The Heritage of Lancaster County Books into Movies The protagonist seems to discard in mere hours what it took her family and her community more than two decades to instill in her, and that isn’t especially realistic. Because Katie was raised by Amish parents, the idea that she would completely rebel against their moral, social and ethical teachings just because she learns she was adopted attracts ridicule. The author’s Heritage of Lancaster County series has been criticized for the characterization of Katie Lapp. Like her peers, Lewis’ objective has always been to demystify the Amish. Lewis has found that her family background is rich with tales that have inspired her to produce the multitudes of Amish novels in her bibliography. Like Katie, Ada Ranck Buckwalter also left her Old Order Amish life to marry the love of her life. The author has a love for Lancaster County that permeates most of her fictional works.Īnd the Heritage of Lancaster County books are based loosely on the author’s maternal grandmother. The books are set in Lancaster because that is where Lewis can trace her roots. The Heritage of Lancaster County series was Beverly Lewis’ first adult fiction creation. And she wastes no time in rebelling against everything her adoptive parents taught her, packing her bags and going on the road to find her biological mother. Suddenly her internal conflicts with the Amish lifestyle begin to make sense. Things begin to make sense to Katie when she realizes that she was actually adopted. Her ideas and attitudes often clash with the conservative ideals of her community and it doesn’t help that Daniel, her first love died, leaving her feeling even more alone. However, in The Shunning it is clear that Katie doesn’t feel like she belongs. She went to church on a regular basis and, for the most part, lived a traditional Amish life. Her parents taught her their faith from the moment she could understand. Katie grew up in a close Amish community. When Katie is first introduced in The Shunning, the first book in the series, she is 22-years-old and she doesn’t feel at home in Hickory Hollow, Pennsylvania.

Beverly lewis the shunning movie series