Another great book by Beverly Lewis! A great coming of age story and how you should follow your heart! ( )

I've enjoyed every Beverly Lewis book I've read, to some extent, but some really touch me. The Ebb Tide was a beautiful story about the blessing that comes from patiently waiting for God's leading in one's life. I loved how Sallie recognized her heart's yearnings but desired to put God's will first. The patient and mature way she handled her questions was blessed in the end by family and friends who were able to see her for who God made her to be and were able to give their blessings on her choices.

I also loved the beautiful imagery of a not-so-Amish place, the seaside. I've got the travelin' bug, just like Sallie, and I understand how easy it is to get caught up in dreams of visiting far-off places. I also know how easy it is to visit far-off places and am so glad my family gives me the freedom to do so. ( )

When a well-to-do family asks Sallie Riehl to be their daughter's nanny for the summer at their Cape May, New Jersey, vacation home, she jumps at the chance to broaden her horizons beyond the Lancaster County Amish community where she grew up.

I enjoyed my time on the beach as I read this story. I also appreciated the way this author dealt with Sallie Riehl and her desire for something more in her life.

Sallie is a young Amish woman, who has always had the desire to travel and see more of the world. She is given an opportunity to be a nanny for a family and keep watch over their young girl while they spend the Summer at their beach home at Cape May. It is here that Sallie falls in love with the ocean. It is also here that she will meet a young Mennonite man, whose friendship she will cherish. When the Summer ends Sallie returns to her family in Paradise Township to hopefully enter into her baptism classes. But Sallie will never be the same after her trip to the ocean and her family will come to realize this. Can she follow her heart and step outside of her Amih community? Well, I am not giving anything away. But I sure did enjoy myself in "The Ebb Tide". ( )

Good story, a little different than most of Beverly Lewis's stories. Most of this book takes place away from Sallie's Lancaster County Amish community and visits Cape May, New Jersey instead. I did find the beginning of the book a little slow, but once she arrived in Cape May, it picked up quite nicely.

Sallie is an unusual Amish woman. From a very young age, she was interested in the wider world around her, not just her community. She was an avid reader, especially of books about faraway places, and she dreamed of having a chance to travel. Much to her parents' displeasure, she saved enough money to take her dream trip to Australia. She was just weeks from leaving when she gave up that trip to help someone else. But as the saying goes, "When God closes a door, sometimes he opens a window." One of the customers at the restaurant where she worked asked Sallie if she would be willing to be their daughter's nanny at the Jersey shore that summer. Naturally, she jumped at the chance.

There were several things that could have worked against her. First, her parents, especially her mother, were not very happy that she would have to put off her baptism into the church for another year. Also, her older sister was getting married, and Sallie's help was needed with the preparations. Others were worried that spending that much time around "Englischers" would tempt Sallie away from her faith. Then there's the disappointment of the young Amish man who wants to court her. Any one of those things could have put an end to her dream, but Sallie was a determined young woman and found a way to make it happen. I especially loved the part her father played in making her trip happen.

There was a lot going on during this summer at the beach. Sallie was there to watch over nine-year-old Autumn while Autumn's mother was recuperating from a difficult pregnancy and dealing with a fussy newborn. Autumn is a pistol of a kid, warm-hearted and friendly, and full of energy. I loved seeing how much fun she had showing Sallie around Cape May. She's not a perfect child, however, and had her moments of grumpiness. She also exhibited some jealousy of her baby brother, with frequent complaints about his crying and how much of their mother's time he takes. I loved Sallie's efforts to bring the two children closer together. I ached for Autumn and her unhappiness and worried that she would remain that way. It took a terrifying experience for Autumn to gain a different perspective on her relationship with her baby brother.

The time away from Lancaster brought some changes to Sallie's outlook. She began to look at her life and her faith and question some of the things she felt. There was guilt over her relief at avoiding joining church for another year. She felt the weight of her parents' expectations and wondered at her own reluctance. Her correspondence with Perry started well but became more of a chore the longer she was away. Even the longed-for visit by her sister Frannie had some tense moments as Frannie noted the changes in Sallie.

Early in the visit, Autumn and Sallie went on a boat tour, where they met marine biology intern Kevin Kreider. Kevin is friendly and knowledgeable and connected quickly with both Autumn and Sallie. Kevin is a Mennonite who also has Amish family that lives near Sallie's home. He and Sallie began spending a lot of time together. I loved their growing friendship and how they were able to talk together about so many different things. Sallie loved hearing about Kevin's travels and soaked up everything he would tell her. Kevin was very interested in learning about Sallie's life with the Amish, as his own family didn't talk about their old lives. Sallie knew that she and Kevin could only be friends, but she couldn't deny that there was more to it. It was pretty clear that Kevin had fallen hard for Sallie. I loved the sweet way he treated her, and his pleasure in making her happy. Their visit to Kevin's church was especially moving, and I loved the effect it had on Sallie. But when Sallie realized her feelings for Kevin had changed, she pulled back. I ached for both of them as she returned home at the end of the summer.

Her time in New Jersey had changed Sallie deeply though, and she spent a lot of time contemplating her future. She also missed Kevin desperately, even as she tried to renew her relationship with Perry. I ached for her as she wrestled with the decisions she had to make. I loved the unexpected visit from Kevin and the renewal of their friendship. It warmed my heart to see how he interacted with her family and their reactions to him. I especially liked that Sallie took her time and thought long and hard about what she wanted for her life. The support and encouragement of her family were unexpected and wonderful to see. I loved how everything worked out. The epilogue was fantastic. ( )