Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
Kindle Price: $9.99

Save $5.00 (33%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Audiobook Price: $17.50

Save: $10.01 (57%)

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Beverly Lewis
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Shunning (Heritage of Lancaster County Book #1) Kindle Edition

by Beverly Lewis (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,289 ratings
See all formats and editions
The best selling story of Katie Lapp, who longs for things forbidden to a young Amish woman. But an unexpected discovery reveals her true past. Heritage of Lancaster County book 1.
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 3
    Heritage of Lancaster County
  2. Print length
    290 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Bethany House Publishers
  6. Publication date
    February 1, 2008
  7. File size
    2459 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
Next page
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card
Next 3 for you in this series See full series
Total Price: $29.97
By clicking on the above button, you agree to Amazon's Kindle Store Terms of Use

Editorial Reviews

Review

''(Audiobook Narrator) Caruso's voice soon becomes an extension of the book.'' --AudioFile

From the Back Cover

All her life she longed for the forbidden things, but will her dreams come at a price too dear to pay?

Why would Katie Lapp's mother, a plain and simple Amishwoman who embraces the Old Ways, hide a beautiful satin baby dress in the attic? The staggering answer comes to light on the eve of Katie's wedding to widower Bishop John, throwing her life--present and future--into confusion.

Beverly Lewis' The Shunning Movie Coming Soon on DVD!

Bonus section includes a note from the author and photographs from the set of the motion picture!

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00B5J4RNG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bethany House Publishers; Repack edition (February 1, 2008)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 1, 2008
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2459 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 290 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0764204637
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,289 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Beverly Lewis

Beverly Lewis

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

I've had my nose in a book, for as long as I remember. When I was about 9 years old, I started writing my own stories. By sixth grade, I'd hand-written a 66-page semi-autobiographical book titled, "She Shall Have Music."

After I was married and our three children were in middle school, I began submitting articles and short fiction to various magazines.

My first book (Holly's First Love) was published in May 1993, the start of a 14-book series for pre-teen girls. Soon after, my first chapter book was published for 7-10-year-old readers ("Big Bad Beans") which later became part of my 24-book series, The Cul-de-Sac Kids. I wrote another long-running series for girls, titled "SummerHill Secrets," which was set very close to Neffsville, PA, where I grew up--near the heart of Amish country.

But it was the story of my grandmother Ada Buchwalter's shunning by her ultra-strict father and subsequently her old order Mennonite community that nudged me toward writing adult fiction. THE SHUNNING was published in 1997 by Bethany House Publishers, and along with its sequels, has touched a nerve in millions of readers intrigued by the Plain tradition of Lancaster County, PA. Many readers have enjoyed the Hallmark Channel's adaptation of this book and the other books in the Heritage of Lancaster County series.

My passion for Amish-related stories continues to keep me up at night, and I've written over three dozen novels for adults set in Lancaster County.

When I'm between writing deadlines, I enjoy hiking in the Rocky Mountains with my husband. Cooking from scratch, playing Mozart at the piano, and making family memory albums, as well as traveling to meet my devoted readers during book tours, are some of my very favorite things. I also adore reading biographies and memoirs, as well as classic literature.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
1,289 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Beverly Lewis' The Shunning
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2023
Verified Purchase
I love good Amish stories and this was one of the best. I would recommend it highly. God had a beautiful way of ministering to our hearts. Thank you Lord!
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
M. C. Crammer
5.0 out of 5 stars I read this book in two days because it held my attention so well -- main problem was that I kept
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2009
Verified Purchase
flipping further into the book to see what happens.

The story involves an Amish community in the Lancaster, PA, area, in particularly, a young woman named Katie, who is engaged to be married but having trouble with the engagement and with being Amish. One of the primary problems she encounters is the rule about music -- only songs from an ancient volume of hymns are permitted. She has a forbidden guitar given to her by her deceased boyfriend and likes to hum songs they made up together, or even songs from the outside "English" world. Her attempts to conform are increasingly stressful to her, which puzzles her and her fellow Amish. Her family and community dosn't know what to do with her (you can guess from the title where this problem is headed).

The book ends with the situation set up for the next book in this three-volume series -- you almost wonder why they didn't combine these into a single book.

I enjoyed the imaginary trip into the world of the Amish. In my research, I learned that the Amish are really a collection of basically Mennonite churches with stricter rules than the rest of the Mennonites: they follow the traditions strictly, which is why they are called Old Order Amish. They have a greater desire to live apart from people not of their faith community than Mennonites do, but each Amish community has different rules they follow. What happens in this book may be true for this community, but another community might have dealt with it in another way.

If you have no interest in the Amish or reading a book where emotions are tightly controlled and conflict is often concealed, this book probably isn't going to be your cup of tea.

I really enjoyed reading this. There were a few things that don't make a lot of sense plot-wise that made me with the author had been more careful about that. For example, we are told several times that at 22, Katie was considered to be close to the age where she'd never find a husband, and yet the man she is to be married is said to have waited three years to marry her. Her boyfriend drowned some time previously to the story's beginning, and it's clear Katie's fiance has been widowed for a while -- so why has the man been waiting three years for this, particularly since he's clearly in a hurry.

