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title: Running Around (and Such): Lizzie Searches for Love

author: Linda Byler

genre: YA fiction/amish families

pages: 345

published: 2010

source: sent for review by publisher

first line: Lizzie Glick noticed the change in Dat one evening when he came in from checking things over at the pallet shop one last time before bed.

rated: cutesy

Lizzie Glick longs to fit into her quiet Amish community. Her sisters, Emma and Mandy, are ready to get married and settle into the traditional rhythm of having children and keeping house. But Lizzie isn't sure that's what she wants for her future. It isn't that Lizzie doesn't want to stay Amish. It's just that there's so much to figure out!

Running Around (and Such): Lizzie Searches for Love is the first book in a three book series by author Linda Byler.
The story is centered around fifteen year old Lizzie Glick and her Amish family.
The family is about to move from their home in Jefferson County to a new home in Cameron County. The reason for the move being that Lizzie's Dad is giving up his business and becoming a cow farmer instead.


Lizzie lives with her 'Mam' and 'Dat', her twin baby sisters and her sisters Emma and Mandy. She is outspoken and dislikes housework and farming.



This book is mainly a coming of age story. Strong willed Lizzie struggles to fit in and she has views and ideas that differ from her parents and her Amish upbringing.
She doesn't want to marry a farmer and she wants to wear nice clothes and high heeled shoes. Lizzie is self conscious like any teenage girl her age. She feels like she's not pretty enough and not thin enough and won't fit in at her new hometown and school.

Lizzie felt mixed up. A part of her wanted to live here, to try new and strange things, but another part of her clung to Jefferson County. She felt as if everything secure was being taken away from her, and there was nothing to do but let go.
p.23

She gets herself into silly predicaments, such as stepping into wet paint and having a cow mistake her blond hair for hay. Lizzie argues with her Mom like all teens. She was whiny and would have temper tantrums here and there throughout the story and that annoyed me. There are flashbacks throughout the book as well, where Lizzie brings up childhood memories and in these memories, she tended to be whiny too.



Against her will, Lizzie winds up having to be a maud or a maid for another Amish family. Her parents think it will do her good to learn some responsibility and earn her own money. When Lizzie finally turns 16 she begins what the Amish call 'running around', or going out to social gatherings on weekends with other Amish teens. Once she starts running around, Lizzie meets some interesting boys and wonders who will be her husband one day.



Running Around is definitely a stretch for me. I've never read anything remotely Amish related. When I was first contacted about a possible review, I was interested in this book because I've never read anything like it and it did seem like it would be a fun, light YA read.




Running Around was an okay read. I'd say it is good for readers ages 11-14.


I think teens any older than that would not be able to relate to Lizzie, unless they are Amish themselves.





You get a view into the Amish lifestyle as the girls bake with their mother and sew their own clothes. Included at the end of the book are Lizzie's favorite recipes from the story, like Apple Pie with Crumb Topping and Chicken Stew, which I thought was a nice touch.

This was a light, fluffy read. It was definitely 'cheesy', but I expected that.
I didn't love this book, but I didn't hate it either.

The title 'Running Around' doesn't really suit the book too well, since Lizzie doesn't actually start to run around until towards the end of the book.
The ending leaves the book open for the next installment in the series.





About the author:

Linda Byler grew up Amish and is an active member of the Amish church today. Growing up, Linda loved to read and write. In fact, she still does. She is well known within the Amish community as a columnist for a weekly Amish newspaper. Linda and her husband, their children, and grandchildren live in central Pennsylvania.






Special thanks to Julie over @ FSB Associates.