obligations to their community and each other, they also begin to find joy in the promised rest, peace, and love of an almighty God.
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Top reviews from other countries

Lizz
5.0 out of 5 stars uplifting
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 4, 2024
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I’ve always loved books about the Amish. This one is different. It thrilled me to ‘witness’ God’s hand in this family’s journey towards personal faith.
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DD
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it!
Reviewed in Canada on September 2, 2018
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This was my first Christian fiction book since reading them many years ago. I found myself thinking about the characters & wondering what was going to happen next even when I had to put the book down!

I don't enjoy fluff but this author brought closeness & relationship with God into it so it was extremely appealing to me. Part of my enjoyment also was knowing the area in Montana that some of the story took place in, because I have been through those parts, not living far away!

I can't wait to read the rest of this series and I hope to find more Christian fiction authors where relationship with God is important in their stories.
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Hoener, Birgit
3.0 out of 5 stars heart warming
Reviewed in Germany on March 6, 2020
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A very enjoyable Christian book, telling the story of Marianna, a young Amish woman, who sees all her plans disrupted when her parents decide to move away to Montana. How Marianna copes with that, how she learns to live among people not sharing her Amish way of belief, and how she recognises truths about herself, may not be a nail-biting, page-turning story full of suspense, but it will present the reader with a lovely book, a heart-warming story which will make you want to go on reading each chapter until you've reached the end of this first book.
Now to get my hands on the second book in this series.
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Vicky Dedda
5.0 out of 5 stars A BEAUTIFUL BOOK
Reviewed in Australia on June 2, 2016
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I cannot understand why this has only one star, it is a wonderful wonderful book. I just loved it and have just downloaded the next two books. It was the best Amish book I have ever read and just touched my heart. It is a beautiful story and I would recommend read it and see for yourself.
2 people found this helpful
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Parkland Mom
4.0 out of 5 stars New author to me
Reviewed in Canada on October 26, 2017
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My first book by this author. I really enjoyed it and I look forward to reading more in this series.

I appreciated that there was more focus on God as our Loving Father, than about rules. I enjoyed seeing the character’s progression in her faith. She grew in her appreciation of people and things outside her known circle. This is often neglected in Amish fiction.

The growth in the characters felt natural and believable. The descriptions of the scenery and situations made the story come alive.
One person found this helpful
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