Annette Blair - Jacob's Return

Jacob Sauder abandons his Amish heritage when the woman he loves, Rachel Zook, agrees to marry his brother, Simon. Though he adapts to the ways of the "English" - even fathering twins - he remains an outsider. When the mother of his twins dies, Jacob knows only one way to raise his children - the Amish way. He brings them home to the community he vowed to leave forever. For his children he can do anything, even be strong when he sees Rachel, his love, married to his brother.
Years ago, Simon lied to ensure a future with Rachel Zook as his wife. Now Rachel is barren, a disappointment to him. Unaware of the lie Simon told to drive Jacob away, Rachel believes Jacob abandoned her when he left the Amish community. Shocked when he returns with two-year-old twins, Rachel knows there can be nothing between them, for marriage is a life-long commitment among the Amish. But the twins need a mother and Rachel loves children. As she cares for Jacob's children as if they were her own, her feelings for him deepen into a love that cannot be.
Jacob's Return is the story of a prodigal son, a forbidden love, and a fanatical preacher. As shocking as it is compelling, Jacob's Return is both uplifting and unforgettable. A wonderful read, this is a universal story about love and faith in impossible circumstances.

Comment: I just checked and I had added this title to my TBR back in 2015. I can't remember anymore why but since it's another one of the titles I've buddy read with my friend H., it probably means there's something in it that caught out attention.. I can't tell anymore if it was the fact this would feature a romance among the Amish community or the sort-of-trope with the single parent raising his children...

This book is centered on Jacob, an Amish man who turned his back on the community when his brother married the woman he had always loved right after their mother's death. Now four years gone, he is coming back with his twin babies since their mother died giving birth to them. He knows life won't be easy at home. His father will welcome him if the community's bishop does but he can anticipate the issues with living with his brother and Rachel, the woman he thinks left him for his brother Simon. 

What he discovers is that his brother's marriage isn't good and Rachel is not yet a mother, actually accused of being barren. Jacob decides to cheer her up by asking her to help with his own children, especially since they will all live in the same house. However, the feelings that once brought them together were not forgotten but their circumstances are different now. Will there be any hope for them?

By checking we can see this book was originally published in 1999 and its cover was pretty steamy for an Amish setting. The reprints already in the 00s are more in tune with what the story is about but I must say the fact this was written in the 90s conferred this story a certain tone that I wasn't expecting at all. Basically, this story did feel a little more passionate than what I usually assume writers would attempt with Amish or other religious groups.

I don't mean to say this is bad or wrong but it threw me off a little and perhaps my enjoyment was less because of that. I'd say this book is more along the lines of those with some community conflict but where religion isn't the focus. Although the action for this book took place among the Amish, that detail was never very decisive for the characters. In my point of view.

This story is based on the return of one son who lost his ways (familiar much?) but who wants to raise his children with his family and with his own personal background. I could certainly appreciate this for it was obvious Jacob felt the need to return to his beliefs and values, something he didn't find while he was away.

I could also accept he would return to his father's house, where his always steady brother Simon was living with Rachel. Not just from the perspective that this is how Amish families would behave in an historical setting ( or even now, I'm not knowledgeable enough on this subject) but also because where should he go anyway, if the room for them was there.

What made me loose my appreciation - and this was very in the beginning of the book - was how quickly the conflict with Rachel was solved with a very simple conversation. This means from then on the conflict was due to the fact she was married to his brother and not their bruised feelings.

On one hand, this was positive because the reader doesn't have to spend the whole book waiting for them to stop making cow eyes at one another. But it also means their behavior, even with some mitigating and valid reasons, was certainly not one I'd think of two dedicated Amish people who live according to their beliefs.

I can understand how some things happened for plot purpose but then the Amish setting and detail felt a little like... a prop, something just to justify a few things and not really an integral part of who these people were. Again, just my own impression.

I could say some things worked out well. I think the overall sense of angst and need to overcome a problem and stress out the importance of family and of being kind were captivating details that made me want to keep reading. But the romance between Jacob and Rachel wasn't impressive, nor how they chose to deal with one another and even less with how the author "solved" the problems before they got to have their HEA.

This is not a bad book as a whole but while thinking about several elements alone, I feel a little bothered with the way the main characters behaved or decided to act. Ok, it can be a little how people in the 19th century behaved, perhaps it can be just one possibility among the millions of people who make different decisions everyday but... I liked some things about this book but not all.

Grade: 6/10