DIPLOMARBEIT / DIPLOMA THESIS 

Titel der Diplomarbeit / Title of the Diploma Thesis 

„Gender roles in Amish literature:  

An analysis of how gender roles are portrayed by  

non-Amish and Amish writers in Amish romance novels “ 

 

verfasst von / submitted by 

Mag.rer.soc.oec. Christine Pünner 

 

angestrebter akademischer Grad / in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of 

Magistra der Philosophie (Mag.phil.) 

Wien, 2019 / Vienna, 2019  

Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt / 

degree programme code as it appears on 

the student record sheet: 

UA 190 406 344 

Studienrichtung  lt. Studienblatt / 

degree programme as it appears on 

the student record sheet: 

Lehramtsstudium UF Mathematik UF Englisch 

Betreut von / Supervisor:  Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Alexandra Ganser-Blumenau 



 
 

  

 

 

 

 

  



 
 

Acknowledgments: 

 

I would like to thank my family, especially my husband and my son, for bearing with 

me while writing and finishing this thesis in these last months. I am sorry for not 

taking as much time for you as I should have, and I promise that this will change in 

the days ahead. Thank for your patience and support. 

I would also like to thank my supervisor, Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Alexandra Ganser-

Blumenau for her help with literature suggestions, helpful hints in structuring this 

thesis and most of all, for her patience and understanding, as the completion took 

longer than expected. 

 

  



 
 

  



 
 

Table of Contents 

1. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 

2. The Amish ............................................................................................................ 2 

2.1. A brief history of the Amish ............................................................................ 2 

2.2. A short overview of Amish concepts and customs......................................... 4 

2.3. The History of Amish Literature ..................................................................... 6 

3. Theoretical Background ..................................................................................... 11 

3.1. The literary genre of Amish romance novels ............................................... 11 

3.2. Gender ........................................................................................................ 13 

3.2.1. The concept of gender .......................................................................... 13 

3.2.2. Gender stereotypes .............................................................................. 13 

3.2.3. Gender roles among the Amish ............................................................ 15 

4. Gender roles in Amish serial novels ................................................................... 19 

4.1. A Lancaster County Saga by Wanda Brunstetter (2013) ............................. 19 

4.1.1. Main female and male characters and their gender roles ..................... 20 

4.1.2. Other female/male gender roles ............................................................ 30 

4.2. Healing Grace Series by Adina Senft (2015) ............................................... 36 

4.2.1. Main female and male characters and their gender roles ..................... 37 

4.2.2. Other female/male gender roles ............................................................ 53 

4.3. Lancaster Burning Series by Linda Byler (2014) ......................................... 57 

4.3.1. Main female and male characters and their gender roles ..................... 58 

4.3.2. Other female/male gender roles ............................................................ 66 

5. Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 73 

Bibliography .............................................................................................................. 78 

Appendix ................................................................................................................... 80 

English Abstract .................................................................................................... 80 

Deutsche Zusammenfassung ................................................................................ 81 



 
 

 



1 
 

1. Introduction 

 

Within the last decades the Amish people in the United States have been moved into 

the focus of American media. They continue to be the topic of Hollywood movies 

such as Witness (1985), For Richer or Poorer (1997), Plain Truth (2004), Saving 

Sarah Cain (2007), Amish Grace (2010), and Pee-wee’s Big Holiday (2016). 

Furthermore, they are repeatedly the subject of TV shows like For Weddings (2009), 

Breaking Amish (2012-2014), and Return to Amish (2014) and – especially since the 

late 1990s – romantic fictional novels (Igou 12).  

The typical elements that can be found in contemporary Amish romances are the 

concepts of Rumspringa1, shunning1, and evangelical piety (Weaver-Zercher 27). 

The internal struggle of the Amish heroine – or sometimes hero – between following 

her or his tradition and leaving the Amish church seems to be a never-ending 

storyline that continues to attract readers throughout the United States, especially 

those of Christian faith. A further element of Amish fictional novels is the withdrawal 

from the world that is offered to the reader, especially because the stories take place 

in a contemporary and real setting (Shelley 2). 

No matter how fascinating these novels might seem to their readers, the question 

arises whether these representations of Amish men and women, if portrayed by non-

Amish authors, are similar to those described by Amish writers or simply correspond 

to wishful thinking. Due to the fact that the Amish do not hold publishing in high 

esteem, most of the fictional literature of the last decades stems from non-Amish 

writers. Fortunately, this situation has changed within the last ten years, when Amish 

writers such as Linda Byler and Lena Yoder started writing Amish biographies or 

novels. Apart from these Amish writers, there are also those authors who have grown 

up within the Amish church but left their community in later years. Their inside 

experience offers a less stereotypical view of Amish men and women. 

Before insight is given into the way Amish gender roles are represented by non-

Amish as well as Amish writers, a short account of the Amish people’s history will be 

provided in order to understand their tradition and way of life more clearly. 

 

                                                             
1 See chapter 2.2 



2 
 

2. The Amish  
 

2.1. A brief history of the Amish  

 

The origin of the Amish people, also called Plain People, lies in the Christian 

Reformation movement that took place in Europe in the fifteenth and sixteenth 

centuries. Huldrych Zwingli, one of the two famous Swiss reformers, was joined by a 

man named Felix Manz. Because of the fact that Zwingli continued to baptize babies, 

“Felix and some others broke away and founded a church in which only adults were 

baptized” (Igou 25). Similar movements took place in the Netherlands and in 

German-speaking central Europe. They argued that baptism “should be a mark of 

voluntary commitment and therefore fitting only for those who understood the 

implications of a disciplined life” (Nolt 13-14). As these believers, who had already 

been baptized as babies before the Reformation movement started, now supported 

the baptism of adults, they were called Anabaptists, meaning re-baptizers (Nolt 14). 

The Amish consider these Anabaptists as their ancestors and a collection of stories 

of these martyrs can be found in the Ausbund, a hymnal that was first printed in 1564 

and is still in use in Amish worship services (Igou 25).  

The Reformation did not only affect Germany and Switzerland, but also spread 

throughout other parts of Europe. Menno Simmons, who converted to Anabaptism in 

1536, became another well-known leader and writer (Cooper 141). The believers 

following his teachings were called the Mennonites and during the 1600s, they mainly 

lived in Switzerland, Alsace, northern Germany, southern Germany, and Holland 

(Igou 28). 

The name Amish stems from Jacob Ammann, who was one of the elders of the 

Mennonites in Alsace at the end of the 17th century. At that time, a conflict arose 

between him and Hans Reist, the elder of the Swiss Mennonites, concerning certain 

issues regarding the church. Among those was the frequency of communion in 

church services, the question of shunning and banning, as well as the issue of 

clothing. The people in Alsace were strict in this respect, promoting plain and uniform 

dress, whereas the Swiss Mennonites were more liberal. Finally, in the fall of 1693, 

this conflict resulted in a separation of the Swiss and the Alsace believers, and in the 

course of time, Jacob Ammann’s followers became known as the Amish Mennonites, 

shortened to “Amish” (Igou 30-31). 



3 
 

In essence, there were nine points in which the Amish differed from the other 

Mennonites at that time. To be able to understand their lifestyle and culture as it is 

described in the literature that will be discussed in this thesis, some of these nine 

points are quoted here as they are listed in Igou’s book (Igou 33). 

1. Ammann believed in the literal shunning of those who are excommunicated. 

2. Ammann did not believe the true-hearted (those who gave food and shelter 

to the Anabaptists) should be considered as Christians. 

3. Ammann felt the need for stronger discipline in dress and everyday living. 

4. He felt that men should cut their hair fairly short and let their beards grow; 

the others followed the prevailing fashions of letting their hair grow very long 

and shaving their beard. 

Several attempts were made to unite these groups again, but none of these 

succeeded at that time. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, two waves of 

Amish immigration to the United States took place, with most of them settling in 

Pennsylvania at first. Now they live in more than 400 settlements in thirty states, as 

well as in one Canadian province (Weaver-Zercher 63). 

For more than a century, the Amish in America lived in unity. But around 1850, 

various tensions arose as new inventions such as photography and new styles in 

clothing developed. Some Amish settlements were more progressive and in order to 

keep the unity among the various groups, a ministers’ meeting was held in June of 

1862 and another one in 1878. However, these meetings only resulted in unity 

among the progressive bishops, who consequently formed a new group, the “Amish-

Mennonites” (Igou 46-48). Those groups who decided to keep to the old rules were 

henceforth called the “Old Order Amish”. In the first half of the twentieth century, 

another separation occurred, initiated by Moses M. Beachy. He allowed modernity to 

enter his community, favored a less strict discipline, and separated from the Old 

Order Amish. These groups were later called the “Beachy Amish” (Johnson-Weiner 

248). In the following illustration, an overview on Amish roots is given: 



4 
 

 

Fig. 1. Anabaptist-Amish Timeline (Nolt 19) 

 

It is the Old Order Amish who are at the center of the growing number of Amish 

novels with their horse-and-buggies, their plain and sober clothing, and long beards. 

According to the Amish, each tradition, restriction, or rule is based on the Bible and 

often the result of some controversial issue the church faced in the past. As one 

Amishman once explained, “if we see or experience something that is not good for us 

spiritually, we will discipline ourselves to do without” (Igou 62). To hold up their 

standard of nonconformity, the Amish put a lot of emphasis on discipline (Igou 61).  

Concerning the media, only print media such as books, magazines and newspapers 

are accepted among the Old Order Amish. They have their own publications about 

community news such as The Budget and The Message, which differ from outside 

publications insofar as they put a focus on reporting news that convey the normal 

rather than writing about events which disrupt the normal (Cooper 144). Other well-

known publications that are popular among the Amish are Family Life, Young 

Companion, and Blackboard Bulletin. These magazines focus on literature 

concerning their own values and are plain, black and white, without photos or fancy 

graphics, simply containing text and line drawings (Igou 9). 

 

2.2. A short overview of Amish concepts and customs 

 

Rumspringa 

Rumspringa is the Pennsylvania Dutch word for “running around” and it is used to 

describe the time when Amish teenagers are sixteen or seventeen and are sent out 

into the world. This time is a sort of ritual, where parents expect their children to test 



5 
 

their own faith before they come back to the community and get baptized or married. 

In contrast to popular belief, the teenagers are not sent out by their parents to try out 

all kind of deviant behavior. Also the way the parents handle their teenage offspring 

during that time varies from family to family. Furthermore, the youngsters still 

continue to live with their families, but are simply allowed more independence than 

before. Nevertheless, they are expected to help full time on the family farm or in the 

household – either in their own family or at a relative’s home. They often spend their 

weekends not at home but meet with Amish friends of their own age (Nolt 54-56). 

These cliques are also known as Die Youngie (young folks). It should be mentioned 

that during this period the Amish teenagers are not at risk of being shunned, because 

they have not been baptized yet and are therefore not members of the Amish church 

(Nolt 55). 

 

Shunning 

The practice of shunning is another part of the Amish church that is a common theme 

in Amish fiction. However interesting it might be to readers, it does not happen very 

often within an Amish community. Now what does shunning actually mean?  

The Amish, as believers in the Bible, have certain rules and customs that members – 

those who have been baptized – have to obey and follow. If someone falls short and 

disobeys, the opportunity for confession is given. Only if individuals do not show any 

remorse, do not want to confess, or show through their actions that they want to 

leave the church, they are excommunicated. The reason why excommunication or 

shunning, as it is called, does not happen that often, is that those people who really 

want to leave the Amish usually do not get baptized in the first place (Nolt 50). 

When shunning happens, “members will avoid the person in certain symbolic ways, 

such as not sharing a meal together and not entering into business contracts with 

them” (Nolt 50). Depending on the situation that leads to shunning, shunned people 

might feel betrayed and get bitter. Therefore, the consequences are of a more severe 

nature than in those communities where a positive relationship with other Amish 

people is maintained. From an Amish viewpoint, shunning “punishes the evildoer not 

in the spirit of revenge, but to bring him to repentance” (Igou 211), meaning that it is 

possible that the so-called Bann (shunning) can be reversed. 



6 
 

Ordnung 

The term Ordnung describes a moral road map of an Amish community and offers a 

guideline as to how the community members should lead their lives. These guidelines 

are meant to be a helpful resource in areas of contemporary life where the Bible, that 

the Amish see as their highest authority, offers no clear instructions. Ordnung directs 

as well as limits what a person should do, including for example the means of 

transportation, the style of clothing, or types of technology used at home (Nolt 34). In 

contrast to other religious regulations, such as the Jewish Mishnah or the Islamic 

Hadith, Ordnung is not written down but passed on orally to the next generation (35). 

Furthermore, it is not a fixed set of rules but responds both to developments in the 

real world and to the particular circumstances a person might find her- or himself in. 

For example, lay people enjoy a bit more flexibility that a bishop of an Amish 

community, who has more responsibility and should serve as a role model to other 

members (35). 

One or more of these three concepts – Rumspringa, Shunning, and Ordnung – are 

usually used as tensions in Amish literature, as they are often a source of conflicts 

and developments among the protagonists of a story. For example, there might be 

the Amish teenager questioning the ways of his upbringing, or a shunned family 

member struggling with the distance to his family and friends, or a young girl feeling 

limited in her personal development due to community rules. Therefore, these three 

customs also create tension in one way or another in the three serial novels 

discussed in this paper.  

 

2.3. The History of Amish Literature 

 

As already mentioned, print media is the only form of media that is accepted among 

Old Order communities. Besides the Bible, they have their own magazines such as 

Die Botschaft and Family Life (Cooper 144), publications that inform their readers 

about local news, every-day issues that concern their daily lives and problems, and 

sometimes short fictional stories that try to represent their way of life. Die Botschaft, 

for example, “employs dialect and description of outsiders as ‘strangers’ and 

‘English’, which reinforces the solidarity of readers” (Cooper 147). A non-Amish 



7 
 

reader would probably describe its articles as boring. Apart from these internal 

newspapers that are well-known and respected among the Amish communities, not 

much other literary effort has been made throughout the 20th century. 

However, the first time the Amish received a greater audience in print media was 

when Helen Reimensnyder Martin wrote the novel Sabina: A Story of the Amish in 

1905. Her book includes the typical elements of a rural surrounding, Rumspringa and 

romance for the first time (Weaver-Zercher 27). This combination of themes proved 

to be quite successful in Amish literature decades later. The story revolves around 

the Amish protagonist Sabina, who is supposed to marry a dull Amish farmer, 

because this is what her despotic father has planned. As time goes by, Sabina meets 

Augustus, who is not Amish, and they fall in love with each other. However, the 

heroine and the hero do not end up together, but Sabina marries the Amish farmer. 

Although the lives, customs and the appearance of the Plain People are vividly 

described in the book, the Amish are not put on a pedestal; rather, they are portrayed 

as people of bad manners, primitive, and lacking sophistication (Stekovic 22). 

Three years later, Cora Gottschalk Welty took up the Amish topic again with her 

novel The Masquerading of Margaret. This time the female and male protagonists are 

both outsiders, but they meet while staying in an Amish community. Margaret 

Habecker, a wealthy New Yorker, visits her Amish relatives and decides to dress like 

them during her stay. At the same time, Robert Jackson, also English, resides at 

Margaret’s relatives’ home. Both are positively impressed by the simple lifestyle and 

experience a transformation in their own lives. Finally, they become a couple, marry, 

and although they return to the city, their encounter with the Old Order community 

has changed their attitudes forever (Weaver-Zercher 33). In contrast to Sabina, 

Welty’s novel portrays the Amish in a positive way, and it again includes the elements 

of rurality and romance. Just like Martin’s book, it offers the readers an inside glimpse 

into a different life, but at the end, the protagonists can return to their normal 

surroundings and do not really have to interfere with the unknown (W eaver-Zercher 

34). 

Furthermore, these two novels are a good example of the dialectic manner how the 

Amish are represented: they are either portrayed as “American saints” or “denigrated 

as a fallen people” (Weaver-Zercher 28). This pattern can repeatedly be observed in 



8 
 

works of fictional literature that have been written about the Plain People until the 

present day. 

In 1937, the third notable Amish novel, Ruth Lininger Dobson’s Straw in the Wind, 

was published. The story is set in a Northern Indiana Amish community and portrays 

an egoistic and authoritarian Amish bishop called Moses Bontrager, who forces his 

will on his wife and daughters. In the end, his wife dies from overwork, one daughter 

is forced to marry someone she does not love, and the other one is prohibited from 

marrying the man she loves. The book was a success and was even awarded the 

Hopwood Prize from the University of Michigan (Weaver-Zercher 35). The Mennonite 

and Amish communities, however, were shocked about this negative description of 

Amish leaders and one of them decided to take action and protest against it in a 

literary way. This man was Joseph W. Yoder. In 1938, he wrote: “Being Amish born, 

raised Amish and still belong [sic] to the Amish Church, I wish to protest against the 

many misrepresentations of [sic] that novel” (qtd. in Weaver-Zercher 35). 

Consequently, he started writing the story of his mother, Rosanna of the Amish. It is 

about the life of his mother Rosanna, who was born into an Irish family living in 

America but was adopted by an Amish woman after her mother died in childbirth. In 

his book, Yoder includes lengthy illustrations of Amish culture and family life to 

positively portray his community and, unlike other writings, covers the whole span of 

his mother’s life. 

In the midst of the twentieth century, another element was added to Amish novels by 

Clara Bernice Miller. She was the first author to include evangelicalism into her 

stories. From now on, most novels do not only describe rural life and the 

protagonists’ struggle with Amish tradition, but also focus on a personal experience 

with Christ, including born-again salvation as well as evangelism (Weaver-Zercher 

37). For example, in Katie, which was published in 1966, the heroine starts 

questioning her image of God. By reading Christian romance novels, something her 

family frowns upon, “Katie learns the evangelical message of personal salvation” 

(37). Miller, who was raised Amish and later joined a more liberal Mennonite church, 

hoped that her books would be read by the Old Order people. Her idea was that her 

books would motivate the Amish to base their Christianity not on their traditions alone 

but to search for a more personal experience of God. This Amish “mission 

movement” started in the 1960s and continues until today. 



9 
 

At the end of the twentieth century, Beverly Lewis followed in Miller’s footsteps when 

writing Amish romance novels, the most popular among them being The Shunning 

(1997). About three years later, Wanda Brunstetter followed suit and used Amish 

fictional novels to portray an Amish protagonist so that he or she would set an 

example on how to become a better Christian (Stekovic 24). Both Lewis and 

Brunstetter are not Amish themselves, but by referencing research about the Amish, 

they “position themselves as credible insiders, thus seeking to mitigate the charge of 

factual errors and to gain authenticity – and hence popularity and sales” (Graybill, 

Chasing 2). Nevertheless, Stekovic (23) claims that striking differences can be 

noticed between novels depending on the author’s knowledge of Amish culture and 

traditions. 

Apart from these authors who try to add authenticity to their work by either doing 

research on the Amish themselves or by referring to existing research, there is a 

small group of Amish writers who have published their own books. Among these is 

Joseph W. Yoder, who has been mentioned before, as well as Emma King, who, in 

1992, wrote about a tragic event that unsettled her family. In 1999, Brad Igou, despite 

being non-Amish, undertook the task of collecting several years’ worth of texts by 

Amish that had been published in their magazine Family Life. He sorted the various 

contributions by topic and gave the book the appropriate title The Amish in Their Own 

Words.  

In the course of the last decade, however, two remarkable new and truly Amish 

releases have conquered Amish literature. The first one was written by Linda Byler, 

who started writing Amish novels in 2003 and has published more than twenty of 

them until today. As Graybill (Chasing 2) reports, “Byler still composes by hand, 

writing thoughts by pencil in composition books. Her writing is candid, humorous and 

true to her life as an Old Order Amish woman in more isolated Pennsylvania 

communities.” The second notable author is Lena Yoder, whose first book was a 

diary called My Life as an Amish Wife (2015).  

Apart from these two distinct groups of writers – those who are either truly Amish or 

total outsiders – another branch of authors has joined the market in recent years. 

They are in a certain way a subgroup of Amish writers, because they were either 

raised in Amish families but later in life left the community such as Jerry Eicher 

(2013), Ira Wagner (2012), Emma Gingerich (2014) and Misty Griffin (2014) or joined 



10 
 

the Amish faith like Marlene Miller (2015). These books are all autobiographies and 

allow the reader an inside glimpse into Amish life. 

