The Lesson by Suzanne Woods Fisher

I began and finished The Lesson by Suzanne Woods Fisher during my winter break but found myself unwilling to simply sit down and write about it.  I may have been antsy from too much sugar and decaf coffee, but I can't be sure.  Nonetheless, today seemed like the perfect day to finally write because I'm off of school due to a Snow Day and unlike most people, I'm not good at relaxing, so I decided to get caught up on the blog.

Since reading The Lesson, I've recommended the book to "my side-kick" (a student who seeks me out every day during her lunch to talk) and she and I both thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters.  I recommended that my side kick read the book as well, despite her busy schedule, because she reminds me of the main character, Mary Kate and she happened to be going through some of the same experiences. Mary Kate is a young Amish woman on the verge of discovering her purpose.  She's torn about the church because she's ready to leave town and travel to assuage her restlessness, rather than simply commit, find a husband and begin a family.  M.K.'s life takes a quick turn as she literally runs into the town school teacher and the teacher "falls ill" enough to need substitute coverage for the students.  In order to help M.K. take on some responsibilities, M.K. is volunteered by her family to be the substitute teacher.

In the meantime, a young man shows up at M.K.'s family farm and is looking for work in order to help support himself and his sister.  This young man, Chris, is technically "English,"  but he's adopted the ways of the Amish because of a foster mother he previously had when he lived in Ohio.  Chris is very cautious not to tell of his origins for fear that he might arise suspicions about his family life.

Mary Kate is increasingly frustrated by the teaching position because she realizes that despite being bright and well-read that teaching isn't exactly the easiest-- particularly when it comes to managing the behavior of the students and getting some of the "big boys" to buy into the whole notion of education.  Just as she's expected to be relieved by the old teacher, she finds out the old teacher will NOT be returning to the position and now M.K.'s stuck in charge.  In order to help her along, M.K's step mother sets up a meeting with an elderly former teacher and M.K. begins meeting this older firecracker-of-a-woman on a regular basis, finding herself drawn to her new mentor.    

Mary Kate and Chris do begin a relationship, but it has its complications with Chris's family's past and with Mary Kate's best male friend (Jimmy) deciding that he is in love with her. At the same time, Chris's younger sister, Jenny, finds a mentor with Mary Kate's step-mother, Fern.  It would seem that all's-well-that ends well, but instead Suzanne must throw another twist (or four) into the story (which I don't have the heart to reveal!). All I can say is that I appreciate the twists because they reflect the complications of life and they are also strangely calming because the characters endure hardship, but with help from those around them, and with their faith, they manage to realistically persevere.  All is not fixed, but they continue to grow in faith and spirit. Because of Fisher's multifaceted characters and well-woven plots and sub-plots, I will continue to read her work and recommend it to others.