The reliable author of Amish romance tales Patricia Davids
gives us THEIR PRETEND AMISH COURTSHIP. How does this tally
with the intentions of Amish people to live a plain life
free from deceit?
Fannie Erb is still in her rumspringa years, when young
people experience the world before taking vows to the
faith. She doesn't mean any harm... her mother wants to send
Fannie to visit relatives in Florida, but the lively twenty-
two year old would rather stay with her horses and riding
club for summer. Her older sister has just got engaged, and
Fannie realises that if she was being courted, Mamm would
not send her away. Maybe her friend and neighbour Noah
Bowman would help.
Fannie is certainly unusual and horse mad. She wears jeans
under her dress. I recommend this tale to any horse lover
anywhere. Fannie wants to promote the Haflinger breed, a
European light draught horse. Her own family raises
Standardbreds for buggies, but her English friend Connie
Stroud breeds Haflingers. Fannie has come up with the idea
of a display team to ride at shows. Noah is pretty sure she
would not be allowed to do this... but Fannie, who is shown
following Monty Roberts' methods, works on the principle
that if you don't ask, you won't get told no.
Noah is also in rumspringa and wears jeans and a baseball
cap as he shoes horses or plays ball. He is sure that he'll
take the vows, in time. Fannie is a good friend but not
wife material; apart from her madcap schemes, she has a
temper. Still, he sympathises with her wish not to leave
her horses. He won't pretend he wants to marry the girl,
but walking her home from Sunday service wouldn't hurt
anyone. And it would free him from his own mother's plans
to introduce him to all the eligible daughters in the
county. He'd much rather not let down his baseball team.
So begins an entertaining tale with a wide variety of
characters living in Bowman's Crossing, each with their own
motivations. All kinds of reasons arise why this situation
won't work, including the two young people's loves of
different team sports, and the bishop's disapproval of
unmarried girls riding in public displays. Another way to
look at this excellent story is to see that girls are
expected to settle down relatively early, since they don't
attend college, and both women and men are supposed to hide
their lights under bushels. If they refuse they are not
considered members of the community. Their only chance for
achievement as individuals is early. We're told that young
men tend to leave while young women who marry have to give
up jobs and help their husbands. THEIR PRETEND AMISH
COURTSHIP may be the only way that Fannie and Noah can
realise their potential -- and find out who they really
love. Patricia Davids has written another packed account
of culture contrast and difficult decisions in THEIR PRETEND
AMISH COURTSHIP, which is suitable for any age of reader.
Fannie Erb isn't looking for a husband—especially if she has
to leave her beloved horses to go find one. What she needs
is a way to assure her parents she's not hopeless when it
comes to love. Family friend Noah Bowman might just be her
solution. A fake relationship will free them both from
unwanted matchmaking plans. How could Fannie predict that
pretending to date the handsome, teasing boy next door would
awaken genuine emotions? By summer's end they'll be free to
part, but Fannie's growing feelings are transforming her
neighbor into the only man who might ever rein in her
adventurous heart.
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