As different as the background and motives of all these authors might be, they have 

one thing in common: in one way or another, they write about a community where 

gender difference is at least obvious in the members’ outward appearance. 

Consequently, the question arises whether these outward differences are also 

reflected in the character and behavior of males and females in Amish literature. 

Therefore, the focus of this paper is on the following research question: How are 

gender roles described by various novelists writing about the Amish and does the 

writer’s background influence these descriptions? In order to answer these questions, 

three recent serial novels have been chosen. Two of them were written by non-Amish 

authors: A Lancaster County Saga (2013) by Wanda Brunstetter and Healing Grace 

(2015) by Adina Senft. The third one, Lancaster Burning (2014), was written by the 

Amish writer Linda Byler. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



11 
 

3. Theoretical Background 

 

3.1. The literary genre of Amish romance novels 

 

The three works discussed in this paper all belong to the subgenre of Amish romance 

novels. As the term romance novel suggests, this genre comprises elements of a 

novel and a romance. But what exactly is the difference between these two genres, 

or, on the other hand, what do these two have in common? Although it is not easy to 

define these two terms clearly, one attempt has been made by Richard Chase, who 

asserts that “[t]he main difference between the novel and the romance is the way in 

which they view reality” (qtd. in Post 370). According to him, the events in a novel will 

usually be more plausible and closer to reality than in a romance, which often 

describes astonishing events that serve a more symbolic cause. Furthermore, the 

characters in a romance tend to be ideal and somehow abstract, whereas in novels 

they are more important and more closely observed and depicted (371). A similar 

explanation has been given by Clara Reeve in 1785, when “[s]he defined the novel 

as ‘a picture of real life and manners, and of the times in which it was written,’ 

whereas the romance ‘in lofty and elevated language, describes what has never 

happened nor is likely to’” (qtd. in Regis 21). 

When romance and novel are now combined, one could basically define this genre 

as a “prose fiction love story”, which includes the themes “love”, “a happy ending”, 

and the importance of the heroine (Regis 22). These themes are then translated into 

narrative events, which are “courtship” and “betrothal”, which Regis explained like 

this: 

Heroines and heroes in love conduct a courtship—that is the action in the 
novel that expresses the love noted by all of the critics. Courting couples 
become betrothed—that is the action that leads to the universally endorsed 
happy ending. The wedding itself is often omitted, but it is always promised in 
a betrothal. (22) 
 

Regis continues to expand this basic definition of a romance novel by stating eight 

essential narrative elements that are usually included in this genre: 

In one or more scenes, romance novels always depict the following: the initial 
state of society in which heroine and hero must court, the meeting between 
heroine and hero, the barrier to the union of heroine and hero, the attraction 
between the heroine and hero, the declaration of love between heroine and 
hero, the point of ritual death, the recognition by heroine and hero of the 



12 
 

means to overcome the barrier, and the betrothal. These elements are 
essential. (30) 
 

Sometimes, additional elements such as a bad character, who is converted to 

goodness, a scapegoat, who does not really appear in the actual events, or a 

wedding might occur in the romance novel, but they remain optional (30). 

Turning now to the subgenre of Amish romance novel, further elements can be 

identified. One predominant feature is religion, thereby putting the Amish romance 

novel in the category of inspirational fiction. Faith and culture always play an 

important part in the protagonists’ lives and influence their thoughts, feelings and 

actions. The recurring literary element of a rural setting for the storyline shows traces 

of regional fiction, too (Weaver-Zercher 29). Furthermore, the heroine usually 

struggles in one way or another for self-fulfillment and finding herself (31). Overall, 

the Amish romance novel is “the province of purity culture” (67), not containing sexual 

elements, refraining from modernity on various levels and thereby, it “becomes for its 

readers a tripartite literature of chastity: chaste texts about chaste protagonists living 

within a chaste subculture” (13). 

In her book “The Thrill of the Chaste”, Diane Weaver-Zercher quotes from an article 

about Amish fiction in Publishers Weekly the following “Recipe for an Amish novel”: 

Take 
One young woman (Sarah, Katie, or Rebecca), 
One young man (Jacob, Daniel, Samuel). 
 
Add one, or more, problems: 
Someone is 21 and unmarried. 
Someone has a family secret. 
Someone is tempted by life outside the Amish community. 
Someone’s heart has been broken. 
 
Mix together with one Daed, one Mamm, assorted siblings. 
(Optional: add grossdawdi and/or grossmammi). 
 
Bake together for 352 pages till resolved. 
Garnish with Pennsylvania Dutch glossary or recipes or quilt pattern.  
(qtd. in Weaver-Zercher 73-74) 
 

Although written in a rather cynical way, this recipe nevertheless includes core 

elements that can be found in most Amish romance novels: the occurrence of 

Pennsylvania Dutch dialect in the dialogues, a love story, a character questioning 

and finally finding faith in God, and the importance of relationships and family. 



13 
 

In addition to these themes that usually appreciate Amish community values and 

tradition, Sigrid Cordell also observes that “Gothic tropes of confinement and escape” 

(Cordell 2) are often part of the storyline. As the Amish reject modern technology, 

these novels are somehow set in an earlier time period, which is a common element 

in Gothic romance (10), and as the Ordnung emphasizes rules and regulations, an 

atmosphere of confinement is created (11).  

 

 

3.2. Gender 

 

3.2.1. The concept of gender 

 

The term gender originates from social studies and can be generally defined as 

describing female or male characteristics of a person within a society or culture. It 

has to be distinguished from the term sex, which mainly defines humans by their 

biological features, namely their reproductive organs and structures. 

Within the study of gender, however, there have been various viewpoints on this 

issue ever since this subject area has been researched. At the beginning of the 

twentieth century, the underlying idea was “that male-female psychological 

differences were natural, deep-seated, and of profound personal and social 

consequence” (Shields and Dicicco 491). In the 1930s, researchers tried to establish 

a measurement scale for masculine and feminine characteristics to reveal differences 

between males and females, which did not prove very reliable (492). In fact, studies 

conducted at the end of the 20th century “revealed the multidimensionality of gender 

– that is, ‘gender’ encompasses distinct factors that cannot be used to predict or 

make generalizations about gender-related attitudes or behaviors” (Shields and 

Dicicco 492). 

 

3.2.2. Gender stereotypes 

 

The Encyclopedia of Women and Gender (2001) defines gender stereotypes as 

“organized, consensual beliefs and opinions about the characteristics of women and 

men and about the purported qualities of masculinity and femininity” (561). These 



14 
 

beliefs do not only describe the traits of women and men, but also prescribe certain 

ways of behavior, telling them who they are expected to be (562). 

The traditional gender roles that most of us are aware of, follow a patriarchal model, 

where men are the privileged gender. They are considered as “rational, strong, 

protective, and decisive”, whereas women are seen as “emotional, weak, nurturing, 

and submissive” (Tyson 85). Even though these traditional views are constantly being 

challenged in our Western culture, they are still in effect today, excluding women 

from leadership positions and careers in engineering, and often paying them lower 

wages for doing the same job (85).  

The concept of patriarchy is based upon the belief that the biological difference 

between the sexes implies gender difference, stating that “women are innately 

inferior to men” and therefore not capable of the same tasks as men or lack certain 

abilities such as logical thinking (85). Feminists do not negate the biological 

differences, but object the view that women thus have an inferior status. They draw a 

clear line between the terms sex and gender (86). 

Apart from the fact that stereotypical gender roles discriminate women, also men are 

negatively influenced by this patriarchal ideal. For example, they are expected to be 

strong and emotionally stable, and are not supposed to show any weaknesses such 

as crying or being afraid. Furthermore, the failure to economically support his family 

can have a humiliating effect on a man, because it implies that he cannot fulfill his 

role as provider (87). 

Even though the patriarchal model has been challenged in our world today by women 

acquiring leadership positions and pursuing careers outside their homes, the 

underlying patriarchal gender roles are still in effect, as Tyson explains with this 

example: 

In upwardly mobile, middle-class American culture today, the woman on the 
pedestal is the woman who successfully juggles a career and a family, which 
means she looks great at the office and over the breakfast table, and she’s 
never too tired after work to fix dinner, clean house, attend to all her children’s 
needs, and please her husband in bed. (91) 
 

As it can be seen, the stereotypical gender roles are not a concept of the past, but 

still persist in our modern society. 

 



15 
 

3.2.3. Gender roles among the Amish 

 

As the Amish reject technology and modernity, their social life and culture remain 

traditional, too. At first sight, they follow a patriarchal form of society, and gender 

roles throughout the various communities are generally clearly defined.  

Broadly speaking, Amish men are the ones who carry the main responsibility for the 

financial support of the family. Their role is to be the head of the family and its 

spiritual leader. Women are expected to support their husbands and to take care of 

the household and the children. The idea behind these gender roles is rooted in the 

Bible, which talks about a divine hierarchy (Johnson-Weiner 235). This hierarchy 

“places the man at the head of the household just as Christ is the head of the church” 

(235). However, the Bible also states that the church is seen as the body of Christ 

and “that in Christ there is no male or female” (235), thereby giving men and women 

equal importance. The equality women share with men as Christians has even a 

higher status than her subordination to men in the communal hierarchy (238). 

As a result, men and women in Old Order Amish communities are connected to and 

influence each other by sharing responsibilities in daily activities. In fact, there are 

“patterns of social interaction that give women power and responsibility equal to that 

of men in ensuring the survival of the church community” (Johnson-Weiner 237). 

Both, men and women take part in informal discussions concerning the church 

community. Within a family, men and women have different tasks – the Amish wife 

takes care of the children and the household while the husband is in charge of 

farming and other economic dealings. In reality, however, they often share their 

tasks, helping each other with their responsibilities (238). 

As Igou (1999) quotes from a Family Life (December 1978), the Amish have defined 

the roles like this:  

Woman was not taken from man’s head for him to lord over her. She was not 
taken from his feet so that he could trample on her or kick her around. But she 
was taken from his side, close to his heart, thus being a loving partner to help 
him with life’s responsibilities [Gen. 2:18-23]. Among [her duties] are allowing 
the husband to be the head of the house, converting a house into a home, and 
assuming the responsibilities of motherhood. Certainly the submission of the 
wife does not mean slavish subjection, but a joyful working together for a 
common cause. (97) 
 



16 
 

It can be seen, that Amish women do not consider their role as housekeeper as 

inferior, but rather as complementary to their husband’s role as bread-winner. Even 

though husband and wife seem to follow traditional gender roles concerning their 

tasks, the underlying assumption that the social status of man and woman is not 

equal does thus not stand up to scrutiny. 

Another Amish woman describes her marriage in Family Life (February 1975) like 

this: “[…] I began to realize we can complement each other. In many areas we 

compromise. It is essential to give in to each other, but it is not necessary to lose 

one’s individual identity.” (Igou 105) As it can be noted, women in Amish society are 

not subject to an inferior status but see men and women’s gender roles as 

complementary to each other. 

This division of roles while working together and sharing equal importance is an 

inherent characteristic of the Old Order Amish communities., However, as some 

communities adapted to modernity over time and also some Old Order men started 

getting engaged in working off the farm, the relationship between men and women 

changed. On the one hand, women’s work stayed relatively constant, but the 

husbands could not help as much at home anymore. This resulted in a higher formal 

hierarchy with males becoming more dominant (Johnson-Weiner 244). To deal with 

this new situation accordingly, a minister writing in Family Life admonishes 

community members to bear in mind what the scriptures say:  

Whereas wives are counseled to ‘submit yourselves unto your own husbands,’ 
husbands are reminded to be ‘patient, forgiving, tender, appreciative, and 
sympathetic … reasonable, considerate, compassionate, courteous, and 
gentlemanly.’ (Johnson-Weiner 245) 

 

Through allowing modernization to enter some Amish communities, these groups 

separated from the Old Order Amish, forming the Beachy Amish and Fellowship 

churches. Johnson-Weiner observes that within these new-found churches the belief 

that man should dominate woman has grown stronger. Consequently, women do no 

longer have as much influence on church decisions as before: they are only allowed 

to discuss issues with their husbands at home, but in church, the husband speaks for 

his wife and additionally, as a couple they only have one vote together – women do 

not vote at all (248-249). Furthermore, the Beachy and Fellowship doctrine holds that 

God created men and women “as different types of beings, with specific and 



17 
 

distinctive roles” (251). Therefore, the gender roles in these communities are far 

more fixed and more clearly defined than in Old Order communities. 

Observing this development, it is interesting to note that women of more traditional 

Amish communities have a higher social status and more rights than those in more 

progressive ones. It seems as if the more intimate interaction with modern American 

society has challenged Amish men to emphasize their role as head of the household.  

 

Dress codes 

One important feature that reflects particular gender roles is the strict dress code in 

Amish communities. Through their clothing the members distinguish themselves from 

the surrounding culture (Graybill, Meanings 53). The regulation concerning their outfit 

are far more restrictive for women than for men, “allowing men to ‘pass’ more easily 

in the outside world” (55). Women have to wear plain dresses as well as a head 

covering. Those long-sleeve dresses come in ordinary colors, include full skirts and 

are covered by an apron. The dress should reflect womanly virtues such as 

“submission, gentleness, motherliness, patience, and meekness” (64). As Amish 

themselves describe, wearing this outfit makes them feel “less susceptible to harm” 

(64) and it also “provides [them with] internal motivation for upright, virtuous living” 

(65). Their hair is never cut, but they wear it in a bun under their head covering. 

Men, on the other hand, wear dark-colored suits, straight-cut coats, broad trousers 

with suspenders and solid-colored shirts. Another part of their attire are black or 

straw broad-brimmed hats and after marriage, they grow beards.  

Despite their clothing, women engage in activities such as playing softball or working 

in the garden. Compared to men’s clothing, which emphasizes agility and physical 

effectiveness, women are obviously restricted in their body movements by their 

dresses, which according to Kaiser should emphasize stability and, to a certain 

extent, attractiveness (Graybill, Meanings 68). 

Summarizing these Amish traditions and Old Order customs, the following gender 

roles and attributes can be observed: women are expected to be family-oriented, 

patient, modest, upright, traditional, and hard-working. If married, they should support 

their husband and take care of the children. Even though they should have a 



18 
 

submissive attitude, they share an equal status with their husband, when decisions 

need to be made. 

Amish men, on the other hand, are supposed to be the financial providers of the 

family. Therefore, they should be hard-working, strong, responsible, and traditional. 

Nevertheless, they are also described as family-oriented, respectful and gentlemanly, 

taking care of their wives’ and children’s needs as well. 

In the following literature analysis, the gender roles in three Amish serial novels will 

be closely studied in order to answer the following questions: How are female and 

male roles defined in the novels? Do the characters follow a patriarchal gender role 

model or do they rather support the complementary model of Amish communities? 

Do characters reflect traits from opposite genders and how do others react to them? 

How is the relationship between women and men portrayed? And finally, is there a 

difference in gender role representation between the two non-Amish authors, Wanda 

Brunstetter and Adina Senft, and the Amish writer Linda Byler? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



19 
 

4. Gender roles in Amish serial novels 
 

4.1. A Lancaster County Saga by Wanda Brunstetter (2013) 

 

Wanda Brunstetter started writing Amish fiction a few years after Beverly Lewis. Her 

husband, Richard, grew up in a Mennonite church and has Amish ancestors. They 

spent a lot of time among Amish communities and befriended members of the Old 

Order people. To gain credibility in her writing, Brunstetter took time to research the 

Amish communities and claims that “many of her books are well-read and trusted by 

the Amish” (Wanda E. Brunstetter). 

The six-part series A Lancaster County Saga was released in 2013 and revolves 

around a young Amish couple in Lancaster County, Meredith and Luke Stoltzfus. 

Struggling financially, Luke agrees to learn a new trade at a relative’s business in 

Indiana in order to take it over in the future. On his way to his relative, he has to 

change bus in Philadelphia. At a diner close to the bus stop, a homeless man 

watches Luke as he takes out his wallet to pay for his meal. The vagabond notices 

that Luke has many bills in his wallet and plans to rob him. Back at the bus stop he 

takes his chance when Luke enters the restroom and beats him senseless. As he 

also discovers Luke’s bus ticket, he exchanges his clothes with Luke’s and continues 

the bus travel with Luke’s documents. The bus has a deadly accident and burns 

down completely. While Luke’s family believes that Luke is dead, Luke himself ends 

up in hospital with no memories of his name and his past. After his physical recovery, 

an older Christian couple with two young granddaughters offers him a new home until 

he can remember his past life. Meanwhile, Meredith, who believes that Luke has 

died, gives birth to their first child and is courted by another young Amish man. At the 

same time, Luke is about to fall in love with one of his host’s granddaughters. Finally, 

in the sixth part of the series, Luke’s memory returns and he travels back home – just 

in time before Meredith marries Jonah Miller, her new suitor. 

 

 

 

 

 



20 
 

4.1.1. Main female and male characters and their gender roles 

 

Luke Stoltzfus 

Right at the beginning of the story, the reader is confronted with the couple’s financial 

struggle that obviously has a direct effect on their marriage. Luke does not seem as 

attentive towards Meredith as he had been before, and he tries to keep to himself 

(Brunstetter, Goodbye 8). Luke feels it is his duty to provide for his young family as is 

described in the first chapter: “On more than one occasion, Meredith had suggested 

that she look for a job, but Luke wouldn’t hear of that. He insisted that it was his job to 

provide for them.” (9). By using the phrases “on more than one occasion” and “he 

insisted”, the tension between the couple is highlighted, and a vivid picture of a tight 

financial situation is created. Furthermore, the image of Luke as a patriarch, who is 

not willing to admit his failure in his role as breadwinner, is reinforced: “Luke’s folks 

had offered to help out financially, but Luke had turned them down” (9). His 

responsibility weighs heavily on him and he seems unwilling to thoroughly discuss 

the situation with his wife, but insists on being the head of the household: 

“[…] Until we get on our feet again, we should leave well enough alone.” 
“But Luke, if you knew —” 
“Mir sin immer am disch bediere iwwer eppes.” He frowned. „And I’m gettin‘ 
tired of it.” 
“It does seem like we’re always arguing about something,” she agreed, “and I 
don’t like it, either.” 
“Then let’s stop arguing and talk about something else.” Irritation edged Luke’s 
voice. 
“You can be so eegesinnich sometimes,” she muttered, looking away. 
“I’m not being stubborn; I’m being practical. And as far as I’m concerned, this 
discussion is over!” (9) 

 

This lively description of their dialogue shows Luke’s dominance: he frowns, speaks 

with irritation in his voice and finally ends the discussion, ignoring his wife’s criticism.  

Meredith, however, does not speak clearly, but is “muttering” and “looking away”. 

With these phrases, Brunstetter paints a picture of an inferior woman, who simply 

gives up on stating her opinion equal. 

Although the male protagonist is described as dominant, in a short flashback the 

reader understands that the situation was different before: “[…] until recently they’d 

always discussed things and made important decisions together” (13). This indicates 



21 
 

that as long as everyday life is without any challenges, Luke treats his wife as an 

equal counterpart. But as soon as his male role as provider is attacked, equality does 

not count any more.  

However, as the financial situation grows worse and Luke realizes that something 

needs to be done, he remembers that such an important decision as investing all 

their finances into a new trade cannot be made by him alone – it has to be in 

agreement with his wife: 

How would she take the news that he wanted to withdraw money from their 
dwindling bank account to learn a new trade he wasn’t even sure he’d be any 
good at? Not only that, but would Meredith be okay with him being gone for a 
few weeks until he learned this new skill? (25-26) 

 [Luke:] “I shouldn’t be gone more than a few weeks, and I’d really like your 
blessing on this new venture.” (30) 
 

As Brunstetter writes the story from a third-person omniscient perspective, the reader 

cannot only observe Luke’s actions and conversation, but also his thoughts. These 

convey that he really cares about his wife’s opinion on his enterprise. He does not 

only want to reach an agreement with his wife, but is also not ashamed of admitting a 

wrong and apologizes to his wife when he says: “’I know I’ve been kinda hard to live 

with lately, and …’ He paused and reached for her hand. ‘Es dutt mir leed.’” (32). 

