Dale Cramer

Dear Readers,

I fell in love with Dale Cramer's writing years ago.  Oh that makes us both sound old, doesn't it, and I am sure neither one of us is that old. :-)  Sutter's Cross was the first one I read that he had written.  It made me a fan and I haven't changed my mind since.  He is a very different writer and yet I feel like I could live in one of his novels.  They are just genuine stories.

Paradise Valley is not a totally new topic for him.  He does have another Amish themed book out, Levi's Will.  So it didn't surprise me that he was writing another one, but the subject matter did. 

 

In 1922 the goverment changed the laws about how long children had to go to school.  The Amish didn't agree with that and there were several families that had their fathers thrown in jail and the children forced into public schools.  This is a fact of American history.  It is also part of Dale's family history and he wanted to share this story with us all.

Caleb Bender decides he cannot stay in a country where he can't have religious freedom and freedom to raise his family the way he believes is best.  After being released from prison when his children do go to the public school, he announces that he is looking to move to where he can have the freedom to choose for himself and his family.  He first looks into moving west, where the laws of the land might not be followed so closely, that is until he meets a land broker who suggests that there is lots of land available in Mexico.

It all seems to be perfect and the answer to prayer.  So Caleb packs up his family and moves to Paradise Valley, Mexico.  Which at first glimpse seems that way, until they find out that not everyone is glad to see them.  How do you protect yourself from Banditoes, men who fought for Poncho Villa, when you don't believe in firearms?  The locals that help them don't always understand why they refuse to protect themselves or their families. 

I really enjoyed reading about this part of American history.  I had no idea that the Amish lived in Mexico and started a colony there.  I am actually looking forward to reading the next two books in the series.  I don't have a release date for the next one, but I am hoping that it will be this year.  This is not really the story of being Amish so much as a story of fighting for the religious freedom that this country was built on.  It is the story of drawing a line in the sand and not crossing it, even if it means moving to a different country or even losing a few things to robbers. 

Happy Reading