Caleb helps with maple sap collection to make syrup for sale. Pancake parties give young men and maids a chance to mingle. He may have returned from his rumschpringe time, but he has yet to be baptised as an adult member of the community. This only occurs once a year, in fall. Sarah, Caleb's sister, works at a guesthouse for polite Englisch tourists, and she's determined to help him settle back among the community. She couldn't bear to lose him again. Lovely Josie Yoder is more than pleased to see the young man she remembers socialising... she's grown up during his absence and she's single... but her family feel distrustful of Caleb. As does his own father, especially when Caleb uses a battery-powered saw on a roofing project. This saw may not be connected to an electrical cord, but it's still not part of the old ways.

I was struck by the Belgian and Haflinger draught horses. Such horses are few in Europe now; when the Iron Curtain opened to free trade, many East European farmers sold their horses to Germany for meat. The farming communities of the Amish are acting as a reservoir of genetic stock, like a Noah's Ark. Also, the hand labour of these people with minimal pesticide use requires more workers, compared to intensive monoculture crops.

I found a lot to like in Mary Ellis's story of contrasts, especially when two Englisch friends of Caleb's come to visit and Sarah takes down her hair to show the girl. The family is very well drawn with contrasting characters and an autocratic father who is starting to feel his age. I know tradesmen value their tools and clothing, yet poor Caleb is obliged to give away all the top-line tools and stout coat because they are not Plain. He deserves a fine young woman in return for his efforts. We see a barn raising to convince us that Amish methods do work. Good rich food is enjoyed by all, but what of romance in the strict atmosphere? And can Caleb convince everyone - his father, Josie and himself included - that he genuinely intends to be A PLAIN MAN? This book by Mary Ellis is a lengthy, descriptive, gently amusing tale, well worth reading and with plenty of food for thought.

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