“The Secret Keeper” by: Beverly Lewis

This is the 4th book in the Home to Hickory Hollow series by Beverly Lewis but can be read as a standalone. The review of the first book, The Fiddler, can be found here.


Recommended Age: 14+


348 pages


Description: Jennifer Burns shocks her family and friends when she bids farewell to her modern life in favor of the Old Order Amish world, settling in with Samuel and Rebecca Lapp.


The people of Hickory Hollow are curious about the beautiful young seeker among them--one handsome Amishman in particular--and Jenny faces many challenges in the Proving time the brethren set for her...challenges of the heart, as well as the spirit.


My Rating: 3/5


I read a lot of Beverly Lewis books, but this one was not my favorite. I honestly felt like this book just kept dragging on. The storyline felt so slow-moving, but then other times jumped months at a time unnecessarily (in my opinion).


I also did not love the relationship dynamic between characters. Everyone seemed to be nosy, always needing to know more information than was needed. There were a couple of instances at the end where I was waiting for certain conversations to happen but they never did. (-1 star)


On a theological note, for people who are so “devoted” to God, they really don’t want others to be. It’s really surprising actually! They have so much judgment on shunned people even though all those individuals want to do is cling to the Lord and His Word. However, because they are not Amish, they cannot be associated with. I found this to be the opposite of how the body of Christ should operate.


SPOILER! On that note, I did not like that at the end, Jenny Burns, the Seeker in the book, decided to continue to “be Amish” even despite theological concerns. Is Lewis condoning these issues? END OF SPOILER! (-1 star)


Notable Quotes:

“A person grows best spiritually when exploring God‘s Word, letting it get rooted and planted in the soil of the heart.” (page 343)


Things to be aware of in “The Secret Keeper”:


Romantic Content:

  • There is a mention of “the child belonging to the new girl[friend].”
  • Hugging, hand holding and kissing among interested couples.


Additional Notes:

  • A woman is described as “plump.”
  • A female child is described as “chubby.”
  • A woman’s shoulders, hands, and cheeks are all described as “plump.”



Links to the book: Amazon and Goodreads.

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