Bonnet Rippers

I'll admit to not having read an Amish novel in awhile. In fact, looking at the Categories list, it appears I have only reviewed one Amish novel all year. In my defence, for all my self-professed enthusiasm and fascination for the Amish, in recent years there haven't been that many novels that aren't rubbish or insufferably religious.

However, it seems this is no longer the case! Having just read this article I am now adding several new Amish titles to my reading list.

This wasn't the only weird article on the Guardian Books website today. In a terrible piece of blasphemy Wayne Gooderham compared Holly Golightly to Jay Gatsby in drag (I'm offended for Jay rather than Holly). Things went from bad to worse when I saw features on both Sarah Palin and Jeffrey Archer. I closed down the site and made myself a bowl of chopped banana with a shot of coffee poured over it.

Breakfast heaven.

Plain Truth (Jodi Picoult)

Ahem, ahem, excuse me...
EXCUSE ME.
Thank you.
In my defence, I have a fixation with the Amish.
Ja, you heard me.
I think they're fascinating and the way of life has always appealed to me (the dresses more than the hard work/selflessness thing I suspect). That is the ONLY REASON I picked up this book. Most novels about the Amish are written by Mills and Boon type authors and it's all 'young Amish widow saved by emergency room doctor' or 'young prostitute saved by Amish widower who wants a mother for his eight small children'. The murder trial premise in Plain Truth elevated my expectations slightly. Also, Tim Allen and Kirstie Alley made a rather addictive movie ages ago called For Richer or Poorer, and, quite frankly, they're both super cute in it: high powered city-types trying to live Plain. I thought this might be like that.
However, I find myself quite, quite disappointed. Did I learn how to sew a quilt properly? Did I learn when to hull corn, or whatever it is you do with corn? Did I find my life philosophies challenged on a deep and fundamental level?
No.
I did learn that unpasteurised milk can lead to asphyxiation in a neonate (I believe this is a newborn, although it sounds more like a fluorescent alien). I also realised that I have still to read a description of a high-powered female lawyer who doesn't wear a power suit and have a boy's haircut and isn't seriously misunderstood and doesn't secretly want to have a child.
The best character in the novel is Adam Sinclair who has a PhD in hunting ghosts. He doesn't really get enough page time for his potential to be fully realised, which is a pity as he was by far the most palatable (and believable) character.
I can't even be bothered to tell you more of the story; suffice to say, if I want a proper Amish fix I'm going to dig out Tim and Kirstie again. And if that doesn't work, I might just have to move to Pennsylvania.
Rating: 3/10