Review: When the Heart Cries by Cindy Woodsmall (TSS)
When the Heart Cries
by Cindy Woodsmall
Hannah Lapp was born and raised in a traditional Amish family, but she’s fallen in love with a Mennonite boy. (Mennonites dress like the Amish and have similar beliefs, but do not shun technology. There are probably deeper theological/sociological differences between the two groups, but that’s the shortest and most obvious explanation I can think of.) She’s on top of the world when he asks her to marry him, even though their engagement is sure to anger her father. But as Hannah is heading home, a stranger drags her into his car and rapes her. The horror of the event throws Hannah into a deep depression, made worse by the fact that save for her parents, no one knows what happened to her. Her siblings think she’s lazy, especially her sister, Sarah, who starts some nasty rumors that have repercussions throughout the community…
I found this book fascinating. I don’t know much about the Amish (although I did watch the entire season of UPN’s short-lived Amish in the City) so I was surprised how much they do interact with the rest of the community. For example, they will not drive cars but several times throughout the book Hannah’s family and friends rent drivers to move them from one place to another. I had also always thought Mennonite was a synonym for Amish, but it turns out it’s an entirely separate sect of the Anabaptists. But at the same time, they are completely closed off. Hannah’s depression and post-rape trauma is magnified by the fact that she has no idea why she feels that way. All the counseling and social services available in her community were completely closed off to her. At times the fact that her father domineered her life so utterly would make me mad, and I would have to struggle to remember that their culture is completely different from mine, and the whole family structure is set up differently. Hannah’s father’s authority isn’t wrong, necessarily; one of the reasons the Amish identity is so strong and iconic is because they adhere so strictly to a code of conduct. Yet, Hannah’s suffering could have eased so much if the Amish rules weren’t so strict. The stifling nosiness of a small community and the practice of ostracizing those who don’t follow the rules also make life extremely difficult for Hannah…but it makes for good drama in the book! I really wanted to know what would happen to Hannah and her family, as well as her boyfriend Paul (he’s away at college much of the time, so theirs is a long-distance relationship) so it was hard to put the book down for even short breaks.
This is the first book in the Sisters of the Quilt trilogy. Look for the next volume’s review - it’s coming soon!
To read more about When the Heart Cries, buy it or add it to your wishlist, click here.