It was also unclear to me why a community so focused on avoiding sinful behavior and which emphasizes community so much does not seem to be bothered by hurtful gossiping. You'd think avoiding that would be among the rules of right behavior! On the other hand, having people gossiping about Katie was a major part of the stress she and her family experience. While this very communal Amish world seemed very cozy in many ways (no-one seems lonely, ever), this complete lack of privacy and pressure to conform helped me understand what would be unpleasant about living this way (aside from lack of modern conveniences like electricity), so unpleasant that some people leave despite the great loss this involves.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Janet M.
4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing style
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2011
Verified Purchase
Beverly Lewis has an easy to read and intriguing style using the techniques of a prologue and an epilogue in nearly all of her books so that we can hear from the main character herself before and after the story. Lewis is able to complete the story satisfactorily yet also able to leave the reader looking forward to more. She loves her "people" as much as her readers do and so we look forward to hearing about them again in later books. In some ways her books could be called "cookie cutters" but that's why we read them, we can trust that she will present characters we will be emotional about, even if it's outrage at their hypocrisy and unfair treatment of our heroine, as it is with young Amish girl, Katie Lapp, who loves to sing, play the guitar, and feel the smooth richness of satin -- all forbidden by her Amish family and community. Yet these people who turn their backs on her have done far worse things than the innocent humming of a forbidden tune. In Katie's own poignant words upon being threatened with hellfire and shunning: "I know....but I won't go to church and pretend to confess---not after the way I've been lied to all these years." Bravo, Katie! I'm glad you finally said what I had been murmuring to myself all along!

The next two books are worth reading because of the developing character of Katie's best friend Mary who turns out to be a person of integrity and love and loyalty.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kathryn Spurgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
As with other books by Beverly Lewis, this one is straightforward, clear and well written. Realistic characters. Handled the diverse religions very well.
Helpful
 Report
Ashely
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Look into Amish culture
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2021
Verified Purchase
Such a great book. This is a very touching story. I could not put the book down. Well worth the read!
Helpful
 Report
Beck
5.0 out of 5 stars An Inside Look At the Amish Community
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is an excellent addition to any reader’s collection. I highly recommend.
Helpful
 Report
Reteach007
5.0 out of 5 stars Better than Amish cheesecake.
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2013
Verified Purchase
This is the first Beverly Lewis book I have ever read. I liked it so much I immediately read the next two in the series. I couldn't put them down. I love how Mrs. Lewis gives us an inside look at a sub-culture of America that most of us will never get to see for ourselves. She masterfully uses suspense and humor to make you want to read, "just one more chapter" before putting it down. I enjoyed it so much I immediately started reading a different series written by Mrs. Lewis. I think I'm hooked.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Luisa Cisterna
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed it a lot
Reviewed in Canada on December 31, 2023
Verified Purchase
I don't read a lot of Amish novels, but this one was really interesting and mysterious. The characters are relatable and well developed. The book is way better than the movie.
Report
A. Thomson
5.0 out of 5 stars Having watched the DVD and was disappointed that the continuing story - The Confession and The ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 27, 2014
Verified Purchase
Having watched the DVD and was disappointed that the continuing story - The Confession and The Reckoning - were only available on American DVD, and not UK, I just had to buy the three books on my Kindle. I just could not put it down, I was so caught up in the stories.

They tell of a young Amish Girl's desire to find her birth mother, Laura, whom she discovered was dying of cancer. On the orders of the bishop she was shunned and no-one in the community, including her parents or sibling,were allowed to have any contact with her whatsoever. She eventually found Laura shortly before her death. There is so much of the unexpected intrigue on the story. The stories have their sad moments amid the joy of reconciliation. Katherine, or Katy as she was known in the Amish community, really found what she really wanted in life and in the end became a Christian.

I cannot recommend this series enough.
Report
Bechet
3.0 out of 5 stars La fiction Amish : un bel exemple
Reviewed in France on March 1, 2013
Verified Purchase
La fiction Amish est un type de littérature qu'on rencontre peu en Europe. Romans de gare et un peu à l'eau de rose ayant toujours des sujets en lien avec les communautés Amish, ils se lisent un peu comme des séries de papier. Celui-ci est le premier d'une trilogie, et pour tout dire, est d'un bon niveau. J'entends par là de belles structures de phrases (ce n'est pas du Proust non plus), une histoire assez sobre mais creusée, et l'envie d'aller lire la suite. Comme dans les soap's, certains chapitres tirent en longueur, mais l'ambiance Amish n'est pas trop forcée, contrairement à d'autres ouvrages du même genre (voir ma recension de Clipston). A prendre pour ce que c'est, mais à conseiller aux curieux.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
Bronwyne
4.0 out of 5 stars A nice read
Reviewed in Australia on December 27, 2015
Verified Purchase
A nice read. Good background info on the Amish ways.
It Captures your interest and keeps it to the end.
Report
Launa Bristow
5.0 out of 5 stars Seller delivered before expected
Reviewed in Canada on February 1, 2020
Verified Purchase
One of my favourite authors
Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report