Through using Pennsylvania Dutch dialect, a feeling of intimacy is created.  

Moreover, the reader can also observe that Luke really wants to please his wife and 

fulfill her wishes as well. Although at first he denies her wishes for a new paint inside 

the house because of financial restrictions, he plans to reconsider this decision on his 

way to his uncle: “I’m gonna tell her” and “I’m sure she’ll be pleased” (83). This shows 

an inner struggle between feeling responsible as a bread-winner and his desire to be 

a considerate and respectful husband, who wants to show respect towards his wife, 

accepting her as a partner in their marriage. 

One – for Amish male characters – rather unusual characteristic, at least as their 

culture prescribes, is Luke’s desire to know about the world: 

The bus he’d be transferring to in Philadelphia wouldn’t be leaving the station 
until 12:20 a.m., which meant he had plenty of time to get a bite to eat and buy 
a newspaper, so he’d have something to read. Luke was always interested to 
see what was going on in the rest of the world and wanted to check for any 
articles on the weather to see if the storm had reached the areas where he’d 
be traveling. (106) 



22 
 

 
But he does not only want to know about the news in the world, but is also interested 

in modern inventions, showing that he has an innate desire to explore new things:  

Luke was also captivated seeing airplanes whiz across the sky. If he was 
looking in the right spot, occasionally he’d see a satellite move silently across 
the night sky. I can’t even imagine what it’s like to be up in the sky like that, 
looking down at the earth, he thought. (67) 
 

During the period of his amnesia, he even goes as far as riding in a hot-air balloon, 

suggesting that the Amish culture and their traditional beliefs suppress the 

explorative nature of men – which the male protagonist easily gives up when he 

finally returns to his Amish family and community. 

Apart from this unusual attribute, Brunstetter describes her male protagonist as the 

paramount example of a young male Amish. Luke is hard-working, considerate, 

always friendly, helpful and respectful: 

Luke had become a friend to many in the community. He’d exuded 
confidence, and even to strangers, he had seemed comfortable talking about 
most any subject. He’d been open minded and straightforward, and it was 
those qualities that people had liked about him. He’d had an infectious 
personality and had made many friends over the years because of it. Folks 
just gravitated toward him, […] (Silence 80) 

He had respected his parents and been a good son to them. Meredith had 
never heard him say an unkind word about either one of his folks. (82) 
 

Even during the period of his amnesia, his character remains that of a responsible 

and sensible young man who treats his surroundings carefully and respectfully, not 

wanting to owe anything to anybody (“It didn’t seem right for him not to pay,” 

Brunstetter, Pieces 31). He is still described as someone caring for the world around 

him, even for the little things: 

Susan smiled. It was refreshing to meet a man with such a tender spirit. She 
wondered if he’d ever had any pets of his own. If he had, he’d probably treated 
them with the same gentleness he was using on this kitten right now, as it 
purred and rubbed its small head against Eddie’s [i.e. Luke’s] hand. The kitten 
was definitely content lying there in his lap. (Pieces 37) 
 

Luke’s attending to the kitten could be regarded as a metaphor to his “tender spirit”: 

his gentleness is reflected in the kitten – a small fragile being – purring and rubbing 

its head against his hand, reinforcing the picture of Luke as a sensible, considerate 

man. 



23 
 

“He and your grandpa are outside, shoveling snow off the driveway so you and 
Anne can get your cars out of the garage. It’s a good thing you both have 
afternoon shifts, because the roads should be cleared by then.” 
Susan smiled. “Luke’s thoughtful, isn’t he, Grandma?” (Vows 25) 
 

Again, Luke’s helpfulness and gentlemanly behavior is shown – he does not only aid 

the old man but offers his help to make life easier for the young women. To sum it up, 

Luke Stoltzfus is portrayed in a very positive way. Only at the beginning he shows 

signs of dominance and patriarchy, but as the story unfolds, only his good traits are 

focused on – as if he had learned a lesson after the tragic accident that happened to 

him. 

 

 

Meredith Stoltzfus 

Turning to the female protagonist of the novel series, the reader can detect the 

expected Amish female attributes right from the beginning. Meredith is portrayed as 

being modest, submissive and responsible, not given to emotional outbursts. 

[…] Luke felled blessed. She wasn’t the type to ask for much, and buying 
some paint was really no big expense – that is, until now. (Goodbye 22) 

He also knew she kept herself extra busy around the house so she wouldn’t 
fret so much about him being out of a job. (22) 

Meredith hesitated. Then she gave a slow nod. “All right, Luke, if that’s what 
you think is best.” Although I’m really not sure it’s the right decision for us, 
she silently added. (31) 

“I’d like to [travel with you, Luke], but I don’t think we should spend the 
money for an extra bus ticket. Besides, Luke will be busy learning his new 
trade, so I think it’ll be better for both of us if I stay home.” (40) 
 

These four quotations illustrate the hierarchical nature of the relationship between 

Meredith and Luke: Luke feels blessed, because Meredith is modest, stays busy in 

order to not think about his unemployment, and supports his decision to take their 

money and learn a new trade at his uncle’s place, although she is skeptical about his 

move. 

Apart from these expected feminine attributes, there is one feature in Meredith that 

stands out – her stubbornness and willingness to do and manage things on her own. 

After Luke has left to learn a new trade at his uncle’s place the female protagonist is 



24 
 

determined to manage life on her own, even though it is a typical Amish feature that 

family members take care of and depend on each other: 

Just then, Dad entered the room. “Are you comin’ home with us?” he asked, 
looking at Meredith. 
She shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but I’d prefer to stay here.” 
Dad looked over at Mom and said, “This daughter of ours is an eegesinnisch 
one, jah?” (Goodbye 95) 
 

[Meredith’s father:] “[…] My daughter can be stubborn sometimes, and I know 

she wants to make it on her own.” (Hope 12) 

“You don’t have to worry about any of those things, because I’m ready to go 

home,” Meredith blurted out. “It’s quieter there, and since I’m feeling better 

now, I’m sure I can manage fine on my own.” (37) 

“I’m glad he [Jonah] was there, but if I had been alone when the pains got bad, 

I would have somehow made my way out to the phone shack and called for 

help,” Meredith said in her own defense. (38) 

Meredith jaw clenched. She didn’t want anyone babysitting her, but if she 

didn’t agree, Mom would insist that she stay with the family. (39) 

 

Brunstetter paints a vivid picture of how the rather timid and submissive female from 

the beginning of the story suddenly rises up and stands her ground: she “blurts out”, 

her “jaw clenches” as she feels being compared to a little girl, who needs a 

babysitter. 

Her eagerness to manage life on her own brings out her hard-working attitude. As 

Johnson-Weiner described the role of women in Amish communities, the female 

protagonist is an example for the women’s tendency to not be idle but hard-working 

to provide for the family. For Meredith, work does not only support her financially but 

also psychologically after she receives the news of her husband’s presumed death. 

She tries to be strong by not giving in to grief and depression. 

Every night Meredith made a mental note of what she wanted to accomplish 
the next day. As long as she did that, she felt like she had a reason to get out 
of bed each morning. (Silence 107) 

Forcing herself to think about something else, Meredith began to fret because 
she couldn’t be at home doing the things she’d planned in preparation for the 
baby. […] She’d always been the type to keep her hands busy, and doing 
nothing was so frustrating. (Hope 15) 
 

Her culture and religious background, however, put her in an emotional conflict. On 

the one hand, she wants to be independent, supporting herself as a widow; on the 



25 
 

other hand, she is afraid that this self-reliance might be interpreted as pride and feels 

sorry for it. In this way, she is experiencing an inner struggle between the desire to be 

independent as a woman and to conform to traditions and fulfilling her expected 

female role – one that is dependent on other people. And it is one of the older women 

– her grandmother – who reminds her of the community’s values: 

“I guess I’m full of hochmut, or I would have asked for help painting the baby’s 
room.” 
“You should never be too proud to ask. That’s what families are for, you 
know.” Grandma took a sip of tea and winked at Meredith. (Hope 16) 

 

On the outward, she often complies with the expectations that are imposed on her, 

but when the author writes about Meredith’s thoughts, the reader becomes aware 

that inwardly, she is not the submissive and obedient woman she seemed at first 

sight. She has a deep-seated desire to make decisions on her own: 

“That’s right, and I’m happy to say that I’m doing much better now and was 
more than ready to come home.” 
“I’m glad to hear that, but you need to take it easy and not try to do too much,” 
he [Jonah] warned. 
Meredith stiffened. First Mom, then Laurie, and now Jonah? Why did everyone 
think they needed to tell her what to do? (59) 

 

Through the enumeration “first Mom, then Laurie, and now Jonah” followed by 

“everyone”, the reader can take a hold of Meredith’s anger at being told what to do. 

By using this narrative device of a climactic enumeration, the author succeeds in 

portraying, the character’s aggravation can easily be felt. 

This kind of feeling and behavior is rather characteristic of a modern woman than an 

Amish traditional one. As the story evolves, Meredith starts thinking it might be good 

to start doing new things and not remain where she has always been. One reason is 

her sister Laurie, who is about to marry a Mennonite man and leave the Amish 

community with him. The other reason is an excursion to a county fair where people 

can take a short ride in a hot air balloon. Meredith does not actually venture to take a 

ride in it, a fact which she regrets it later on. 

Meredith wished now that she’d taken a ride in the balloon, just to see what it 

was like way up there. She’d never been an adventurous person, but maybe it 
was time to step out of her comfort zone and start taking some chances. 
(Revelation, ch. 6) 
 



26 
 

These desires are reflected in Neriya-Ben Shahar’s study (2017) that describes 

Amish women as “gatekeepers”, people who protect traditions and values by taking 

care what influences are allowed to enter the community, as well as “agents-of-

change”, people who carefully explore new things and practice self-control in the use 

of it. On the one hand, Meredith is fascinated by the thought of flying, but at the same 

time, she knows she should not do it and keep to her traditions instead. She 

continues to prove her responsible and considerate character when she and Jonah 

decide to start courting. Assuming that her parents-in-law might not accept this 

easily, she wants to inform them first. 

[Meredith:] “No, not yet. It’ll be hard telling Luke’s folks that Jonah and I will be 
courting, but I know I have to. I wouldn’t want them to hear about it from 
someone else. It would hurt them deeply.” (Revelation, ch. 8) 

Meredith loved Sadie and Elam and wanted their approval. (Vows 11) 
 

As the story unfolds, one can observe how the female protagonist changes her 

behavior. While she is described as modest, gentle and submissive as long as her 

husband is at home, her attitudes change as she believes herself to be a widow and 

therefore responsible for her own and her child’s life. This moment in the romance, 

which Regis calls “point of ritual death” (30), offers Meredith the chance to break out 

of her tradition and aim at self-fulfillment. However, this phase of her life only lasts 

until a new suitor wins her heart and she turns back to her traditional roots. Due to 

the omniscient narrative perspective, the reader, however, knows that her first 

husband is still alive and feels the need to detain the female from marrying another, 

supporting her desire for independence. But in the end, the tension is released by 

Luke himself, who appears on Meredith’s doorstep in the very last moment. With his 

return, Meredith also returns to her appropriate Amish gender role. 

 

Jonah Miller 

Jonah Miller is the third main Amish character in the novel and makes his debut in 

the second volume of the series. He is about the same age as Meredith and Luke 

and still single. For some years, he has been living in another state and now comes 

back to his hometown to work in his father’s business. It becomes evident that he 

shares a close relationship with his parents, nevertheless he desires a family of his 

own – as is expected of him as a young Amish male.  



27 
 

It would be great working alongside Dad again – just like he’d done since he 
was a teenager, when Dad first taught him how to make and repair Amish and 
other types of buggies. Jonah and his dad not only had a close father-son 
relationship, but they were linked in a working relationship, too, and both took 
their work seriously.  
[…] He sure couldn’t stay living with Mom and Dad forever, and he didn’t wish 
to remain single indefinitely. (Silence 117) 
 

Another typical attribute can be seen in his expectations concerning his future wife. 

Jonah imagines her as being the one taking care of the home to turn it into a 

comfortable place, just as he saw his mother doing it during his childhood. He 

obviously appreciates the traditional Amish gender roles, where the women are 

responsible for the household and the children: 

 
He dreamed of a spouse who would fill their home with love – a place where 
Jonah knew he belonged as soon as he walked through the door. His mom 
had a way of putting her heart into every room in her house, and anyone 
entering could actually feel the welcome. (Silence 118) 
 

In this paragraph, Brunstetter describes Jonah’s attitudes toward his future wife: she 

should be the one making the house a home; none of his thoughts touch the idea 

that he might have a part in this as well: in his imagination, it’s solely the woman who 

is responsible for the emotional well-being of family members, just as his mother did 

when he grew up. To emphasize this image, the author uses phrases such as “fill 

with love”, and “put one’s heart into it” to talk about the woman’s tasks, in order that 

the man can “belong” and “feel welcome”. 

 
However, Jonah does not appear to be a dominant male character. He is rather 

caring and helpful and wants the best for the people close to him. Even though he 

was interested in Meredith years before, he accepted the fact that she married 

someone else because he cared more for her happiness than his own. Being jealous, 

angry or depressed was no option for him, because his Christian belief taught him to 

accept this situation as God’s will.  

Ever since Jonah was a boy, he’d been sensitive to others, especially when 
they needed help in any way. (Silence 119) 
 
“[…] Jonah seems like a caring young may. I’m sure he’ll fit in well with our 
community.” (Hope 8) 
 
Jonah had been disappointed at first but consoled himself with the thought that 
Meredith deserved to be happy. He’d been hoping she might be the girl for him 



28 
 

but had learned to accept it as God’s will when she’d fallen in love with 
someone else. (Silence 120) 

 

As the story unfolds and Jonah hears about Luke’s death, his sacrifice of giving up 

Meredith seems to be quickly forgotten. Knowing that he cannot rush things because 

she is still mourning, he still uses every opportunity of being of help to her. Once 

again, his caring and helpful attitude can be observed, at the same time, however, he 

does not really worry about what others in the community might think. Even when his 

parents remind him of it, he chooses to follow his own desires instead of submitting to 

his parents’ advice. This kind of stubbornness and individualistic behavior can be 

observed in the following conversations: 

Jonah tapped his foot impatiently. This inquisition was getting worse. “If you 
must know, I’m planning to stop by the Kings’ place to see how Meredith is 
doing.” 
Deep wrinkles formed across Mom’s forehead. “Do you think that’s a good 
idea?” 
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Jonah asked. He had an inkling of what she was going 
to say next but hoped she wouldn’t. 
“Well, some folks might get the wrong idea.” (Hope 42) 
 
“I know what the Bible says,” Mom flapped her hand. “But Meredith is the 
friend you had an interest in after you came back from Sarasota with stars in 
your eyes.” 
“Well, you two enjoy your day,” Jonah said, giving no reply to Mom’s last 
comment. (Hope 48) 
 
Dad tapped his foot as he stared at Jonah. “You’ve been goin’ over there a lot 
lately. Aren’t ya worried about what others will say?” 
Jonah tipped his head. “What is it you think they might say?” 
Dad cleared his throat real loud. “Do I need to remind you that Meredith’s a 
young widow, and she’s expecting a boppli besides?” 
A rush of heat spread across Jonah’s face. “Exactly what are you saying, 
Dad?” he asked. 
“I just feel you oughta be concerned about what others may think. Some folks 
could get the idea that you have it in mind to make Meredith your wife.” 
Oh, great, Jonah thought. Now I’m in for one of Dad’s long lectures. I’d better 
put an end to this before it gets started. (Hope 83) 
 

The way Brunstetter describes Jonah’s conversations with his parents leaves the 

impression of a teenager who is reprimanded by his parents. The use of the 

hyperbole – “inquisition” – creates tension between Jonah and his parents, as do his 

seemingly naïve answers: “Why wouldn’t it be?” and “Exactly what are you saying?”, 



29 
 

which are not really answers but counter questions that indicate his unwillingness to 

agree to his parents’ point of view.  

Interestingly, Jonah does not admit his feelings for Meredith to his parents – he 

behaves is if their concerns about his motives were completely unfounded. Amish 

communities and especially families are usually described to be very close, and 

important matters such as courting and marriage are commonly discussed within the 

family. In Jonah’s case, he keeps his feelings to himself and is not ready to discuss 

them with his parents or even to seek their counsel. As can be noted, he follows a 

rather individualistic attitude instead of the traditional Amish one. Finally, when 

Meredith’s appropriate time of mourning has passed, he openly states his intentions 

– first to Meredith and then to others. 

“What do you think, Meredith?” Jonah questioned. “Are you comfortable with 
me courting you right now, or would you rather wait a few more months?” 
Meredith shook her head. “I don’t want to wait. I think once Sadie sees how 
good you are with Levi and realizes you’re not trying to take Luke’s place she’ll 
accept the idea.” 
Jonah’s eyebrows pulled together. “Maybe I should have a talk with her—try to 
make her see how much I care about you and Levi and that I only want what’s 
best for you. I’d like to assure her that even though we’ll be courting, I have no 
intention of changing how often they can see their grandson. I would never 
come between them and Levi.” (Vows 9) 
 

Being accepted by Meredith, Jonah’s sensitive character comes into play again. He 

does not want Luke’s parents to object to him, thereforehe strives for their approval. 

His good intentions are revealed in more than one expression. By a certain climax in 

his speech he shows himself as a considerate young man: he wants to “try to make 

her see”, he would “like to assure her”, has “no intention of changing” and “would 

never come between them and Levi”. Again, the close ties within the Amish 

community have an influence on this male character, his individualistic way of 

thinking and behavior are set aside as all circumstances seem to have turned out to 

his favor.  

Although the reader is aware that Meredith’s husband is not dead, the character of 

Jonah is described in such a way that – just like Meredith – one starts to sympathize 

with him. Due to his constant gentlemanly and helpful attitude, one cannot but like 

this young Amish man. When, however, Luke suddenly returns, the reader, on the 

one hand, is relieved and glad about the happy ending of Meredith and Luke, but, on 

the other hand, feels sorry for Jonah. The author, however, takes care of this 



30 
 

situation as well and mentions in the epilogue that Jonah, who moves to Illinois, finds 

a girlfriend as well (Vows 51). 

 

 

4.1.2. Other female/male gender roles 

 

In addition to the three main characters in Brunstetter’s Lancaster County Saga, 

there are three older Amish couples and their relationships that will be analyzed. 

These are the parents of Luke, Meredith, and Jonah, and they all try to influence the 

decisions of the main protagonists on different levels. They all live in the same Amish 

community and are about the same age; their characters, their interaction as 

husband and wife, and their involvement in Meredith’s and Jonah’s lives, however, 

are rather diverse. 

 

Sadie and Elam Stoltzfus (Luke’s parents) 

At the beginning of the novel series, Sadie Stoltzfus is described as a happy Amish 

mother, who loves her nurturing role and only has the best interest of her children in 

mind. She is welcoming, everyone loves being around her, thus she represents the 

perfect Amish female model. 

Luke’s mother was always so cheerful. In fact, Sadie’s radiant smile was 
contagious, and at the age of sixty-seven, she still had the cutest little dimples. 
Just being around her made Meredith feel at ease. (Goodbye 61) 
 

Brunstetter paints a harmonious picture of Sadie by consistently using positive 

adjectives such as “cheerful”, “radiant” and “cute”. And when she states that despite 

her age, “she still had the cutest little dimples” the impression is given that she has 

always been a very happy woman. 

Furthermore, Sadie is portrayed as very creative, because she writes little poems 

about her feelings, her faith, and her role as a mother. Obviously being a mother is 

very important to her and she is aware of the responsibility that comes with it. She 

considers it her duty to be a role model to others. 

Sadie had written a poem about being a mother, which she’d shared with 
Meredith this morning before the service. It had almost been Meredith’s 



31 
 

undoing as she’d listened to Sadie read the poem in a quavering voice: “A 
mother wants her faith to give hope to her child; stability and trust in a world 
gone wild. A mother’s faith should be handed down; in the next generation it 
will be found. A mother’s faith must be steadfast and sure; so her children will 
desire to be like her.” (Silence 81) 
 

The repetition of “a mother” in Sadie’s poem underlines the significance this role has 

for her. Reciting these lines, she feels emotion, probably because the weight of a 

mother’s responsibility dawns on her. 

