Moses offers a sobering theory, but no one can know how drastically life is about to change. With the only self-sustaining food supply in the region, the Pacifist community is forced to forge an alliance with the handful of stranded Englischers in an effort to protect not only the food but their very lives.
In the weeks that follow, Leora, Moses, and the community will be tested as never before, requiring them to make decisions they never thought possible. Whom will they help and whom will they turn away? When the community receives news of a new threat, everyone must decide how far they’re willing to go to protect their beliefs and way of life.
I just have to say, no matter what I didn't love about this book, that i love the author's writing style. I saw the sequel for this book, 'The Divide', available on NetGalley and jumped on it. I've not read post-apocalyptic fiction from a plain life perspective and the idea intrigued me. It was an easy hop from getting the next book to having Ma nab this one out of the library for me. Of course, the recent Jammication, which was supposed to help get me ahead with reading didn't really work so I am still slacking on my reading schedule. But that's ok. 'The Alliance' starts off like a good end of world book should, but without fanfare and bomb drops. Just a plane crashing in a field. Oh, and the few generator run tools that they use in the workshop stop working. I have to wonder if or when, the end of the world as we know it comes will those of the plain lifestyle even notice? I mean eventually they would have to but right away? For this community a stranger fell from the sky, literally, and explained what he thought happened and threw them into it. Possibly giving them a fighting chance for long-term survival.
There a few things that didn't sight right with me so let's just toss that here in the middle and end on a positive. OK? Stranger falls from the sky and everyone just listens to him? What made him the expert? They hold their meeting, throw a few rules in for good measure, and then just believe him. Talking about meeting, the entire book we hear everything from Moses (guy from the sky) and Leora, where they both reference weird love triangle thing going on. We'll talk about that later. However, back to issue two, the meeting, everything that happens and decisions that are made throughout the story - I miss out on that. I get the next hand or two version through the eyes of the main characters but it leaves me wanting so much more from the story. Why they decided this? How? Alternative options considered? I got nothing because they wouldn't let me in the meetings! Lastly and certainly not lastly and probably the biggest eh for me is the love triangle. I've never been a 'fan' of these and they are utterly overly horridly difficult to pull of with any sense of grace or understand-ability. This one did not make my heart sing for anyone and actually detracted from the story. It makes me dislike Leora greatly and the guys both come across as toad nuggets (is so a thing!). All three are painted as petty and childish when there are so much bigger life altering things happening around them.
Those drawbacks above should have dropped this story down in rating but the author's voice, her way with words, makes up for it. She develops believable characters and engages in unique scenarios. I wish there was opportunity to get to know them better, especially Moses and his history, but then again who has time to get that in depth during the apocalypse? Perhaps with the next story I'll know him better? Perhaps not, either way he's believable and likeable enough to carry me forward. I'm very excited to get into the next installment of this series in the next couple of days. If you are looking for something a little different in either Amish/Mennonite fiction or in something dystopian then I really do recommend this book.
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