The Treasure Hunt

Title: The Treasure Hunt
Author: Rebecca Martin
Series: Amish Frontier series, book 2
Major Themes: Amish, Colorado, Pioneer Life
Synopsis: After the Yoder family’s move to Colorado, Joe searches for treasure until he learns what the true treasure is.

My younger children have been enjoying the Amish Frontier series by Rebecca Martin. These stories are turning out to be good to read to them after finishing the Grandma’s Attic series. The older children are enjoying listening in, too!

The Treasure Hunt begins in 1809, about 16 years after the first book, Blossoms on the Roof, ends. The Yoder family has been living in North Dakota for all those years, and now they are threshing a good crop of wheat. However, prices are low, and farms are too expensive for young couples to buy, so when people start talking about cheap land in Colorado, it is enticing. Ten-year-old Lydia Yoder doesn’t want to move, but her older brother Joe does! He has heard about the gold that miners have found in Colorado, and he wants to find some for himself.

After the Yoder family move to Colorado, they find that things are not as good as they sounded. Unexpected droughts and fires dampen their enthusiasm for their new home, but they don’t have much choice except to stick it out. Joe finds excitement, however, with a door built into a creek bank and panning for gold in the creek.

This is the kind of Amish fiction that I like. Most “Amish fiction” seems to try to portray the Amish in a cute way, emphasizing the ways in which they are different from most of modern culture. These books, though, were written by a woman from a “plain” church, and she just portrays her characters as real people trying to lead their lives in a way that glorifies God. I find these stories very refreshing. They are great to read to children who enjoy reading simple tales of pioneer life, and important lessons are woven in along the way.

No warnings!