When tragedy strikes and her son Luke is pronounced dead, her character 

surprisingly changes. As long as Sadie thinks that Meredith will stay single after the 

delivery of her and Luke’s baby, she can cope with the death of her son, comforting 

herself in the knowledge that she will play an important part in her grandchild’s future. 

However, when she realizes that Meredith has a new suitor, she becomes jealous, 

thereby losing all the good character traits such as friendliness, responsibility and a 

welcoming attribute as described before: 

A few seconds later, Luke’s mother, Sadie, stepped down from the buggy and 
secured her horse at the hitching rail. A frown creased her brow as she 
approached the garden. Was she upset about something? Had she come with 
bad news?  
“Wie geht’s?” Meredith asked. 
“I’m fine,” Sadie said curtly. “I just came by to see how you’re doing.” She 
glanced at Jonah, frowned slightly, and then quickly looked away. 
Meredith thought Sadie’s behavior was a bit strange; she was usually quite 
warm and friendly. (Pieces 17-18) 

 

Her whole countenance changes, instead of cute dimples and a smile, she “frowns” 

and talks “curtly” – a complete contrast to the description at the beginning of the 

story. Thereby a change in her character can be noted. 

Sadie discusses her feeling with her husband Elam, hoping that he will agree with her 

point of view. However, she does not really seek his advice as would be expected in 

an Amish couple’s discussion, but she rather tries to force her point of view on him. 

Elam, however, does not give in, but clearly states his point of view. Outwardly, she 

reminds him of his role as the head of the household by laying a hand on his 

shoulder, encouraging him to do something, but when he is not willing to follow her 

advice, she draws back to herself and decides to do what she wants without his 

consent. 



32 
 

“Jah, and I don’t think it’s right that he’s been hanging around there so much. 
I’m afraid he’s trying to take Luke’s place, and it’s way too soon for Meredith to 
be seeing another man.” She placed her hand on Elam’s shoulder. “I think you 
should do something about it, and the sooner the better.” 
“What do you want me to do, Sadie?” Elam asked, shrugging his shoulders. 
“Am I supposed to barge into the buggy shop and demand that Jonah stay 
away from Meredith?” 
“That might not be a bad idea,” she said with a nod. 
Elam looked at her and frowned as he slowly shook his head. “If Jonah and 
Meredith are meant to be together, there’s nothing either one of us can do 
about it.” 
Sadie’s lips compressed while she tapped her foot. “We’ll just have to see 
about that.” (Pieces 19) 

 

Elam realizes Sadie’s feelings of jealousy and is aware that he has to interfere. He 

tries to stop her plans with ironic statements. In this way he is portrayed as a good-

natured and humorous man. But nevertheless, he openly states his opinion when he 

realizes that his wife’s attitude will probably cause problems and hurt not only 

Meredith but also their future relationship with their grandchild.  

Elam grunted warily. „You [Sadie] need to mind your own business. We’ve 
been over this before, and it’s time you realized that Meredith has her own life 
to live. If her future includes Jonah someday, then you’ll just have to accept it.” 
(Revelation ch.3) 
 

By observing this couple throughout the novel, it is interesting to note that Elam fits 

well into the typical Amish male role – head of the household, responsible and family-

oriented -, whereas Sadie follows the Amish feminine attributes of being gentle, 

family-oriented, motherly and submissive only as long as there are no troubles. As 

soon as she experiences the fear of losing influence on her family, her submission to 

her husband becomes less important than her own will and her feelings. Honesty and 

uprightness are of no significance anymore and she acts against her husband’s 

advice. Thereby, she does not follow the ideal of an Amish couple that complements 

each other and discusses important issues together. 

I’m glad Elam’s visiting his friend Joe today, Sadie thought as she hitched her 

horse, Daisy, to the buggy. If he knew I was going over to confront Jonah 

about seeing Meredith, he’d probably tell me I shouldn’t go and that it’s none 

of my business what Jonah does. (Pieces 22) 

 

Through the narrator’s omniscient perspective, the reader becomes aware of Sadie’s 

emotions and plans. She knows her actions are not approved of by her husband, but 

her feelings of anger and jealousy seem to overcome her. Although in the end, she 



33 
 

finally admits her wrong behavior, it is interesting to notice that in an emotionally 

strenuous situation, Sadie does not confide in her husband in order to seek advice; 

rather, she only seeks approval of her point of view. Elam, however, does not really 

know how to cope with the situation and attempts to get to the root of the problem, 

leaving the impression that this couple is not used to talking things over thoroughly.  

 

Luann and Philip King (Meredith’s parents) 

In his physical appearance, Philip King represents the typical hard-working Amish 

male: “[…] her dad was in tip-top health. His arms were still muscular from all the 

farmwork he’d done over the years, and Meredith found comfort in his warm 

embrace.” (Goodbye 96). Just as his physical stature offers comfort, he is also 

described as a loving father who has an open ear for his children’s problems (Silence 

59). Spending time with his family plays an important role in his life and although he 

knows that he has to take care of the financial situation of the family, he would never 

neglect his family. 

She was glad Dad hadn’t taken on another stand at the Crossroads market, 
like he’d talked about doing a few months ago. He worked hard enough as it 
was, and it was difficult for the family to have him gone so much. It was 
important for a father to spend time with his wife and children, not only for the 
family’s sake but for his own, as well. (Pieces 20) 
 

The burden of financial responsibility weighs hard on him, and his friendly nature only 

then turns into a more dominant one when his wife Luann mentions their tight budget. 

He does not start an argument, but nevertheless clearly states that this criticism hurts 

his feelings and shows doubt in his abilities as the breadwinner of the family. This 

behavior is different than that of Sadie and Elam. Philip King openly talks about his 

feeling, whereas Sadie Stoltzfus only tells her husband what she wants to be done 

and not how she feels about a situation: 

 “First off, we don’t need another horse, and second, I don’t need the reminder 
of how bad off we are financially.” Dad rubbed the side of his slightly crooked 
nose and frowned. “When you say things like that, Luann, it makes me feel like 
a failure – like I can’t provide well enough for our family.” (Hope 18) 

Luann’ and Philip’s relationship is obviously a very affectionate one. After more than 

three decades of marriage, they are still fond of each other and enjoy having fun and 



34 
 

joking around when the family gets together. This short dialogue creates the mood of 

a caring and affectionate home: 

Luann’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Kendra, wrinkled her nose and glared at 
Arlene. “It’s not polite to lick your fingers, Sister.” 
“Maybe not,” Luann’s husband, Philip, put in, “but this chicken is finger lickin’ 
good.” He swiped his tongue over his fingers and grinned at Luann’s mother, 
who gave him a wide smile in return. (Hope 95-96) 

Meredith’s mother Luann is described as the ideal Amish wife and mother. She is 

friendly, has a welcoming spirit (Revelation ch.2), is motherly and taking care of her 

children well (Silence 69). In contrast to Luke’s mother Sadie, she keeps her opinion 

about Meredith decision to marry Jonah to herself, even though she does not feel 

comfortable with the idea. In this respect, she shows self-control and does not allow 

her feelings to control her actions. 

 

Sarah and Raymond Miller (Jonah’s parents) 

Jonah’s parents Sarah and Raymond are also described as a happy older couple. 

Raymond is a hard worker and has taught his son Jonah his trade of making and 

repairing buggies (Silence 117). While Jonah lives with his parents, father and son 

work together, helping each other. Sarah shares a close relationship with her son, 

too, and is eager to see him getting married. If necessary, she is ready to help him 

achieve this goal, as can be read when she meets Luann: “Luann didn’t voice her 

opinion, but it sounded to her like Sarah might be trying to plan her son’s future, 

which she didn’t think was a good thing at all” (Silence 98). In Sarah’s mind, women 

are better off if they are married, especially when they have children as it is in 

Meredith’s case. A woman raising her child alone does not seem to be right to her – 

love between the husband and wife is not as important as the mere fact that a man is 

there for the child as well. 

“That’s wunderbar. Maybe after a suitable time, she’ll get married again, like 
our daughter did,” Sarah’s emerald-green eyes shimmered as she smiled. 
Luann slowly shook her head. “Meredith loved her husband very much, and 
she’s taken his death quite hard, so I doubt she would ever marry again.” 
“But don’t you suppose after some time has passed, if the right man came 
along, she might get married – for the sake of the boppli, if for no other 
reason?” Sarah asked. (Silence 96-97) 



35 
 

In this short dialogue she proposes a new marriage for Meredith twice, as if this were 

the only achievable goal for Meredith. In this conversation, Sarah is portrayed as an 

excited matchmaker, her excitement made visible when her “emerald-green eyes 

shimmered as she smiled.” 

However, Sarah as well as Raymond place value on what others in the community 

think about them and their son. Therefore, they are both sceptical when Jonah starts 

spending quite a lot of time helping Meredith. Sarah does not directly address this 

topic, but desires to find out what is going on. Similar to Sadie, she beats around the 

bush instead of directly discussing the issue at hand. 

“Ja, and we’re glad he’s here with us. Oh, by the way, Jonah, where all are 
you going today?” Mom asked as Jonah’s hand touched the doorknob. 
“For one thing, I’ll be stopping by the Shoe and Boot store,” Jonah replied. He 
wished he didn’t have to answer to Mom, it made him feel like a schoolboy. 
“That shouldn’t take all day,” she said. “Are there some other places you’ll be 
stopping, as well?” 
“Stop badgering the boy, Sarah,” Dad said, flapping the end of his newspaper 
at Mom. “It shouldn’t matter where he’s going.” (Hope 46) 

She appears rather annoyed und curious as she keeps asking her son what he plans 

to do. However, her eager curiosity is directly addressed and stopped by her 

husband Raymond. Thus, he fulfills his role as the head of the household and puts 

his wife in her place. Furthermore, he directly addresses his son to remind him what 

kind of behavior is expected of him concerning Meredith’s circumstances and his 

family’s reputation in the Amish community. Similar to Luann and Philip, this couple 

talks openly with each other. However, just as with Sadie and Elam, the wife is the 

more active partner, wishing to influence her son’s future, just as Sadie wants to 

intervene in Meredith’s life. Both husbands, Elam as well as Raymond, are rather 

annoyed be their wives’ behavior. 

 

 

 

 

 

 



36 
 

4.2. Healing Grace Series by Adina Senft (2015) 

 

Adina Shelley writes Amish women’s fiction under the name of Adina Senft. She grew 

up in a plain house church – but not an Amish one – in Canada and moved to 

California in her twenties. (Stories with spirit) Even though she did not grow up 

Amish, she has a lot of friends among the Amish who read and help her with writing 

her novels. Furthermore, she spends one week in Lancaster County each year to talk 

with Amish women and to listen to their conversations in order to do research for her 

Amish novels. (Destination Amish) 

The Healing Grace serial novel contains three volumes, Herb of Grace, Keys of 

Heaven and Balm of Gilead. The story revolves around Amish widow Sarah Yoder 

who raises her two teenage sons – stepson Simon and son Caleb – alone and tries 

to provide a home for them in the village of Willow Creek. Recently, Henry Byler, an 

ex-Amish who grew up in the Amish community of Willow Creek but never joined the 

church, decides to move there again after inheriting his aunt’s farm. He starts his 

pottery business on the old farm and soon becomes friends with Sarah’s younger son 

Caleb.  

Simon, together with his friend Joe Byler, decides to move out west to look for work 

and to get to know life from a different perspective. In the meantime, Sarah is 

encouraged by Ruth Lehman, an Amish Dokterfraa, to learn from her to become a 

herbal healer, because she has a gift for growing plants. As time goes by, Sarah’s 

relatives try to encourage a relationship between her and Silas, a visiting Amish man. 

Their attempts are not successful, because Sarah becomes emotionally attached to 

Henry although she does not want to admit it, knowing that he left the Amish church. 

Henry’s pottery business turns out successful and he gets to know Ginny, an English 

inn-owner in Willow Creek, and falls in love with her. They plan to get married, but 

that changes when the company who commissions his work wants to market him as 

Amish. Henry struggles with his Amish roots, his respect for the Amish community, 

and the chance to leave his past behind forever by binding himself to an English 

woman. In the end, he realizes his strong ties to his background and his love for 

Sarah and returns to his community again. 

Simon and Joe also return from their working journey to Colorado. Joe already 

courted Priscilla, a young Amish girl, before they left – although Priscilla was 



37 
 

interested in Simon at first. When they return, these two young men start competing 

for Priscilla, but she holds fast to her decision to be courted by Joe.  

 

 

4.2.1. Main female and male characters and their gender roles 

 

Sarah Yoder 

The main protagonist of the novel trilogy is Sarah Yoder, an Amish widow in her mid-

thirties, who raises her seventeen-year-old stepson Simon and her fourteen-year-old 

son Caleb alone. Although she is supported by her and her husband’s family, she is 

determined to provide for her small family on her own. As she is quite successful in 

planting and cultivating herbs, Ruth, an older Amish woman who has great 

knowledge in herbs, teas and salves, offers to pass on this knowledge to her, thus 

enabling her to make a living and be a help to the community. 

Her outward appearance is described as modest and as being a woman who follows 

the Amish dress code. She carefully observes it, especially when meeting outsiders 

like Henry.  

She leaped to her feet and smoothed down her dress with one hand while she 
pulled her Duchly up with the other. She tried to tie the knot more tightly, 
because she certainly couldn’t talk to an Englisch man bareheaded. (Herb 
144) 
 

From the beginning, it is obvious that Sarah wants to be a respectful woman and 

often restrains herself from speaking in an unruly matter. In her conversation with 

Ruth, for example, Senft writes: “Ruth was older, and enjoyed a position of respect in 

several communities – both very good reasons for Sarah to school her tongue to a 

soft answer.” (Herb 5) Even when she feels attacked, she is aware of her 

surroundings and the respect that is due to others: 

It was all Sarah could do not to dash in there and give Oran Yost a piece of 
her mind for talking to her son like that. But she could not. It was not her place 
to upbraid a man in his own shop, in front of the other men – especially not a 
man in a position of authority over Simon. It would shame Simon and show her 
to be an interfering busybody who didn’t know how to submit – which was not 
the case. (Herb 33) 
 



38 
 

As one can see, she is well aware of her position as a woman in a patriarchal society 

and of the fact that a woman should be ready to yield and to be submissive in order 

to follow the beliefs of the Amish community (Herb 44). Nevertheless, Sarah 

continues to struggle with this attribute of restraint as can be seen from the narrator’s 

omniscient perspective: inwardly, Sarah wants to “dash in”, “give a piece of her mind” 

and “upbraid a man”, creating the image of a very emotional female who does not 

want to accept a wrong. In more than one situation, Sarah is quick to speak her mind, 

only to regret it moments later, knowing that this is not the becoming behavior of an 

Amish woman. The reason for her frank speaking is often care for other people and 

not to appear as a know-it-all. 

“Shouldn’t his boys be helping, too?” The question shot out of Sarah’s mouth 
before she could stop it. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business how he and Ella 
bring up their family.” (Keys 55) 

“You’re not having dinner with Ginny?” came out of her mouth before she even 
realized the thought was lurking in her mind, ready to spring like a kitten upon 
any wisp of passing common sense. (Keys 192) 
 

Here, Senft makes use of a metaphor to describe Sarah’s forward attitude. In her 

vivid description, Sarah is portrayed as someone outspoken, who has a lot of 

thoughts going through her mind. 

“You were thinking out loud one day?” Corinne’s forehead was furrowed with 
concern. “You were talking with Linda and advising her to leave her home with 
Ella and Arlon? Oh, Sarah.” 
Sarah wilted under the pain in her mother-in-law’s face. “She couldn’t 
conceive. I thought it would be for the best – that if she had calm and quiet 
and her own home, she might be able to.” 
“Who says we ain’t calm and quiet?” Benny burst out. “We have prayer time 
same as anybody else.” 
“I’m sorry, Benny. I judged your family,” Sarah whispered. “It was prideful of 
me and presumptuous and I beg you to forgive me.” (Keys 274-275) 

 

Feeling compelled to help others by speaking out causes Sarah to struggle against 

pride, an attitude that is undesirable among the Amish. Therefore, she often finds 

herself in the conflict between acting on what seems to be right in her eyes and 

showing humility despite her feelings. Consequently, she struggles with her bad 

conscience and the expected traditional behavior when she says: “I did not show 

Oran Yost the humility I should have, and because of it, you’ve lost your 

apprenticeship.” (Herb 142). She herself judges her outspoken attribute as 



39 
 

stubbornness and only sees humility as a way out of the conflict (Herb 143). In 

Sarah’s eyes, the others can hardly ever be blamed for troubles in her life, and she is 

quick to put the blame and guilt on herself (Herb 141). 

Her role as a mother is one that she does not take lightly, and she is eager to teach 

her sons the obedience that is expected. Obviously, her sons are well trained by her, 

because they readily obey knowing that there will be consequences if they refuse to. 

“Caleb Yoder, it is only one thirty in the afternoon. You disobeyed me earlier, 
and this is the price you must pay. […]” 
He knew better than to argue any more, because she could think of an 
endless series of jobs that would keep him working late into the evening, […] 
(Herb 83) 

 

This hyperbole of “an endless series of jobs” highlights Sarah’s strictness as a 

mother. The task of disciplining Simon and Caleb is not always easy for her, but she 

knows and exercises this responsibility, having the result in mind and not the 

situation at hand. However, she does not always correct and control them, being fully 

aware that teenagers sometimes need to have the chance to experience things on 

their own. 

Sarah grasped at her common sense, which was being flooded by the 
maternal urge to hold him close. “You’re seventeen – I suppose it’s time for 
you to get out and see a little of the world.” (Herb 41) 

 

Again, Senft uses the literary device of hyperbole “flooded by the maternal urge” to 

stress Sarah’s motherly nature. Sarah enjoys spending time with her boys and loves 

to see them happy. She is aware that a mother’s task includes both – love and 

discipline. Sarah herself says, “We mothers don’t stop loving our sons just because 

they’re disobedient.” (Balm 168). Her sons are also used to help at home, although 

both also have jobs somewhere else. 

Her boys were busy every day and some evenings, too, so Sarah hoarded 
Saturday nights like a miser, hugging them close to her heart and savoring 
them before she let the minutes fall through her fingers. (Balm 128) 
 

Spending family time with her sons is precious to her, as is exemplified by the 

comparison of “hoarding Saturday nights like a miser”. In figurative language, Senft 

describes the intimate and affectionate relationship between Sarah and her sons. 

Her sons’ willingness to work is not of their own making but can clearly be traced 

back to the way Sarah and her husband educated them. When Sarah realizes that 



40 
 

Simon becomes lazy after returning from his journey to Colorado, she quickly makes 

up her mind to intervene and talk with him about it: 

Even if all he did was walk over to milk his grandfather’s cows morning and 
evening, she’d be satisfied, but he had to keep his hands busy somehow, or 
the devil would. (Balm 202) 
 

Again, her determined stance to see her son working is expressed by the metaphor 

“or the devil would”, showing that she is aware how important work is for a young 

man. Even though Simon is only Sarah’s stepson she takes her responsibility in 

educating him seriously. On the one hand, she values him as a man in her 

household, even as the man of the house, now that he is of age and her husband 

dead for five years. But on the other hand, she is still aware of her role as mother to 

him. Therefore, when Simon openly criticizes her friendship with Henry, she puts him 

in his proper place. 

She knew very well what Simon was thinking. But it wasn’t his place to bring it 
up – he might be the man of the house, but she was still his mother, and there 
were certain things that respect taught a young man not to say. But she had a 
thing or two to say to him, and this seemed like a God given opportunity. 
(Balm 240). 
 

Although Sarah sometimes regrets her tendency to be outspoken towards other 

people and is determined to be humbler and more restrained, she is nevertheless an 

independent and self-reliant woman. Being a single mother is not always easy for 

her, but she is determined to manage her family and household on her own. 

Therefore, when her relatives come up with the idea to set her up with Silas Lapp in 

order to provide her with a husband again, she does not welcome the idea at all.  

