Once Upon a Buggy

by Shelley Shepard Gray

May and Carl at ages 16 and 17 respectively sneak off to the feed barn for some innocent time away from the prying eyes and ears of siblings. When a lightening bolt strikes the wooden structure, their lives are changed forever, as are the lives of their families when a feud develops and the formerly close neighbors stop communicating altogether. As part of the Amish community in Apple Creek, Ohio, they should have been able to get past guilt and blame, but they haven’t, especially Carl’s family because he was injured so badly.

Six years later, Carl returns to Apple Creek for the first time to visit. Scarred mentally and physically, he has made a lonely life for himself as an Englischer. He is successful, however, as a project manager for a manufacturing company. Carl wants to leave the past behind and unite the two families. His sister and May’s brother find themselves in a Romeo and Juliet scenario as they are quite smitten with each other, but know neither family would approve. Carl finds that he still has feelings for May.

The author puts lots of obstacles in the way, and at times reconciliation for the two families seems impossible. The parents in this book are, of course, Amish, and the customs are for families to stay together with the father having ultimate authority. The adult children often have to walk a fine line between living out their lives and respecting their parents.

Once Upon a Buggy is well written with lots of character development. The conflicts are realistic. I am not Amish and am only aware of their societal structure through fiction, but I was surprised that their bishop in six  years had not intervened in the feud. He was helpful, however, when called on by the younger members of the families who pushed a confrontation so they could move on with their lives.

There are two scenes that particularly caught my interest. A tornado moved through their county. Because Carl is Englisch, many people find out about the tornado watch and later the  warning through Carl and his access to technology.  That scenario made me wonder how the Amish normally find out about tornadoes moving through. In my county in Oklahoma, we have sirens as a warning system. The families’ preparations for the event, their time of sheltering, and the community’s working together in the aftermath particularly drew my attention. 

May’s family owns alpacas, and the herd has an important role in the story. I enjoyed learning more about them.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Christian, Romance

Notes: #2 in the Amish of Apple Creek Series, but works well as a standalone. I had not read #1 and didn’t feel like I had missed anything that would keep me from understanding or enjoying this book.

Publication:  March 28, 2023—Kensington

Memorable Lines:

People started whispering. A low buzz surrounded her, sounding as if she was surrounded by a swarm of bees. Each one gossiping, talking, no doubt ready to sting her with an unkind comment.

It seemed that was how everyone handled his father now. They let Daed spout off rude things and didn’t correct him. Carl supposed that approach kept the peace, but he found it irritating.

“What I’m trying to say is that He did hear my prayers, but the solution wasn’t the one I thought I wanted. It was the one I needed. I didn’t need to have pain and sadness removed from my life…I just needed a way to manage them.”