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Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Little Amish Girl by Viola Estrella shares a similar thought process. It centers on Ivy, an Amish girl who must endure going from one foster home to another with the expectation of a different outcome from the last. Along with her sister, Ruth, she’s been taken from the only world she has ever known. Will she ever find a place where she feels safe, or will she always yearn to return to her parents? As she grows, she meets Beck, whose love shapes her understanding of what it means to be connected. Then there’s Gram, whose role throughout most of her life has been both comforting and disruptive. Through shifting relationships, questions of faith, and the search for stability, the novel explores family, resilience, and identity.
Little Amish Girl by Viola Estrella captivated me with its honest portrayal of Ivy’s struggle to bridge her Amish heritage and the unfamiliar “English” world. As someone fascinated by Amish life, I found Ivy’s fresh outsider perspective, like her attempts to make sense of the humor in Friends, authentic and engaging. Her path from childhood into adulthood is relatable on many levels. No matter a person’s background, some hopes and fears are universal. The story’s focus on perseverance, forming new relationships, and navigating questions of belonging resonated with me. I think that, ultimately, what everyone wants is to feel accepted and truly belong. Ivy’s story lingers because it’s not just about heartbreak, but also about the courage it takes to open one’s heart and find a place to finally call home.