When Sarah glanced at her mother-in-law to see if she wanted to begin 
clearing, there was a look on Corinne’s face that she had never seen before. 
She was gazing at Silas Lapp as though that new idea had occurred to her in 
the last minute or so. 
Sarah did not want to know anything about it. 
She stood and began to clear the dishes herself. (Keys 42) 
 

The narrative style of these short last two sentences indicates Sarah’s anger about 

her mother-in-law’s matchmaking ideas. She wants to distance herself from being 

driven into a relationship she is not in favor of. Even when other relatives try to steer 

her in the direction of courting Silas using religious argumentation, Sarah remains 

determined at not allowing herself to be set up but to decide on her own about her 



41 
 

future. This attitude contradicts the ideal of an Amish woman who strives to get 

married and have a husband by her side instead of staying single and independent. 

“But these things aren’t up to us, are they?” Fannie said. “If God has revealed 
to us His choice of mate, it’s up to us to be willing, isn’t that so?” 
“Yes, but we must have a conviction, too,” Sarah countered. “The only 
conviction I’ve had is that I need to learn more about the healing path He has 
set me on, and that is taking all my time and thought. There is none to spare 
for – for men.” 
Zeke chuckled. “I never met a woman who couldn’t make a little time for a 
man. Or a lot. It’s funny how many things can be put aside when there’s 
courting to be done.” (Keys 105) 

 

It is interesting to note that the female protagonist is not easily convinced to give up 

her single status merely because there is a possible marriage candidate. The simple 

fact that her sons need a father is not sufficient to think about a new husband. Since 

Sarah’s first marriage was based on a relationship of love, she wants nothing less for 

a new one. And as her feelings for Silas are not more than amicable, she is 

determined to keep their relationship on that level. Therefore, she tries her best to 

convince him about that in a respectful, polite, but distinct manner. 

[Silas:] “What I see more than that is a heart with a care for the people of God, 
and that’s more difficult to teach. I like that about you, Sarah. It tells me that 
you have a big capacity to love.” 
Oh, no. That word could not come into the conversation under any 
circumstances. 
“I love my family, certainly. My sons. And my husband, still.” 
“Your husband?” he said gently. “Corinne tells me it has been five years.” 
“Ja. Six, in the fall.” 
“He was a good man.” 
“The best.” 
“But your youngest boy, I would think he needs a father.” 
Oh, now, this really was forward. “He is close to his Daed, and he has several 
uncles close by to stand in that place for him.” (Keys 97) 

 

The author uses the omniscient perspective to allow a glimpse into Sarah’s thoughts. 

She obviously is not interested in Silas, when her thoughts are “oh, no”, and she tries 

to put him off with short, simple, but clear answers. 

As the Amish are also called the “plain people”, it is customary for them to keep 

things simple and plain. Their dresses are of a plain color and also within their home 

things are kept simple and practical (Graybill, Meanings 64). Concerning her dress, 

Sarah complies with these regulations. However, as she starts her herb planting, a 



42 
 

sudden urge of creativity takes hold of her and she plans her garden in an untypical 

manner. “She would probably regret not being able to hoe a straight line, but my 

goodness, she’d been hoeing straight lines all her life. Maybe it was time for a little 

creativity – a little fun.” (Herb 84) By doing so, she is fully aware that her Amish 

community might not understand her touch of creativity, but “that Henry might be the 

only person in the settlement who would appreciate her craziness” (Herb 85). 

The relationship between Sarah and Henry throughout the three volumes of the serial 

novel proves to be a constant struggle for the female character between her Amish 

beliefs and traditions and her feelings as a woman being interested in a man. At the 

beginning, the situation seems to be unambiguous for Sarah: “Henry Byler was not 

Amish, and therefore a single woman couldn’t cast her eyes in his direction.” (Herb 

40). By foreshadowing, “a single woman couldn’t cast her eyes in his direction”, Senft 

already provides a hint into the direction the storyline is going. 

However, as her son Caleb quickly befriends Henry, Sarah is forced to act against 

her beliefs and finds herself more than once involved with him: “And somehow, 

despite all her good intentions, she found herself sitting in an Englisch restaurant 

opposite an Englisch man with her disobedient son beside her, feeling verhuddelt 

and … and hungry” (Herb 72). 

Following her Amish belief, she continually reminds herself that he is a “worldly man, 

a man who had turned his back on God” (Herb 81), being well aware that others in 

the community will talk negatively about her if she enters any kind of relationship – be 

it professional or personal – with him. Nevertheless, being a woman who cares – 

especially about her patients – she casts her anxieties and social norms away and 

approaches him. 

“[…] I hope that you might do something. For me.” Oh goodness, she sounded 
like a fifteen-year-old talking to a boy for the first time. Worse, a blush was 
rising in her face and she could do absolutely nothing about it. (Herb 235)  

Half of her wanted to run away down the path and take refuge in her own 
house. But the other half – the half that concerned itself for her patients – 
made her follow him out of the barn. (Herb 237) 
 

The way her thoughts are described lets Sarah appear like a young girl who has 

fallen in love. The colloquialism of her thoughts – “oh goodness” – allows the reader 

to anticipate that Sarah’s feelings towards Henry are more than general friendliness. 



43 
 

Sooner or later, Sarah realizes that she is becoming emotionally attached to Henry – 

a feeling that probably seems decent and comprehensible to any other woman. But 

for her, it is not that uncomplicated because the social construct of Amish religion and 

regulations breathes down her neck. The mere fact that Henry left the Amish before 

being baptized has formed a “wide gulf” between them:  

An Amish woman could be neighborly with an Englisch man. The Amish were 
friendly to everyone. But Henry was more than Englisch. […] He and Sarah 
might share a fence line, but between them there was a great gulf fixed … and 
any feelings that might have gone beyond friendship could never cross that 
gulf. (Keys 7) 
 

The author uses Genette’s zero focalization to create tension between the two main 

characters. In Sarah’s mind, a love relationship with Henry is absolutely impossible 

due to her cultural confinement. These restrictions lead to an emotional struggle in 

her life, and she is forced to make a decision between her feelings and her traditional 

surroundings. Therefore, true to her role as an Amish widow, she turns to her God to 

receive help overcoming her feelings. Instead of enjoying a new relationship, her 

traditions force her to overcome any emotional attachment:  

“Ach, what have I done? I can’t afford these feelings, Lord. I can’t have any 
feelings at all for a man who does not choose You. Help me. Please help me 
to overcome this craziness and set my heart on You, where it should be.” 
(Herb 287) 

 

The repetition of her pleading reinforces the struggle that she is in. Her resolution not 

to see him or think about him anymore does not work out because Henry visits her 

again, needing help. In her mindset, Henry turns into “her greatest temptation” (Balm 

88) and a test from God to prove her strength (89). The idea to leave her community 

and lifestyle behind to follow the feelings of her heart are completely unimaginable for 

her. 

She tried to imagine living right here in this house, so close to her family, and 
not being Amish. Not going to church every other Sunday, not having the deep 
fellowship, love, and acceptance that came with each one submitting him- or 
herself to God’s will. Her imagination shuddered away from the picture. (Balm 
279) 

 

Her thoughts gain momentum by the anaphora “not going” and “not having” and 

show how deeply Sarah is involved in her faith and her tradition. She maintains her 

position until the end of the novel and tells Henry directly that their relationship can 



44 
 

only be successful if he turns back to God and to the Amish community: “But Henry 

we can’t. It’s wrong. You must give your heart to God before you share it with me – 

you know it and I know it . . . and God knows it.” (Balm 285). Again, Senft uses an 

anaphora – “know it” – to add intensity to Sarah’s determination to stay Amish. Again, 

her faith plays a key role in their situation and finally prevails, allowing Sarah to 

remain a faithful plain woman and being rewarded with Henry as her husband who is 

won over by her determined mindset. 

To sum it up, this female character is portrayed as a responsible and traditional 

Amish woman, who nevertheless has a strong will and does not allow others – 

neither family or a man – to dictate the decisions she has to make. She is also the 

one who sets the conditions on which she is ready to enter a new relationship, which 

might be rather unusual for an Amish woman. 

 

Henry Byler 

The male protagonist of the story, Henry Byler, is a character that enters the novel as 

an English man with Amish roots. The reason why he left the Amish faith behind was 

the overwhelming amount of rules and regulations his community taught him  and the 

accompanying image of a God who was a “watchful, frightening being who cared so 

deeply about the widths of hat brims and the shapes of buggies and the truth of every 

thought that flitted through a boy’s mind” (Keys 212-213). Senft uses these 

exaggerations of dress codes and thought control to enhance Henry’s distaste of 

Amish rules. Nevertheless, he does not only carry bad memories within himself, but 

also positive ones, like the one of his aunt, who appointed him as an heir of her farm: 

He didn’t think he could handle going through an old lady’s things. Not 
because of male diffidence, but because outside of Mamm, she [Aunt Sadie] 
was the only one of his relatives he had loved – and been loved by in return. 
(Herb 23) 

 

When Henry arrives at the farm he has not yet decided about his next steps, and by 

this metaphor of “a man caught between two worlds, like a guy with a foot in two 

canoes, both moving apart and a huge splash inevitable” (Herb 24) one can sense 

the character’s inner turmoil. In contrast to the typical Amish male who is hard-



45 
 

working, strong, and responsible, he appears at first insecure, indecisive and led by 

feelings he cannot classify himself. 

Nor would it [change] until he made up his mind as to what he was going to 
do. Had he really given up his Denver apartment, loaded up his things, and 
come blasting across the country for … what? Nostalgia? The prospect of a 
home that had been welcoming and warm in memory, but in cold reality was 
… Amish? (Herb 56) 

 

Rhetorical questions show his insecurity about his decision to move into an Amish 

neighborhood, and the juxtaposition of warm memory and cold reality emphasizes his 

mixed emotions. 

On the other hand, he shows a lot of other characteristics that are expected of an 

Amish man, such as helpfulness, politeness and gentleness. He is quick to help 

Sarah carrying heavy things (Herb 157), willing to give a ride, when the need is there 

(Herb 163), opening the car door for a woman (Herb 242) and is quick to offer 

comfort when he realizes that Sarah is in distress: “’Sarah,’ he breathed, and she 

realized that he had reached across the table to take both her hands in his big, warm 

ones. ‘If you need to cry, don’t be brave. Just let it go.’” (Herb 263). And even though 

Henry does not know at the beginning what his next steps should be, he knows that 

he alone is responsible for making a living and that hard work is the way to achieve 

this goal: 

That was his goal, wasn’t it? To sell his mugs, his plates, his bowls, into the 
homes and kitchens of folks in this township. That was it. Ubiquity had a bad 
rap. From where he stood, it looked pretty good. It looked like a living. (Herb 
208) 

 

Before his move to the Amish community, his dream was to become an artist. But 

circumstances require plain, unexciting work to earn money, made clear by the 

enumeration of “his mugs, his plates, his bowl”. As he starts being successful in his 

pottery business, he faces the challenge to reach a higher level of publicity for his 

work. At first, Henry embraces the opportunity, but when it is revealed that this 

success can only be achieved by bringing discredit on the Amish community, his 

upright character prevails: “’I told you how I want the story slanted. I want it to be 

about art – with the Amish focus on community over individuals being the reason I left 

the church. About how my art has its roots in a focus on the land.’” (Balm 250). 



46 
 

Although he deliberately left the Amish faith and traditions behind, he still shows 

character and a clear value system. He is not willing to be successful and earn his 

living at any price, even though he knows that this decision will have a negative effect 

on his fiancée Ginny, who could increase her income at her bed and breakfast 

through the media coverage about Henry. Again, he is faced with a decision between 

two worlds: either following the upright attitude he still believes in or neglecting this 

value system in order to gain a higher profit. But his past attitudes prevail – no matter 

the costs. His family and neighbors are more important to him than a boost of his 

career (Balm 259). 

Henry glared at him in a way that made the smile falter. “Either you change the 
focus of this episode or you find yourselves another subject,” he said with 
deliberate emphasis. “I’m not a man who issues ultimatums, but I’m at my limit 
here. This goes against everything I believe in.” (Balm 253) 

 

Despite the fact that Henry Byler cares about his Amish family and neighbors, he 

continues being a maverick as far as his personal life is concerned. He is afraid to let 

others know what is going on inside of him, though he still seems to be touched by 

the compassionate approach of the plain people around him. However, he is afraid of 

their asking him questions and judging the decision he made as a youth, when he 

decided to leave the Amish traditions. 

“I was engaged some years ago, but it didn’t work out.” He clamped his lips 
shut on a subject that was so private that the very own words hurt in his 
mouth. (Herb 65) 
 
But her [Barbara Byler’s] voice was gentle, the voice of a deeply 
compassionate woman, and Henry found his throat closing up. (Herb 66) 
 
He had no intention of joining them [at the Amish Sunday service], blast it. 
But his relatives and neighbors would probably rejoice if they knew he felt the 
pull, like the one the moon exerted on the tides – the combination of guilt and 
memory and social expectation that demanded he knuckle under and submit 
to God’s will. (Herb 181) 
 

By way of the metaphor of the moon and tides, the author describes how strong the 

old ties are. Just as the influence of the moon cannot be separated from the tides, so 

Henry’s past as an Amish cannot be separated from his life. Nevertheless, he 

continues to fight against the past without showing to anyone. Even towards Sarah, 

with whom he shares an understanding and a common tendency to creativity, he 

conducts himself in a distant way as soon as his private and personal affairs are 



47 
 

concerned. He enjoys friendship with her as long as the Amish beliefs and culture do 

not come into the picture. 

“Sarah, I like and respect you. But I have to lay down some boundaries here. 
My personal life is off-limits, if all you’re going to do is lecture me about an 
Ordnung that means nothing to me anymore. It will only cause offense 
between us, and I don’t want that. We’re neighbors and friends, and I’d like to 
keep it that way.” (Herb 247) 

 

In this speech, Henry uses I-messages to openly state his feelings about his relation 

to the Amish faith. It is the first time he states his position clearly. But as soon as he 

speaks his mind bluntly, he regrets it. “Henry had never silenced a woman before. He 

found he didn’t like it much.” (Herb 248). In this instance, Henry’s respect towards 

women can be noticed. It is not in his nature to treat women as inferior beings or to 

feel dominant towards them. On the contrary, he desires to receive advice from 

Sarah, more than from his fiancée Ginny. That indicates that he esteems the close 

companionship and exchange of opinions between Amish couples. 

“You don’t need my opinion, Henry,” she said softly, […] 
“I wouldn’t have asked for it if I didn’t.” His eyes were haunted, his face drawn, 
as though he hadn’t slept the night before – or the one before that. “You 
always tell me the truth, even when it might not be strictly in accordance with 
the Ordnung.” Her lips tipped up in a smile of acknowledgment. “I need to hear 
what you think.” (Balm 255) 
 
[Henry talking with Ginny] “Are you saying I’m not qualified to talk this over 
with?” Well, maybe he wasn’t – not on that level. But he did his taxes every 
year, just like everyone else. “The only qualification I really have is that I’m 
going to be your husband, and wives and husbands talk over big decisions.” 
She sighed. “Right. Like you talked over the show with me before you told 
them once and for all you wouldn’t do it.” 
She had him there. And who had he talked it over with? Really talked? 
Sarah, that was who. The one name he couldn’t bring into this conversation at 
any cost. (Balm 266) 
 

Another role that Henry takes on is to be a defender of the youth. He is quick to 

understand and to find an excuse for their behavior, remembering how he struggled 

with keeping all the rules when he was their age. However, he does not thoughtlessly 

defend their actions when an accident happens, because he is aware that they had 

no bad intentions and even assumed responsibility for their wrongdoing. In this way 

he wants to demonstrate that sometimes Amish parents’ punishment is exaggerated. 

For example, when Sarah starts to get angry at Caleb, he “did his best to head it off 

at the pass. After all, he had been complicit in the plan. It wasn’t fair that poor Caleb 



48 
 

should take all the heat.” (Herb 62). And some time later, when he takes Caleb out 

for lunch – without Caleb informing his mother – and Sarah starts scolding her son, 

“Henry put out a placating hand. ‘Don’t be too hard on him, Sarah. I told him I’d take 

him to lunch. It only seemed fair, after he gave up his morning for me.’” (Herb 72). 

Nevertheless, he encourages young people to be honest with their parents, thereby 

revealing a fatherly disciplining role without being harsh. Just like a parent, he 

suddenly shows a strong character by admonishing young people to be truthful and 

willing to apologize when they had done something wrong.  

“I’ll remember that. But what I’d really like to know is how you’re going to 
explain this to your mother, Simon.” 
He hunched over his plate defensively. “I’ll think of something.” 
“Like maybe the truth?” he suggested. (Herb 124) 

 

When a group of teenagers is involved in a secret hoedown on his fields, they 

accidentally start a fire. Some of the young Amish people are quick enough to 

quench it. Nevertheless, the police arrive together with Henry as the owner of the 

field. Since no harm is done, Henry does not want to press charges against them 

(Herb 212), and later on he goes as far as to take a stand for them in front of their 

families. 

Finally, Henry spoke up. “It seems there was a hoedown, with the band 
playing up on a flatbed trailer. From what the firemen tell me, the generator’s 
exhaust manifold failed and a spark caught the grass. These kids here put it 
out with ice and water from the drink coolers.” 
“Is that true?” Paul asked his son. 
“Ja,” Joe said. “Me and Simon were trying to beat it out with our coats but it 
wasn’t working. It was Pris, who thought of the ice.” 
[…] “But since no real damage was done, and they came and got their tractor 
just before I left to come here, I let the matter rest with an apology.” (Herb 217-
218) 

 

As insecure as he might be concerning his own life and future, he feels a certain 

need to interfere when injustice might be done. According to him, the Amish young 

people that were caught in the field put the fire out and were not the ones causing it, 

therefore they should not be punished (Herb 220). 

Another interesting situation arises when a family from New York spends their 

holidays in Lancaster County. The two boys of the family are obviously not very well-

educated, but over time Eric, the younger one, shows a real interest in Henry’s 

pottery business. Without his parents’ knowledge, he asks Henry to teach him pottery 



49 
 

and as Henry discovers Eric’s talent, he helps him to finish a project to be admitted to 

an art school. Eric even goes as far as putting the blame for some stolen item on 

someone else, simply so that his family will stay in Lancaster County for some more 

days. When Henry finds out about this, he openly confronts Eric, just like any 

responsible father would do with his child. 

Rather than answer, Henry cocked an eyebrow at Eric. “Want to let your dad 
in on what’s been going on?” 
Eric shook his head. 
“I think you’re going to have to, if this is how you planned to stall them long 
enough for the clay to dry. Bad plan, Son. You owe Priscilla here an apology.” 
(Keys 120) 

 

The decision that Eric can stay at Sarah’s place to finish his project for art school, 

forces Henry and Sarah to work together. Through this cooperation, Henry’s fatherly 

role is awakened to a greater extent. Now, his disciplinary actions are not his solitary 

decision any longer, but they demand to be based on their common agreement. 

Sarah follows the pattern of an Amish wife who allows the man to deal with the child 

if the situation asks for it. And Henry readily takes this place, just like an Amish father 

would. 

Sarah Yoder was nothing more than a friend – despite that odd moment the 
other night when she had done a very Amish thing and yielded the man’s 
place to him in dealing with Eric. It had been a very long time since he’d 
experienced that very feminine submission – and since he’d left church at 
nineteen, he hadn’t had a chance to experience it much to begin with. (Keys 
209). 

 

As the author phrases it, a woman’s submission to him is odd for Henry, and he can’t 

remember experiencing it in the non-Amish world. What surprises him even more is 

his instinctive reaction to it by “taking the lead in teaching a boy” (Keys 209). This 

behavior follows the typical male role of an Amish husband and father. As the story 

unfolds, this is not an isolated incident, but Henry’s parental instinct is aroused again, 

when Amish run-away Jesse gets stranded at his place. As Jesse is sick, Sarah 

comes to nurse him back to health. Again, Henry steps in and assumes 

responsibility. 

