In LOVE COMES TO PARADISE Nora King, aged 22, is full of happiness on moving to Paradise from the restrictive community of Harmony, where young people may not socialise and women may not work outside the home. Soon she's got a good friend in Violet, who's in a wheelchair, and a job with her relative-by-marriage Emily who runs a bakery and store. Best of all, charming Elam who'd made his affections clear in Maine before deciding to travel, gets taken on at the lumber yard run by Emily's husband James.

Elam drives a car, wears jeans and has been known to drink beer. He's hardly a model husband, but that hadn't worried Nora before. Now however, when she can wear a peach- coloured dress instead of only black, and she can get out and meet other friendly young people at singing evenings or bonfire suppers, the rules of her community start to mean more to her and she refuses to let Elam take advantage. The status quo is upset when another young man from Maine, Lewis, arrives in pursuit of Nora, and while he learns to use a computer in a business, he's committed to the old ways.

Nora's story is one of a girl fighting restrictive society, which could be the case with any moody teen rebelling against a curfew. Given security and a measure of freedom, she flourishes. The other characters show us various facets of Amish life today - the women do the washing and cooking but some can use a propane washer, refrigerator and a cell phone in emergency. The deacon and pastor dispute earnestly over how literally one should interpret the story of the Flood today, and relate the plagues of Egypt to a swarm of locusts that devours crops. A man requiring dialysis is told he must not work on Sunday to pay his medical bills. To me this seemed particularly heartless. However the bishop then decreed that the community should fund raise to help his family. In Ireland where I live the state would pay for the care, so I found this situation doubly difficult to believe. I also thought that it must be soul-destroying to be told that you keep on falling into sin and that is why the crops are ruined; can't people see that weather is nobody's fault?

Nora at 22 is ignorant of the layout of the American states, which leaves me wondering what kind of educational system allows some of the nation's children to graduate half-taught. Anyone may look at a map. We are also told that the Amish population of Missouri has trebled in the past 20 years, as people move there from more crowded states seeking cheap farmland. Largely they farm using organic, free-range methods. Their 'English' neighbours respect their ways but tourists, who make up a large part of their store incomes, are sometimes thoughtless. After reading this intense, deep-rooted novel I was pleased for anyone who finds that the old ways suit them and choose to settle down; I am also pleased that the time of rumschpringe is allowed to the young people so that they may make a more informed choice. This is an excellent read for those who wish to learn about this caring community, as well as being a fine romance.

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