Still Life In Shadows

Still Life In Shadows by Alice Wisler is a book with many layers. There is a thread of romance, but the real theme of the book is learning to forgive, learning to let go, and learning to trust yourself. The very unique thing about this book is that it is written from two very different points of view, and not those that you would expect. Gideon Miller escaped from the Amish community fifteen years ago. He has managed to carve out a life for himself as a mechanic and an upstanding member of his small community. To other Amish wanting to escape their imposed lifestyle, he has also become known as the ‘savior’. The other point of view is that of a thirteen year old autistic girl – certainly atypical, but very believably done. Mari and Kiki are sisters who have moved to the town when their mother, a hoarder, was deemed an unfit parent. Mari works at the local diner, and becomes Gideon’s love interest, while Kiki, the autistic girl, must try to navigate life away from the familiar.

When Gideon’s younger brother, Moriah, escapes the community he starts making bad choices and getting in with some unsavory people. This part of the story is the major crisis that drives Gideon to question his own choices. This is not a typical romance, with that part of the book taking second place to the deeper emotional issues the characters must face. It is a complex book, with lots of inner discovery on both the part of Gideon and Kiki.