She could have handled Jesse, even if it had meant wedging his jaws open 
with the spoon and pouring the tea down his throat. She was not the mother of 
two teenage boys for nothing. But not for the first time, she was grateful that 
Henry’s first instinct was to back her up – to demand obedience on her behalf 
when hers was the place of authority. (Balm 209) 



50 
 

 
In summary, it can be stated that the character of Henry Byler follows the example of 

an Amish man in more than one respect. He is gentlemanly, respectful, hard-working, 

and family-oriented when handling young people. Arriving in Lancaster County, he 

appears to be career-oriented, a characteristic that dissolves in the course of the 

story, retransforming him into a traditional member of the Amish community. Only his 

insecurity at the beginning and his creativity do not fit into the stereotypical male 

gender role of the Plain People. 

 

Priscilla Mast 

Priscilla Mast is a sixteen-year-old Amish girl in the middle of exploring the courting 

and dating business. At first, she is interested in Sarah’s stepson Simon, but as he 

does not reciprocate her feelings, her affection is won by Joe Byler. At the beginning 

of the novel, she behaves like probably a lot of teenage girls, whether Amish or not. 

She likes to withdraw from her bustling family – “[Her room] contained the things she 

valued most – privacy and a place to dream.” (Herb 20) –, tends to be driven by her 

emotions, and dreams about entering a relationship with Simon who has not shown 

any interest in her yet. But she keeps on daydreaming and uses situations to her 

advantage to get closer to him, even though this behavior is not becoming for an 

Amish girl. 

Too late, she remembered that she should be trying to look as if she were 
waiting for someone else, or pulling up her socks in her gumboots, or anything 
but standing there like a grinning fool, waiting for him. Mamm said that when it 
came to boys, only a forward girl walked up to them and started a 
conversation, […] (Herb 15) 
 

Using the omniscient narrator’s perspective, the author portrays Priscilla as a love-

struck teenage girl who is aware of her foolish actions. In her own thoughts she 

compares herself to a “grinning fool”, but simply cannot help herself behaving like she 

does. Furthermore, she even shows some male characteristics by desiring to be 

adventurous – “The fact that interesting and exciting were not words you’d use to 

describe the lives of the Youngie in Willow Creek didn’t mean she wouldn’t be ready 

for them.” (Herb 91), and by her stubbornness to prove her parents that she is not a 

little girl anymore: “[…] she could still go to a band hop. If she did, they’d have to see 

that she wasn’t twelve anymore, that she could make her own decisions.” (Herb 179). 



51 
 

On the surface, Priscilla follows the plain Amish dress code, inwardly however, she is 

rather concerned about her outward appearance. The feminine Amish attribute of 

modesty does not truly apply to her, although her influence on her looks is restricted 

to the cultural regulations. 

A couple of hours later, the dresses were finished. Priscilla put hers on and 
turned this way and that in front of the glass doors of der Echschank, the 
corner cabinet, where Mamm kept her wedding china. It was the only surface 
in the house large enough that you could see most of your reflection at once, 
since the bathroom mirror was only big enough to see your face and hair. The 
dress fit nicely and she liked the smooth touch of the fabric on her shins. (Keys 
110) 

 

With this detailed description of the place where Priscilla can admire her outfit, the 

reader is able to feel the limitations this teenager faces as well as the simple joy 

about her clothing. 

As far as her handling of young men is concerned, she is neither patient nor upright 

at the beginning. She makes use of tricks and even of another young man to arouse 

jealousy in Simon. Her conscience, however, convicts her of her wrongdoing, 

indicating that Priscilla is still in a state of developing her character – a character that 

will eventually be more conform with the Amish expectation. 

She’d been a complete idiot to agree to let Joe Byler take her home, when all 
she wanted to do was be with Simon. Had he even seen her leave with Joe? 
And had she really sunk so low that she wanted that – wanted to make him 
jealous? (Herb 176) 

 

Turning to Priscilla’s traits that are more in line with typical Amish females, there is 

her appreciation of friendships and community with other girls or women. Just like her 

mother, she enjoys the exchange with her female friends and does not plan to 

neglect these relationships even when she is courting or when she will be married 

some time later (Balm 139-140). Additionally, she is very family-oriented, and it is 

relevant to her to let her family take part in her life. The thought of not staying in 

touch with them over a longer period of time is unthinkable for her. 

For instance, if she had been planning to travel a long distance to return to 
people who cared about her, she would have found out train schedules and 
bus schedules, decided on them, bought a ticket, and been able to write and 
tell her family that she would be arriving on this day at this time in this place. 
[…] But boys? Could they really be as oblivious as this to the simple pleasure 
of looking forward to something? (Balm 17) 



52 
 

 
As far as a serious relationship to a young man is concerned, she finally outgrows 

her teenage attitudes, and blames them on pride and greed – “She had walked into a 

trap she had set for herself out of pride and greed – why be satisfied with one boy 

courting you when you could have two with a wave of your hand?” (Balm 117). 

Priscilla then assumes responsibility and confesses to Joe that she allowed Simon to 

kiss her. When Joe wants to take revenge on Simon for it, Priscilla stops him and 

says: ““I’m the one who’s in the wrong, so I’m the one to talk to him.” (Balm 180) – 

again showing that she has outgrown her childish ways and become a responsible 

young woman. Furthermore, her attitudes towards a prospective husband have 

changed: 

This whole subject of courtship was a puzzle, for certain. At least she was 
feeling fairly settled about Joe. […] Joe didn’t make her heart leap – or only a 
little anyway. It was his steadiness she appreciated. […] It was nice to be liked 
just for being yourself. (Keys 223) 

 

The way her feelings toward Joe are expressed here, is in stark contrast to her earlier 

attitudes. While she was looking for excitement and adventure before, she now feels 

“fairly settled about Joe” and he “makes her heart leap only a little”. Nevertheless, the 

author creates the image that her stance is now more desirable, because she enjoys 

being “liked just for being herself” as if she has now reached a safe haven. 

As it is customary among Amish that couples discuss things and make decisions 

together, Priscilla starts to desire and enjoy that intimacy with Joe. It provides her 

with a sense of importance – as expressed in the comparison “second only to his 

father” – and appreciation: 

Pris had never felt this sense of humility and gladness before – being a young 
man’s confidante (second only to his father) on a matter as important as how 
he would make his living was a completely new experience. It made her feel 
like a grown-up. (Balm 112) 

 

The character of Priscilla Mast is a vivid description of an Amish girl who develops 

from an emotional, adventurous girl into a responsible, traditional, but still amiable 

young woman, who appreciates her female role in her community. 

 

 



53 
 

4.2.2. Other female/male gender roles 

 

Silas Lapp 

Silas Lapp, a male Amish character that appears for the first time in the second part 

of the series, comes from a different Amish community and is about the same age as 

Sarah. He is described as the embodiment of a typical Amish man, as one character 

in the book says, “I’m glad to see it, too. He’s not a man to put himself forward, is 

Silas. He’s modest, good to his parents, and works hard, just as a man should.” 

(Keys 103). As Sarah’s relatives plan to set her up with Silas, they continue to praise 

his virtues. 

“That’s the kind of man he is,” Fannie said with satisfaction. “As I said – 
considerate, thoughtful, and on the lookout for chances to help, especially with 
a young widow who is also thoughtful and looking for ways to help.” (Keys 
104) 
 
“Apparently. He has a tender, faithful heart, and it has taken him a long time to 
recover.” (Keys 106) 

 
With these rather exaggerated statements about Silas – “especially with a young 

widow” and “a long time to recover” – the author emphasizes the intentions of 

Sarah’s relatives to set her up with this Amish man. 

By looking at Silas’s actions, the reader notices that he is helpful, indeed, even ready 

to choose women’s work over men’s – “To her surprise, instead of heading out to the 

barn as well, Silas took a dish towel out of the drawer and leaned on the counter next 

to the drain rack.” (Keys 158). But as the story unfolds, it becomes obvious that his 

motive behind his actions is a desire to win Sarah and to use every possible chance 

to spend time with her. And although his relatives claim that “He’s not a man to put 

himself forward” (Keys 103), this does not hold true when he approaches Sarah very 

directly: 

“But your youngest boy, I would think he needs a father.” 
Oh, now, this really was forward. “He is close to his Daed, and he has several 
uncles close by to stand in that place for him.” (Keys 97) 
 

Silas is not only very direct, but he also turns out to be the kind of man who thinks 

that women must have a husband to be able to raise their children. His words might 

be polite – “I would think” –, but their content is very direct.  In Sarah’s eyes, this is a 

quite provoking attitude and she quickly counters his argument. His forwardness can 



54 
 

also be seen when he asks herself out just a short time after they have met, a 

characteristic that does not go in line with Amish men’s humbleness and modesty. 

“I’ll be here for a few days,” he said. “Perhaps we might go for a drive and I 
can tell you more.” 
Sarah swallowed her surprise at his forwardness; he hadn’t seemed like that 
kind of man. (Keys 40) 

 

His forwardness is depicted in his speech: rather than asking her, he suggests what 

they could do and what he wants to do. He only speaks from his perspective and 

does not ask for her opinion at all. 

Within the plot of the romance novel, the character of Silas Lapp serves the purpose 

of being the rival in love. However, the danger he presents is not substantial as the 

author describes him in a rather unsympathetic and dominant way. 

 

Simon Yoder 

Simon is the son of Sarah’s deceased husband whom she raised as if he was her 

own son. He is seventeen at the beginning of the story and in the middle of his 

Rumspringa years. Nevertheless, he is thoughtful and hardworking (Balm 5), and “a 

passionate young man who thought and felt much more than he ever said” (Balm 6). 

One Amish male attitude he has a problem with is humbleness. His stepmother 

Sarah observes more than once that Simon has a problem with pride. 

“The trouble is, much as I love my boy, he has his faults. And one of them is 
pride. I’m not talking behind his back – he knows it as well as I do. He thinks 
that all he has to do to win Priscilla’s heart is crook his finger and smile at her.” 
(Balm 187) 
 
[Sarah:] “[…] It’s not the size of the sin that matters, it’s the attitude and 
unwillingness behind it. And Simon, you and I both know that you have a little 
struggle with pride. […]” (Balm 241) 
 

His weakness of being proud goes hand in hand with his dominant attitude. This trait 

is partly due to the mere fact that his father died five years before and he feels 

responsible for the family now. The older he gets the more does he adopt the role of 

man of the house, even though he is still insecure about his own future. Furthermore, 

he cannot discern when he should take responsibility and when to obey his mother. 



55 
 

Her boy straightened, his face flushing even as his hands came out of his 
pockets. “Someone has to stand in Dat’s place, and you’ve told me often 
enough that it’s me.” 
“That is true for many things, but not this one.” (Herb 164) 
 
She knew very well what Simon was thinking. But it wasn’t his place to bring it 
up – he might be the man of the house, but she was still his mother, and there 
were certain things that respect taught a young man not to say. (Balm 240) 
 

In spite of his juvenile restlessness and some rebellious moments, Simon is a family-

oriented young man. He does not only respect his stepmother but cherishes her. He 

does not want to leave for his working journey to Colorado without her blessing (Herb 

266), and he shows his affection to her openly – “And to her surprise, he wrapped his 

strong young arms around her and gave her a bear hug – something he hadn’t done 

since he was Caleb’s age.” (Herb 266). However, he only does so privately and not in 

public since such a behavior would not be appropriate for a young man (Herb 34).  

Furthermore, he has a strong sense of belonging to his family and his community. 

When he writes a letter from Colorado, he mentions his desire to be at home and be 

part of the Amish community more than once: 

And while they’re real nice here and treating me like I’m actually doing the job 
they hired me to do, it’s not home. I don’t know what Joe’s got in his mind, but 
I’m thinking that when the snow flies in October, I’ll get back on that train and 
come home. I miss you and Caleb and Grandma and Grandpa and the family. 
[…] It feels funny not going to church. Guess I’m not cut out for Rumspringing 
and the English life the way some people are. (Keys 237) 
 

In summary, it can be stated that the author portrays Simon as an Amish young man 

who still needs to find his purpose in life, and therefore mainly serves as an example 

for an Amish teenager in his phase of Rumspringa. He is strong willed and 

adventurous, explores the world outside his home town but realizes in the end that 

he belongs to his community.  

 

Jacob Yoder 

The last notable character to be discussed is Jacob Yoder, Sarah’s father-in-law. 

Although he does not appear in the novel frequently, he nevertheless serves as a 

stereotypical example for an older Amish man and thereby supports the Amish 

setting of the story. By introducing this character, the author creates some comic 



56 
 

relief in the story, especially when she describes his outward appearance as seen 

through the eyes of a young English boy: 

From what Caleb said, Eric thought that Jacob Yoder was some human 
incarnation of an Old Testament prophet, and hardly had the courage to speak 
at all in the same room in case he got zapped by lightning. (Keys 207) 
 

By this rather humorous hyperbole she portrays Jacob Yoder as an example of an 

Amish patriarch whose sheer presence seems to be awe-inspiring. This is partly due 

to his size and the typical long beard: 

Yesterday morning, her father-in-law had set the Englisch boy to simple tasks 
in the milking parlor, and sheer awe of his size and his beard and the way his 
kindly gaze still managed to pin you down had apparently made Eric decide 
that obedience was the only way he’d survive the experience. (Keys 199) 

 

The amusing juxtaposition of Jacob’s kindly gaze that still demands total obedience 

already indicates that Jacob Yoder is not a dominant and overly austere person. He 

definitely expects respect, but he has a kind heart and is ready to help when help is 

needed: “She had been lucky that Michael was such a good father – and that his 

father had stepped in to fill that place when Michael had been taken from her” (Keys 

200). 

 

This character fulfills the role as a representative of the Amish community, and while 

other characters have their weaknesses and flaws, he seems to stand out as a 

person of respect and credibility: 

Jacob was here to preside at the table in Michael’s place. His humility was his 
greatest strength. No one could be offended – not even Trent Parker – when 
Jacob explained their customs in such a gentle but firm way. (Keys 264). 

 
By focusing on his humility and his gentle but firm manner, no place is left for 

criticism. Even though he is hardly involved in the plot, this figure serves as an 

anchor for Amish faith, values, and traditions. 

 

 

 

 



57 
 

4.3. Lancaster Burning Series by Linda Byler (2014) 

 

Linda Byler grew up in an Amish community and still is an active member of the 

Amish church in her hometown in central Pennsylvania. She started writing Amish 

novels in 2003 and continues publishing books. She lives with her husband, children, 

and grandchildren and besides writing novels, she is also a columnist for a weekly 

newspaper in the Amish community (Book Series in Order). In a short introductory 

video about herself, she states that she gets the ideas for her characters from people 

she has met throughout her life, and that it is her goal to depict Amish life “as it really 

is” in contrast to the ideal that people have about the Amish (Meet Linda Byler). 

The Lancaster Burning Series consists of three books: Fire in the Night (2013), 

Davey’s Daughter (2013) and The Witness (2014), and is set in Lancaster County, 

Pennsylvania. The heroine of the story is Sarah Byler, a young Amish woman and 

the daughter of David and Malinda Byler. Since her childhood, Sarah has been 

drawn to Matthew Stoltzfus and now, as a young woman, she is desperately in love 

with him. Matthew, however, has started dating Rose, Sarah’s friend. The framework 

plot of the novel is barn fires that break out on various properties at an interval of 

several months, beginning at the Byler’s home. Right from the beginning, it is clear 

that these fires must have been caused by an arsonist and did not happen by 

accident. While the community discusses if and what should be done to stop the 

arsonist, Sarah struggles with her love life. When Rose breaks up with Matthew, she 

believes her dreams to come true, as Matthew focuses his attention on her. However, 

as he himself is unsatisfied with Amish life, he wants to leave the community and his 

family’s faith. 

At the same time, another young Amish man, Lee Glick, is drawn to Sarah, but 

knows about her attachment to Matthew. Matthew finally decides to leave and to join 

a missionary group that works in Haiti. He asks Sarah to come with him, and while 

she ponders the possibility of leaving everything behind, she is suddenly informed 

that Matthew has married one young woman of the missionary group and gone to 

Haiti with her. In the midst of her emotional struggles, Sarah is asked to take over the 

local Amish school as a teacher. She accepts this job, and there she also meets Lee 

again, because his young nephews attend the school.  

https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/linda-byler/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJmNrIjlZEU


58 
 

As they grow closer, Lee and Sarah finally decide to start dating, but right at that 

time, news spread about Matthew that his wife has died and that he is probably 

coming back home. Again, Sarah hopes for Matthew’s attention. Then, another barn 

fire breaks out and Sarah, who is close by, tries to rescue the horses from the barn. 

While doing so, a beam explodes over her and knocks her to the ground. She is 

rescued but suffers severe burns in her face from the flames, and it seems that her 

career as a teacher as well as a prospective wife and mother is over. However, it 

turns out, that Lee, in contrast to Matthew, does not care as much about her looks as 

about her as a person, and she finally realizes that he is the love of her life. In the 

end, the arsonist is caught, and peace is restored in the community. 

 

4.3.1. Main female and male characters and their gender roles 

 

Sarah Byler 

Sarah, the nineteen-year-old daughter of David and Malinda Byler is the heroine of 

the novel. She is portrayed as strong, hard-working young woman as can be seen in 

this passage: 

She was a farm girl, her arms rounded, strong, and muscular. So the fifty-
pound bags of flour and sugar were no problem, the endless rolling of pie 
crusts no big deal. She smiled easily and was always friendly and helpful to 
the other workers. (Lancaster Burning 229) 

 
Whatever she does, she does with all of her heart, and by using words like “truly” and 

“devotion” the writer reinforces this trait: “Sarah truly loved her job now, and her 

devotion showed in her willingness to take on any task” (285). Concerning her 

outward appearance, she seems to be rather pretty, especially seen through the 

eyes of Lee, one of her suitors: 

The grace with which she moved! Not very many girls could carry off this 
unconsciousness of themselves, an innocence born of a good upbringing. She 
was like a calm pool of water in a hidden corner of a forest – ethereal, 
transparent, cool, and untouched. (300) 
 

In this passage, Linda Byler makes use of metaphors and hyperboles to describe the 

good traits of Sarah. Lee perceives her as calm, cool, and innocent, and in his eyes, 

she is rather a supernatural being, indicating that she is unreachable for him. This 



59 
 

exaggerated image creates some humor for the reader, because the inner emotional 

turmoil of Sarah concerning her love life has been vividly portrayed before: 

They [Rose and Matthew] were the perfect match, and Sarah was happy for 
Matthew. So happy, in fact, that she cried great tears of happiness that 
puddled into a rushing river of misery. (26) 
 

The juxtaposition of “tears of happiness” and “river of misery” reflects Sarah’s 

emotions. On the one hand, she desires to be a loyal friend to Rose and Matthew, on 

the other hand, her own feelings are hurt. Because of her Amish belief she tries to 

fight jealousy but is not very successful. She earnestly desires to find the love of her 

life, the narrator creating a very intense image by depicting her thoughts like this: “So 

she yearned, said nothing, spoke of a love only to herself, and hoped someday, 

somewhere, God would have mercy and fulfill the want she harbored” (53). In this 

respect, Sarah is portrayed in the way of a stereotypical woman whose main goal in 

life is to be married and have a family: 

Motherhood was an eagerly awaited event for Sarah. She looked forward to 
cozily sitting together with other young mothers, comparing experiences about 
births and babies, raising children, the various ways of canning and freezing, 
cooking and baking. It was an objective for every young girl, and Sarah was no 
different. (782) 

 
All the verbs used in this passage deal with the tasks of an Amish woman and 

generate the impression of a welcoming, comfortable home. To emphasize the 

importance of this woman’s goal, the author makes use of the following alliteration: 

“Marriage, managing a home, and motherhood was the only route, chosen for her by 

her parents’ wishes” (751). Sarah, however, keeps on struggling with her unrequited 

love for Matthew. She has a very close relationship to her mother and they 

repeatedly talk about this issue, but to no avail: “Mam had stood by her side. They’d 

talked, reasoned, shared their feelings, and grew close. But at the end of the day, 

she still had to sit on the slippery banks of the muddy river called misery – and simply 

deal with it” (104). Again, the metaphor of the “river called misery” creates the 

impression of hopelessness. 

However, the heroine is not willing to let outsiders know about her misery, or to allow 

them to pity her for being still single; rather, she shows a certain sense of humor by 

making ironic remarks as can be seen in this encounter with an older Amish woman: 

She decided to stand her ground [when asked why she doesn’t date yet]. 



60 
 

“I have dreams of becoming an old maid and having my own dry goods store.” 
Her words carried well, reaching Mam’s ears as she ducked behind a washer 
to conceal her wide grin and jiggling shoulders. (73) 

 
When she finally has private moment with Matthew, where he behaves as if he were 

interested in her – although he is still courting Rose – she cannot really enjoy it, 

because she is quickly overcome by guilt: 

Sarah looked up, the sting clouding her vision, as he [Matthew] looked down 
into her pain-filled eyes. It wasn’t her fault that he didn’t look away, she 
chided herself later when she felt so guilty and brash and so bold and so . . . 
well, stupid. 
It wasn’t her fault that as he had laid the burdock leaf across her hand, his 
hands were shaking more than a little. […] When she stood up, he was much 
too close, and she wished he’d move away. (59) 

 
By this anaphora “it wasn’t her fault” her inner struggle is intensified, she does not 

want to appear as a brash young woman. It is obvious that she still knows what the 

appropriate behavior of an Amish female should be, and even though her feelings for 

Matthew are very intense, she is not willing to give up her attitudes completely. That 

proves her to be a strong-willed young woman. When she finally comes to her 

senses, – after she heard about Matthew marrying someone else although shortly 

before he had asked her to start dating – she is outspoken and direct as can be seen 

in this dialogue with Matthew’s mother: 

 Clearly, Sarah spoke, her words precise, well placed, ringing. 
“Hannah, in your opinion, nothing has ever been Matthew’s fault. His whole life 
has been spent atop the pedestal you provided for him.” 
“Sarah! Don’t be so . . . Why, Sarah, I hardly know you like this!” 
“Well, you can get to know me if you want. If not, that’s fine with me. I have 
been dragged through the muck by Matthew for the last time, Hannah. And 
you, too.” (481) 

 
In figurative language the author describes the heroine’s feelings about Matthew’s 

behavior towards her. Nevertheless, that period in her life has led her to question her 

background and her culture. For a short time, she thinks about leaving her family and 

community and she ponders the advantages and disadvantages of doing so: “The 

inner conflict was an unbearable thing. She could never leave Dat” (455). Obviously, 

family relations are more important to her, especially the one with her parents: “She 

couldn’t make a choice of such magnitude in a few hours. It would break her parents’ 

heart. The church would eventually cast her away, shun her.” (457) Furthermore, the 

thought of being shunned seems unimaginable to her. But it is not fear that makes 



61 
 

her decide to stay, but rather the realization that she simply feels at home where she 

is right now: 

Well, I’m just too Amish. Home canned pumpkin, bean soup, white cape and 
apron pinned to her dress, the uniform of the unmarried woman. 
She had still not fully recovered from the wonder of the possibility of leaving, 
the excitement of actually being able [to] go and do something out of the 
ordinary. […] No, she would not want to leave, truly. (492) 

 
Nevertheless, this incident shows her that she is free to choose, that she is an 

independent woman, able to make her own choices. Sarah chooses the traditional, 

esteeming its values and security: 

It was an appreciation of heritage, a rich experience of lives lived before theirs 
– the stories, the respect for birth, life, and death, for marriage and raising 
children. It was continuing to live upright humble lives and existing in harmony 
amid a world filling with more and more confusing and unwanted technology. 
(208) 

 
The author chooses the omniscient narrator’s perspective to stress the positive traits 

of Amish living. In this juxtaposition she compares Amish life to appreciation, respect, 

uprightness and harmony, whereas the world outside is described as confusing and 

unwanted. Thus, Sarah decides to remain within her tradition, as it offers her stability 

and harmony. 

Due to the fact that Sarah rejects Lee twice because of Matthew, she has to take the 

initiative in order to experience a happy ending: “If God gave her one last chance 

before tomorrow, she’d take it” (813). As she does take initiative, she does not care 

what others might think of her, being very spontaneous, expressed in short rhetorical 

questions: “Then, a wild thought. What did it matter? Who would care? They were 

two mature adults, no longer silly teenagers shamelessly flirting” (816). Because of all 

that occurred within the last year, Sarah sees herself as matured, as a woman who 

knows what she wants.  

Her relationship to Lee perfectly fits Sarah’s choice: “[…] this was slow, easy, secure. 

It was bliss borne of knowledge, knowing the wait was all a part of God’s plan” (776). 

Nevertheless, there are strong feelings between them, indicating that Sarah’s choice 

of Lee is one of love and not one of reason: “Sarah watched Lee emerge from the 

door of the diesel shed and experienced a strange thrill, an intuition, or was it only 

her imagination? Would he feel it, seeing her there […]” (815).  



62 
 

Linda Byler portrays her heroine as an Amish young woman, who develops her 

character in the course of events. From being a teenager being hopelessly in love 

with the wrong man, she develops into a strong, young woman who embraces her 

role as an Amish female on purpose. She does not feel inferior to men but enjoys 

what she is doing and finds stability and security in the Amish tradition and culture. 

 

Matthew Stoltzfus 

Mathew Stoltzfus is the villain in this romance novel. He is a few years older than 

Sarah and grew up in the same Amish community. The author describes him as “tall, 

dark, and built like a wrestler” (25), this simile already indicating that he does not 

really fit into the Amish culture. He is well aware of his good looks and knows that a 

lot of girls admire him. Sarah’s sister Priscilla sees him as “arrogant, a flirt, and not 

even worth her time” (213) and Sarah’s mother remarks, “Matthew is less than 

ambitious. He flirts with any girl who will look at him, and there are plenty of them. I’m 

not convinced he loves Sarah at all” (419). More than once, someone states that 

Matthew is a flirt, who just loves to be loved by the girls. Not only that, he does not 

follow any rules of propriety, as can be seen in this scene: 

Matthew’s arm went out, for only a second, a half circle about her waist. 
Blushing furiously, Priscilla yanked at the cake, grasped it, and pivoted out of 
his way. 
Matthew laughed and looked down at Sarah. “Boy, your little sister is growing 
up!” 
He whistled, watching her retreating form. (161) 
 

This behavior does not fit into the stereotypical role of an Amish man, so the reader 

can easily imagine that he will probably leave the community. To him, women are 

inferior and if he could, he would exclude them wherever they seem to be a danger 

for him. For example, when Sarah defeats him in a game of ping-pong, he reacts like 

this: “Matthew’s voice was low and harsh. ‘Yeah, well. It might be a good idea to 

eliminate the girls playing against the guys, and you know it.’” (272). By depicting his 

voice as brutal and mean, the image of Matthew as a bad guy with no good 

intentions is reinforced. It seems as if the only thing that could keep him among the 

Amish community is his date Rose. So when she breaks up with him, there is nothing 

to hold him back: “[…] I told her [Rose] if she broke up with me I was going to go 

English. I mean it. If I can’t have Rose, I’m not going to stay Amish. There’s no point 



63 
 

in it” (239). The way he talks, he reminds one of a stubborn little child, posing threats 

on grown-up people:  

He always got his own way with everything, and when he couldn’t have his 
gorgeous Rose – the one time he had ever hit a brick wall – he acted like the 
spoiled brat he’d always been and just left, taking it out on everyone. It was his 
battered ego, his pride that was driving him. (465) 

 
Towards Sarah, he explains his desire to leave in a more sophisticated way: “He 

wanted to go away. He wanted to travel, see the world. He needed to get away on a 

spiritual quest” (425). He claims to be on a path of self-finding rather than being 

wounded in his vanity. Sarah realizes, that deep in his heart, he “did not want to be 

Amish. He didn’t appreciate the heritage of his family, the old linage of conservatism, 

the traditions, the way of life” (426). The simple enumeration of Amish values 

emphasizes the missing emotional connection of Matthew with the Amish culture. 

Whenever the whole community gets together after another barn fire to help the 

affected family, Matthew is not part of it and even mocks those who are there to help: 

Matthew listened and then responded kindly but with a sort of petulance, 
inquiring about her [Sarah] having to be there. […] 
“Every time there’s a scene, and that seems to be happening with a certain 
regularity, there you are in the middle of it. Why?” 
His tone was high, anxious, mocking. 
[…] “It’s my duty. My parents always stress that.” 
“Well, mine don’t.” 
There was nothing to say in response. (411) 

 
The attribute of petulance, and his high, mocking tone paint a picture of ruthlessness, 

and by asking why Sarah is always there, his complete ignorance of community 

values such as helpfulness or care becomes obvious. This is in stark contrast to his 

claim of desiring to go on a spiritual quest. His thoughtlessness and vanity are further 

exposed in the way he talks about people with special needs: 

“Yeah, well. One of these days the old boy [Levi] will kick the bucket. 
Mongoloids don’t often live to be forty, do they?” 
Sarah opened her mouth in reply but was stopped short by Priscilla’s clipped 
tones. 
“He’s not a mongoloid, Matthew. That word is outdated, taboo. He has Down 
syndrome. We hope he’ll live to be a hundred. You have no idea how much 
our family enjoys him. He’s the star of the household. But you wouldn’t know, 
because he doesn’t look nice to you.” (212) 

 



64 
 

As the author makes use of colloquialism when Matthew is talking, this character 

appears even less sympathetic. Besides being rude, he is furthermore depicted as 

lazy, remaining “maddeningly absent” (393) when everyone else in the community is 

helping together. His mother Hanna is the only one who still excuses his behavior: 

Hannah got up, saying she’d go get coffee and wake Matthew. It was 
embarrassing, the way he slept. 
Sarah had no idea Matthew was still in bed. My, he was quite a sound sleeper. 
(392) 

 
To sum up, the character of Matthew is everything an Amish man should not be. He 

is portrayed as dominant, flirtatious, insensitive, lazy and proud and, nevertheless, 

Amish. He serves the purpose of the rascal in the novel and thereby emphasizes the 

importance of the good traits of Amish men. 

 

Lee Glick 

Lee Glick is another young Amish man and the hero of the romance novel. He 

encompasses all the good traits of a young Amish. The narrator brings him into play 

without mentioning his name at first, thereby creating tension in the story: “This 

exchange [between Sarah and her brother Levi] was not lost on the blond youth, who 

watched Sarah and forgot to eat his cake. He’d never seen eyes that color” (64).  

He is fascinated by Sarah right from their first meeting, which is conveyed by his 

action. Besides being blond, his features are described through Sarah’s eyes, when 

they meet for the first time: “She looked at him fully for the first time ever, the blue of 

his eyes taking her completely off guard. His eyebrows were perfect, like wings. His 

nose was stubby and wide but somehow also just right” (198). The adjectives 

“perfect” and “just right” indicate a deeper meaning than the mere description of his 

facial features. It also serves the purpose of foreshadowing, that this young man 

might be “just right” for Sarah. Furthermore, he is “also very good-looking, in a blond, 

non-Matthew way” (147). The author begins already at this point to compare Lee and 

Matthew. 

Concerning his character, Lee is portrayed as humorous and friendly: “He turned and 

smiled easily, unselfconsciously. The humor on his open face was genuine, a magnet 

that drew her eyes to his” (63). The adjectives “open” and “genuine” paint the image 



65 
 

of an upright character, someone who has no bad intentions. And his impression is 

compared with the simile of “a magnet”, hinting at the attraction that begins between 

Sarah and Lee already at this point of the novel. Furthermore, he is thoughtful – “The 

blond guy had jumped up and offered his hand to help her up. Not very many boys 

were so thoughtful” (147) –, as well as kind and helpful: “[H]e was always one of the 

first ones on the scene at barn raisings, one of the last to leave. It seemed as if that 

was all he did – work for other people and help them out” (347). 

 
The image of Lee as a thoroughly good man is reinforced by this statement of him 

being always among the first who come to help and staying until the end. This 

constancy and patience is also in effect concerning his love for Sarah. Because he 

knows that her feelings are captivated by Matthew, he decides to stay in the 

background and not to rush things: 

When a guy named Matthew ducked under the net and teased her [Sarah], the 
look of raw adoration she gave him cemented his resolve to stay in the 
background. (145) 
 
“I’ll be honest, Sarah, okay? If you say it makes it easier, do you mean I may 
have a chance someday?” 
She was going to say, “Don’t wait for me, Lee.” She really was. What she said 
was, “Your eyes are so blue. They remind me of a . . . a . . . This is dumb, 
Lee.” She gave a low laugh. “Your eyes make everything easy. They’re calm.” 
“Thank you, Sarah.” (250) 

 
He proves strong in his patience, and he does not force his feelings on her. 

Nevertheless, he is honest and clearly speaks his mind. He wants her to make a 

decision on her own, respecting her free will as a woman and is willing to wait until 

she chooses, and he outrightly tells her so: “When Matthew comes back, you’ll be 

completely unfettered. You alone must choose” (643). He goes even further and 

says, “But I think I honestly love you so much that I want only your happiness. If I 

have to give you up for you to find true happiness, I will. It won’t be easy, but I’ll do it. 

For you” (922). This kind of unselfishness is mentioned in the novel more than once, 

it seems to be part of his lifestyle, “he lived a life of unselfishness, always giving his 

time and energy to others” (953). 

The more Sarah gets to know Lee, the more he reminds her of her own father, who is 

paramount example for an Amish male (see chapter 4.3.2): 



66 
 

She realized that Lee spoke, and thought, along the same lines as her own 
revered father. (446) 
 
“Lee, pulling off to the side of the road and allowing cars to pass – that puts 
you in the same highly-respected category as my father. Thank you. Not all 
men will do that.” (845) 
 

This similarity excites respect in Sarah, just as she reveres her own father. This 

comparison puts Lee in the category for a perfectly fitting husband for her, one who 

will keep the old tradition and the lifestyle she cherishes. After Sarah’s accident in the 

fire, Lee is also the one who does not care about her scars. Even though she 

struggles with her scarred face, he does not: “Lee had told her she was beautiful, 

which she obviously was not. And he had told her she was an amazing person, which 

she obviously wasn’t either” (757). This repetition shows his ability to look beyond 

outward appearance, and that he really cares about her inner values, when he 

explains her: 

“(…) You can’t know how bad it really is. It will disgust you.” 
“But Sarah. That has nothing to do with love. If a man truly loves a woman, he 
accepts her just the way she is. Her size, her looks, what she wears, scars, 
whatever – it’s all insignificant.” (922) 

 
The perfection and the goodness of Lee, however, culminate at the end of the novel, 

when Sarah talks with her sisters about him: 

“You mean, he never says no?” Ruthie shrieked. 
“I wouldn’t know when.” 
“He never gets angry? Not even when he’s stressed? Snappy?” Anna Mae 
asked in disbelief. 
“I have never seen him that way.” (955) 

 
With the character of Lee Glick, Linda Byler has created a real knight in shining 

amour. He is the epitome of the ideal Amish man. He is helpful, thoughtful, kind and 

good-hearted. He respects women and their wishes, is hard-working and hardly ever 

stressed or angry. All in all, the complete opposite of the villain Matthew. 

 

4.3.2. Other female/male gender roles 

 

David Byler 

David Byler is Sarah’ father and has had his share of difficulties in his life. His 

firstborn son Levi was born with Down-Syndrome, which caused David to examine 



67 
 

his heart. At that time, he believed that he “must have done something wrong for God 

to send them a ‘retarded’ son” (4). But in the course of his life, Levi becomes a center 

of joy for the whole family. As the Byler’s barn is the first one to burn down, David’s 

faith is challenged again, as can be seen in this dramatic description: “Dat was a dark 

tragic figure now, so human and pitiful, somehow so unable” (9). He seems to be far 

away from a strong Amish believer. Yet, besides being a farmer, he is an ordained 

minister of the community, “carrying the burden of being a servant of the Lord, 

striving to keep peace and unity among his people – the small district of twenty-some 

families – protecting his flock from “the wolf”, the ways of the world” (16). The way his 

task is depicted – “carrying the burden and striving to keep peace” – makes it obvious 

that it is not always easy. 

Although he is a person in leadership, his character resembles the one of a sensitive 

man: “Dat was the kindhearted one, the dreamer who colored your days with different 

shades of jokes, laughter, smiles, little sayings, or poems” (102). The phrase “colored 

your day with different shades” indicates that he is someone who positively 

influences the lives of the people around him. Furthermore, he is portrayed as a 

thoughtful and affectionate father, who goes to great lengths to make his children 

happy. For example, when Priscilla loses her horse in the barn fire, he shows deep 

compassion and is willing to pay a high price for a new horse: 

Dat saw Priscilla’s fear, slowly laid his German Bible aside, and went to her. 
Gripping her arms, he looked into her terror-stricken eyes and gave her a 
small shake. 
“Priscilla!” His voice was kind but firm. 
As if roused from a faint, she blinked, looked at Dat, then fell against him. As 
she sobbed out her pain and anguish, his arms came around her, his head laid 
on her hair. (77) 
 
What a precious father! She knew that he wouldn’t stop bidding until he had 
procured the one object that would successfully erase the hurt and the pain 
the arsonist had inflicted with a small rasp of his lighter. (92) 

 
The determination of David at the auction expressed by “he wouldn’t stop bidding” 

proves that he is strong-willed, whenever a goal needs to be achieved. Although 

sensitive, he still has his beliefs and does not waver in them. Concerning the 

arsonist, he holds fast to the Amish belief of not taking revenge but to forgive. Even 

when a greater part of the community prefers to stand up and take action to find out 

who started the barn fires, he still holds fast to forgiveness: “That’s just it, Malinda. 



68 
 

It’s not our way. It’s not. We are a nonresistant people. Or used to be. To my way of 

thinking, we do not fight back. God allowed the arsonist to accomplish this […]” (152). 

By the anaphora of “it’s not”, his decision is confirmed. However, that does not mean, 

that it is easy for him, as this metaphor describes: “But in the still of the night, he’d 

wrestled with his own personal angel” (121). Especially, when Sarah is severely 

injured in the last fire, his steadfast stand is challenged: 

[…] the only emotion he felt, after a long while, was anger. Unresolved, boiling 
anger, as hot as the falling beam that had hit Sarah. It had scraped and 
burned her shoulders and back raw, like ground beef. […] It was his fault. He’d 
clung to the old ways. How much of it was tradition, how much was pride, and 
how small was the slice of heartfelt conviction? […] How could he forgive an 
arsonist who had burned his daughter at the stake? (736) 

 
In this passage, the author makes use of an anaphora again: “how much, how much, 

how small”, intensifying the image of David struggling with his faith and his tradition. 

During these challenging times, his wife Malinda is the support that he needs, and 

they are obviously on equal terms, complementing and helping each other in any 

situation: “When Dat reached across the tabletop and grasped Mam’s hand, he told 

her she was all the support he needed and thanked her for being strong” (706). 

At the end of his emotional fight, he finally returns to his steadfast belief in 

forgiveness. He is upright and open with his community and tells them about his 

feelings: “’I wanted to literally beat up the person who did this. I am ashamed to tell 

you what I wanted to do. But there is only one way through this, and it’s forgiveness.’” 

(766). Furthermore, when the arsonist is caught and brought to justice, he lets 

actions follow his belief, indicating that he does not only talk about forgiveness, but is 

actually acting on it: 

When he rose to go, Dat did not shake hands, he simply pulled the young man 
into an embrace and released him. Keeping a hand on his shoulder, he said 
firmly. “We forgive you. Be a man now, and change your ways. You’ll come 
out of this a better person.” (863) 

 
David Byler is not only a traditional Amish man, hard-working, God-fearing, 

respectful, thoughtful and working together with his wife on an equal level, he also 

serves as a symbol for Amish tradition and belief in the novel. Although shaken 

himself, he is still an anchor for his community throughout   the story. 

 



69 
 

Malinda Byler 

Malinda Byler is the wife of David Byler and Sarah’s mother. She is described as a 

“comely older woman with years of compassion and hard work molding her features” 

(Lancaster Burning 664), being a “hard-core realist” (102), and no matter what 

happens in her life or in the lives of her family, “[n]o one like Mam to bring you 

straight back to reality, plunk you down in the middle of it, and put you to work” (102). 

Even though she experiences more than one tragic event in the course of the story, 

she nevertheless tries to remain steadfast, not allowing hurt and grief to overtake her: 

That was Mam. She was the best manager in Lancaster County, Hannah said. 
Sarah watched, amazed at her mother’s ability to deal with the responsibility of 
the day’s demands after only a few hours of sleep. (33) 
 

When Sarah is severely injured, Malinda stays at her bedside to do what needs to be 

done. This behavior is portrayed with the short, clear sentences in this passage: 

“Mam never wavered. There were no tears. Her daughter was awake, she was 

calling for her, and she had a duty to perform” (712). Duty seems to be more 

important to her than giving in to emotions, and the other’s well-being is more 

important than her own as she says, “Those times she didn’t think of herself, her 

weariness. She just went ahead and did her duty, the same as she would do now” 

(712). 

The author calls Malinda a “great traditionalist” (907) and a woman who knows her 

duty and her position: 

What set a minister’s wife apart? Nothing, and yet a great deal depended on 
her support. She needed to supply quantities of it, always striving to build her 
husband’s confidence and his service by guta-rote (sound advice) as the 
lesser vessel. At the same time she was a powerful ally, and Sarah knew the 
power of her mother’s prayers better than anyone. (321) 

 
In this passage the juxtaposition of “lesser vessel” and “powerful ally” indicates that 

Malinda is not simply a submissive wife. On the contrary, as she is a powerful ally to 

her husband, she obviously complements him, and both are working together to have 

a positive impact on the community. Their roles might be different, but it is their 

relationship and companionship that makes them powerful and influential. 

Concerning Sarah’s attraction to Matthew, Malinda acts as a wise mother, who 

knows when to speak and when to be quiet. But she always lets her daughter know 

that she loves her and is available to her: “Mam saw the strained smile and the 



70 
 

increasing despair, but she decided to let Sarah busily weave her web of 

unhappiness until she was ready to talk” (137). However, when she feels that the 

right moment has arrived, she speaks openly and directly:  

“So what should I do to change things?” Sarah asked. 
“Stop thinking he wants you. He doesn’t. He’s dating Rose. He’s a flirt.” 
Like rocks thrown at her, Mam’s words hurt, and Sarah winced, now painfully 
aware of her mother’s honesty. This was so unlike her soft-spoken mother. 
(142) 

 
The simile of “like rocks thrown at her” show how clear Malinda’s words are, and 

portray her as an upright woman, who knows when the truth needs to be told. And 

especially because she is usually “soft-spoken”, her words of truth have an even 

stronger impact. 

Besides, her realistic attitude and her experience in handling her children, Malinda is 

still a woman who enjoys beauty and a nice home: 

Though she beamed and smiled and her eyes twinkled as she secretly 
anticipated her wonderful “new” house, she always kept her head bowed and 
tried to be humble – but she really wasn’t. (21) 
 
She was, after all, a minister’s wife, and her house needed to be in the 
ordnung (within the rules) as befitted the wife of a leader in the church. But, 
oh, how she adored it! She scattered hand-woven rugs made from cast-off 
clothing, enjoying the charm the vibrant colors added, and went about her 
days with a song in her heart, surrounded by the things she loved. (22) 

 

As the reader can notice here, Malinda thoroughly enjoys her new house, although at 

the same time she is aware that this might be interpreted as pride. She only “tried to 

be humble”, while she actually was totally excited about the home they had 

renovated. Thus, she can also be seen as a woman who enjoys pleasures in her life. 

Not only that, she certainly has a sense of humor and enjoys a good laugh as well: 

“Mam lamented her total lack of restraint but finally conceded to it, sitting down and 

laughing till she had to remove her glasses, wipe her eyes, and take a deep breath” 

(838). The detailed description of how she laughs   enhances the sympathy she 

already gained with the reader and makes her even more loveable. 

As one can see, Malinda Byler is a strong, traditional and realistic woman, who 

remains steadfast through the troubled times of her life. She exudes wisdom and 

kindness, but also great love for the people around her. Towards her husband, she is 



71 
 

a submissive wife but also a strong companion by his side. Within the confines of her 

family, however, she behaves very emotional, too, and enjoys the simple pleasures 

of life. 

 

Hanna Stoltzfus 

The character of Hanna Stoltzfus is an unusual portray of an Amish woman. She is 

the mother of Matthew, and while she is described as “kind” and “understanding” at 

first (22), and outwardly follows the stereotypical image of an Amish mother who 

loves cooking and pampering family and friends with her meals, a closer look shows 

a different picture. For example, she arrives with lots of home-cooked food at a barn 

raising, but obviously does it mainly to be observed and admired: “Always running the 

show, being the boss, and then the minute the real chores started, she sat there in all 

her glory. It just irked Mamie” (64).  

She is a woman who does want others to see her only in a positive way. For any fault 

or failure she easily finds an excuse. When her son Matthew leaves the Amish and 

marries an English woman, although he has just started courting Sarah, Hanna 

reacts like this: “’Hannah said he’s so soft-hearted, he just couldn’t tell you. He knew 

you would take it hard. He’s just so kind, Hannah said.’” (472). With this anaphora, 

the excuses she makes for her son, appear even more ridiculous and show how 

much she ignores the wrongs of her son. Compared to her husband, who feels 

ashamed of his son’s decisions, she praises her son even more: 

He [Elam] carried the true humility of having a son gone astray, but Hannah 
bore her pride for her son like a misplaced banner, speaking loudly about his 
missionary work in Haiti without an ounce of modesty in her bearing. (483) 

 
With the simile “like a misplaced banner”, the author highlights the fact that this 

behavior, which might be totally understandable in the modern world, does not fit into 

the Amish setting. Instead of being a mother who tries to raise her child, sometimes 

encouraging and disciplining it, “Matthew was firmly glued to the pedestal of his 

mother’s pride, slowly turning from flesh and blood into various metals, hardening into 

an idol she would worship her whole life long” (629). This image that Hannah has of 

her son leads so far that she “was always hopeful that Matthew was pleased and not 



72 
 

too put out by her poor management” (719), revealing that in her eyes her son 

somehow has taken the position a husband might have. 

Throughout the novel, her view of her son does not change. And she does not 

recognize her mistakes, but in the end blames her husband for the wrong choices her 

son has made:  

Hannah berated her husband for just sitting behind his paper. She thought he 
should be admonishing Matthew, the way other fathers did. It was no wonder 
he wasn’t Amish, and now it was hard to tell who he would marry. (829) 

 
The interesting feature about the character of Hanna is that she does not change her 

behavior at all as the story unfolds. She shows only a few typical Amish female traits 

– being helpful, kind and an expert in the kitchen –, but there is hardly any 

humbleness or modesty; but she rather craves for validation and likes to put the 

blame on others.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



73 
 

5. Conclusion 
 

In this concluding chapter of the thesis, the findings of the three serial novels 

concerning the gender roles of the characters portrayed in the books will be 

summarized. These findings will be compared to each other, especially in regard to 

the question, how these gender representations differ between the novels written by 

non-Amish authors compared to the ones of the Amish author Linda Byler. 

Furthermore, the relationship between female and male protagonists in the selected 

romance novels will be compared. 

To begin with, the focus will be on the heroines. Meredith in A Lancaster County 

Saga (2013) fits into the scheme of a typical young Amish woman. In contrast to the 

other two heroines, she is about twenty years old, has recently married Luke and is 

not looking for a prospective partner – at least not on the outset. The situation 

changes a short time later, when she believes her husband Luke has died. She is 

portrayed as kind, friendly and modest, having a close relationship with her husband, 

but also as submissive, when realizing that Luke is stressed. Her behavior takes a 

turn, when she believes herself to be a widow, and she suddenly stands her ground, 

wanting to be self-sufficient. In this respect, she is similar to Sarah Yoder in the 

Healing Series (2015). Sarah Yoder is already a widow at the beginning of the 

romance, however, she is in her mid-thirties, raising two teenage sons. Her husband 

died five years before, so she has learned already to take care of her family, although 

she receives help from her relatives. Sarah has no intentions of finding another 

husband, she rather focuses on making a living as a herbal healer. Sarah Yoder is 

portrayed as a kind and helpful woman, too, but from the beginning on she wants to 

be self-sufficient. She is also rather outspoken and driven by the desire to help other 

people. Meredith, on the other hand, appears more like a woman who needs to be 

helped, although she does not want to admit it.  

The third heroine Sarah Byler (Lancaster Burning 2013) differs from the two other 

female protagonists inasmuch as she is a nineteen-year-old girl hoping to find the 

right husband. She is also described as friendly, kind and helpful and cherishes 

Amish values and traditions. Similar to Sarah Yoder, she is someone ready to hel p 

and support other people, therefore also focused a lot on others, even though she is 

in a deep emotional conflict concerning the love of her life, Matthew. Concerning him, 



74 
 

one could say, she is submissive, but not because she sees it as her Amish trait as 

woman but rather because she is ready to do everything necessary to win his 

attention. Although she does not allow other people to treat her unkindly, and she 

knows how to hold her ground, this attitude vanishes when Matthew appears on the 

scene. All three women show a certain stubbornness: Meredith, when she wants to 

take care of her herself, Sarah Yoder in raising her two sons on her own, and Sarah 

Byler when she is not listening to any warnings about Matthew.  

To sum up, all three female main characters show the stereotypical feminine features 

of being kind, friendly and helpful. In addition, the kind of work they do stays within 

the confines of typical female jobs: sewing, planting, baking and working as a 

teacher. At the same time, they all use their circumstances to prove that they can 

stand their ground, nevertheless, they happily enter a partnership, as soon as the 

right husband appears on the scene. Although Meredith and Sarah Yoder question 

their background a little bit and quickly realize that they are happy within the Amish 

confines, Sarah Byler compares the Amish and the English world on a deeper level 

and even for a short time thinks about leaving together with the man she believes to 

be in love with. Sarah Yoder, on the other hand, knows that she will only enter a 

relationship with Henry, if he comes back to the Amish faith. This indicates that she is 

deeper rooted in her tradition than Sarah Byler, who is much younger and still has to 

find herself.  

Turning to the male protagonists of the story, they differ more widely in the three 

novels. In A Lancaster County Saga (2013), Meredith’s husband Luke, as well as her 

suitor Jonah are both hard-working, traditional, friendly, and helpful young men. Both 

of them desire to have a family and be the breadwinners. Luke shows some 

dominant attitudes when he realizes that he cannot provide for his family and keeps 

on denying the right to start looking for a job as well to Meredith. In the Healing 

Series (2015) the two opponents are Henry and Silas. These characters are more 

diverse than the men in A Lancaster County Saga (2013). Henry is a former Amish 

and is rather insecure, constantly drawn between his former life and the outside 

world, nevertheless he shows typical Amish features such as taking over the role of a 

responsible father, who disciplines young people if needed. At the same time, he 

shows a lot of sympathy for the Amish teenagers who overstep traditional limits, 

excusing their behavior. Furthermore, he is polite, gentlemanly and thoughtful. In 



75 
 

contrast to Henry, Silas always was and still is Amish, and is determined in finding a 

suitable wife. Although he behaves rather politely, he nevertheless shows traces of 

feeling superior to women, firmly believing that a woman cannot raise children 

without a husband. He is quite forward with Sarah, not readily accepting that his 

feelings are not reciprocated.  

The highest contrast in male gender roles, however, can be found in Lancaster 

Burning (2014). Here, the author describes the young Amish man named Matthew, 

who is flirtatious, selfish and lazy. He does not consider women to be on equal levels 

with men but uses them for his own pleasure. In stark contrast to him is Lee, who is 

portrayed as thoughtful, kind and patient, always ready to be of help, where help is 

needed. He respects women and does not see them as inferior. Furthermore, 

outward appearance is not as important to him as the character of a person. In the 

portrayal of these two young Amish men, Linda Byler as the Amish author, differs 

greatly from the other two authors, whose male protagonists fit into a rather 

stereotypical Amish gender role. 

When we look at the relationships between men and women in the stories, the 

heroine and the hero are almost always on equal level. Hardly any trace of 

dominance of the men over the women can be found, except in A Lancaster County 

Saga (2013), where at the beginning, Luke rejects the idea of his wife looking for a 

job, because he thinks it is his duty alone to provide for them. And he even quenches 

any further discussion about this issue. However, he apologizes to her later, and 

discusses his new plans with her. Still, the impression remains that Meredith does not 

really have a say in this, as he is determined to pursue his plan. In Healing Grace 

(2015) it is rather the woman, Sarah Yoder, who appears to be the stronger. Her 

steadfastness causes Henry to return to the Amish faith, if he wants to enter a 

relationship with her. During some incidents, however, where they are both involved 

in educating and training a teenager, Sarah allows and expects Henry to take the 

place of leadership. When looking at Lancaster Burning (2014), Sarah and Lee are a 

couple that really complements each other, not one of them being superior to the 

other. The villain Matthew, however, obviously feels superior to women and does not 

consider them having equal rights.  

Apart from the lovers in the novels, there are some older couples portrayed, whose 

relationship is either very harmonic or rather unbalanced. The parents of Sarah 



76 
 

Yoder and the parents-in-law of her deceased husband Michael (Healing Grace 

2015) are both portrayed as harmonic couples, there is no unusual interaction to be 

noted among them. They love each other, respect each other and discuss important 

issues together. Furthermore, the fathers as head of the household do not show any 

superior behavior. In Wanda Brunstetter’s serial novel (A Lancaster County Saga 

2013), there is one couple that stands out: Sadie and Elam Stoltzfus. At first sight 

they appear as a happy and harmonic couple, but soon it turns out that Sadie, 

knowing that her husband would not approve of her actions, secretly follows her own 

plans. There might be outward submission, but her actions tell another story. 

Apart from Sadie and Elam in Brunstetter’s romance novel, there is also one rather 

untypical couple in Linda Byler’s book: the parents of Matthew, Hannah and Elam 

Stoltzfus. Hannah obviously spoiled her son Matthew during his childhood and 

teenage years and excuses every misbehavior on his part. But rather than 

disciplining him and being ashamed of their son’s actions, she continues to take a 

stand for him. Apart from her bevahior, her husband Elam does not intervene at all 

and shows no traces of being the head of the household. He simply lets his wife do 

whatever she wishes. Thus, there is neither any sign of leadership and submission in 

their marriage, nor any evidence that they discuss things at home and complement 

each other.  

One figure that appears in Senft’s as well as in Byler’s novel, is the Amish patriarch. 

In Healing Series (2015), Sarah’s father-in-law Jacob Yoder fulfills this role not only in 

his outward appearance (tall and with a long beard) but also in his character, who 

radiates strength and wisdom, and disciplines others in kindness. He is the epitome 

and guiding figure for the Amish tradition and faith. A similar character is found in 

Lancaster Burning (2014) in the person of David Byler, the father of Sarah. 

Throughout the story, he is described as the kind, friendly and wise bishop of the 

community, who speaks openly to the members of the congregation, reminding them 

of the Amish values of forgiveness and non-resistance. Furthermore, he not only 

preaches about these values, but follows them in his own life, no matter how hard it 

seems to be. 

To sum up, the female main characters in all three romance novels – no matter if 

written by a non-Amish or Amish author – portray rather stereotypical Amish gender 

roles except for their desire to be self-sufficient at least until the right husband 



77 
 

appears. The thoughts and emotional struggles of the heroine are, however, most 

intensely described by non-Amish writer Linda Byler. Furthermore, she is the author 

who describes the greatest variety of characters, among them such, who do not fit 

into a stereotypical Amish gender role like Matthew or Hanna Stoltzfus. As far as this 

can be said about a fictional romance novel, Linda Byler portrays her characters in 

the most realistic way, including a wide range of different personalities. In contrast to 

the Amish writer, Wanda Brunstetter and Adina Senft stay mainly within the 

stereotypical gender roles in the depiction of their characters. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



78 
 

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Brunstetter, Wanda E. The Hope of Spring: Part 3. Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour 

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Brunstetter, Wanda E. The Pieces of Summer: Part 4. Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour 

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Brunstetter, Wanda E. A Revelation in Autumn: Part 5. Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour 

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Byler, Linda. Lancaster Burning: Trilogy. New York, NY: Good Books, 2015. 

Senft, Adina. Balm of Gilead. New York, NY: FaithWords, 2015. 

Senft, Adina. Herb of Grace. New York, NY: FaithWords, 2014. 

Senft, Adina. Keys of Heaven. New York, NY: FaithWords, 2015. 

 

 

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Shields, Stephanie A., and Elaine C. Dicicco. “The Social Psychology of Sex and 

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Štekovič, Maja. ”Crossing cultural frontiers: representations of the Amish in American 

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80 
 

Appendix 

 

English Abstract 

 

The Amish people have been moved into the focus of the American media in the last 

decades, not only through movies or television shows but also through books of 

various genres. Especially among readers of Christian faith, novels about the Old 

Order people have gained high popularity, the Amish’s simple lifestyle providing a 

welcome alternative to the fast-paced lifestyle of the modern world. Apart from their 

outward appearance – women wearing long-sleeve dresses and head coverings, 

men with long beards and broad trousers with suspenders – they seem to still follow 

a patriarchal society model with the women staying at home, taking care of the 

children, whereas the men carry the responsibility of the breadwinner. Within the last 

decades, novels about the Amish were mainly written by non-Amish authors. Only 

about ten years ago, this situation changed, when Linda Byler, an Amish mother and 

grandmother, started writing fictional novels, too. The focus of this thesis is to 

examine how gender roles are portrayed in Amish romance novels by non-Amish 

writers compared to Amish writers. In order to analyze this question three serial 

novels have been chosen: Wanda Brunstetter’s A Lancaster County Saga (2013), 

Adina Senft’s Healing Grace (2015) and Linda Byler’s Lancaster Burning Trilogy 

(2014). Although there are a lot of similarities, the novels show that the non-Amish 

authors mostly follow the stereotypical Amish gender roles in the portrayal of their 

characters with only a few small exceptions; whereas Linda Byler portrays a far wider 

range of female and male characters that do not always fit into a typical feminine or 

masculine Amish role.  



81 
 

Deutsche Zusammenfassung 

 

In den letzten Jahrzehnten wurden die Amischen in den amerikanischen Medien 

immer populärer, sei es durch Filme oder Fernsehserien oder durch Bücher 

unterschiedlicher Gattungen. Vor allem bei der christlichen Leserschaft werden 

Romane über die Amischen immer beliebter, da der einfache ländliche Lebensstil 

eine willkommene Abwechslung zur schnelllebigen, modernen Welt bietet. Die 

Amischen fallen nicht nur durch ihr äußeres Erscheinungsbild auf – die Frauen mit 

langärmeligen Kleidern und Kopfbedeckung, und die Männer mit Bärten, breiten 

Hosen und Hosenträgern –, sondern auch durch ihr patriarchalisches 

Gesellschaftsmodell. Die Frauen kümmern sich um Haushalt und Kinder, während 

die Männer die Hauptversorger der Familie sind. Die meisten Romane über die 

Amischen, die in den letzten Jahrzehnten geschrieben wurden, wurde von Autoren 

verfasst, die nicht den Amischen angehörten. Diese Situation änderte sich vor etwa 

zehn Jahren, als unter anderem Linda Byler, eine amische Mutter und Großmutter, 

begann, ebenfalls Romane zu verfassen. Der Schwerpunkt dieser Diplomarbeit liegt 

nun darauf, zu analysieren, wie die Geschlechterrollen in amischen Liebesromanen 

dargestellt werden, insbesondere darauf, ob in dieser Darstellung ein Unterschied 

zwischen Autorinnen, die nicht den Amischen angehören, und jenen, die tatsächlich 

Amische sind, besteht. Zur Durchführung dieser Analyse wurden die folgenden drei 

Romanserien ausgewählt: Wanda Brunstetters A Lancaster County Saga (2013), 

Adina Senfts Healing Grace (2015) and Linda Bylers Lancaster Burning Trilogy 

(2014). Obwohl es in den Büchern viele Ähnlichkeiten gibt, so zeigen die Romane 

dennoch, dass die nicht amischen Autorinnen größtenteils den typischen amischen 

Geschlechterrollen in der Darstellung ihrer Charaktere folgen – mit einigen wenigen 

Ausnahmen –, wohingegen Linda Byler ein weitaus größeres Spektrum an Personen 

beschreibt, die nicht immer in das Bild einer typischen amischen Frau oder eines 

typischen amischen Mannes passen.