"Becoming Bea" by Leslie Gould

Becoming Bea (Oct. 7, 2014) by Leslie Gould.*

A job as a mother’s helper/housekeeper/cook comes at an opportune time for Beatrice Zook. She doesn’t have to go to Montana with her sister, brother-in-law and mother. She can remain the homebody that she is, except at Nan and Bob Miller’s, where she’s helping to care for their three preemie Bopplis. The newborns are, understandably, a lot to handle, especially when the triplets are colicky through the night! Bea hasn’t handled babies much and is almost fearful at first, but it turns out that she has a way with the little ones.

            The one she doesn’t have a way – of patience – with is Benjamin Rupp. Bea and Ben have known each other since before they can remember, and Ben really knows how to push Bea’s buttons. She might say that he is A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G and P-R-E-T-E-N-T-I-O-U-S. They’re each other’s biggest competition when it comes to words and getting the last word. I guess that happens when you have two lovers-of-words – L-O-G-O-P-H-I-L-E-S – butting personalities. Ben is antagonistic toward Bea, but perhaps he doesn’t mean to be. Attraction is waiting under the surface if they can both get past the other’s façade and understand past hurts.

            Normally, the only Amish fiction I read is authored by Beverly Lewis, so it’s reasonable to say that I have a high standard when it comes to Amish fiction. This was the first story I’d read by Leslie Gould, and I was pleased by the overall story. Gould presents a solid plot with characters that are well-fleshed-out. It’s easy to assume that the Amish are naturally patient, but patience is something that Bea struggles with, and I appreciated that Gould created Bea in that light. I know I related to her, and I’m guessing many others do as well. I also liked her inclusion of spelling words. It strengthened the connection between Bea and Ben and their competitive spirits toward one another. I also connected to the characters through their academically competitive spirits. Bea’s increasing maturity and growing confidence throughout the story is nice to read, and I always love to read stories situated in Lancaster County. I didn’t feel lost not having read the first three books in the series, but I’d start at the beginning of The Courtships of Lancaster County series. If Gould’s first stories are anything like this one, they are G-E-M-S!

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”