Somewhere to Belong (by Judith Miller)

(Amazon UK link)

I had never heard of Judith Miller, although apparently she is quite a prolific writer of American historical Christian fiction. I came across her name when I was browsing for free Kindle books some years ago, and spotted ‘Somewhere to Belong’. The blurb sounded interesting and the reviews were mostly positive, so I downloaded it. I read it recently while travelling.

The story is set in in 1877 in Iowa in the United States, amongst the Amana colonies. I had never heard of this community, which had seven villages, and - as far as I could tell, with my limited knowledge - was very much like an Amish community. This book is first in a three-part series called 'Daughters of Amana', and was presumably free in order to encourage readers to buy the two sequels.

The novel features two very different young women. Johanna has lived amongst the Amana all her life. She would love to see some of the world, particularly Chicago where her brother Wilhelm lives with his wife. But her parents are very anxious that they might lose her permanently. The community elders disapprove of the outside world entirely. They are mostly self-sufficient in their farming, but they have a shop; they get a lot of visitors who are interested in their way of life, and often sell examples of local produce or crafts.

Berta is the other young woman. She has come from Chicago with her parents and is very angry when we meet her. She’s exotically dressed, and is rather rude to her parents. But it’s evident that they have decided not just to visit (as she thinks) but to live amongst the Amana. So she is allocated to the kitchens and told to work alongside Johanna, who will help her to learn their customs and train her in the necessary work.

Berta’s life up to this point has been pampered, with servants to do the laundry and cooking, and a lot of freedom. She doesn’t like the simple Amana clothes that she is expected to wear, and she dislikes the chores she is expected to do. Most of all she hates having to get up before dawn to start the preparations. And she can’t understand why there are so many ‘meetings’. When she learns that the punishment for rebellion is to be banned from the meetings, she feels she has nothing to lose…

Johanna’s parents want her to settle down and marry an Amana man; they even have someone in mind. Johanna doesn’t dislike the man in question but she wants to make her own choices, and to have the freedom to visit her relatives outside the community.

The writing is good, showing the differences between the two young women in their actions and conversation. I found Johanna rather too good to be true; her ‘vices’ seem so minor as to be almost amusing. Berta is a materialistic, selfish young woman, and I found it hard to sympathise with her as a person. However her parents treat her like a little child, and clearly have secrets of their own.

Naturally there are Christian/religious overtones to the book. Much of the conversation is about God, and doing his will, but it feels natural in the context and is not too preachy. Anyone reading this who is not a believer should see this as an inherent part of the story; it wouldn’t work without the religious structure to the community. I found the idea of this strict community rather alien, but it’s set almost 200 years ago when society was very different anyway.

Themes such as the importance of honesty and integrity shine through. Both the young women deceive their parents and others at times but gradually it becomes clear that the parents have kept things from their children. If nothing else the book underlines how vital it is to be truthful to one’s children, not keeping important information from them, and not harbouring secrets.

In places I found the book a bit dull, but I kept reading. I was curious to know whether Berta would eventually settle down, and whether Johanna would decide to leave. The conclusion is perhaps a bit over-tidy but on the whole I thought it encouraging. However I don't plan to read the two other books in the 'Daughters of Amana' series.

'Somewhere to Belong' is available in paperback or Kindle form, but no longer free.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews