The Return (Northkill Amish Series)

Author: Bob Hostetler/
​J.M. Hochstetler
Genre: Historical Fiction/Amish

Jakob Hochstetler’s refusal to take up arms against the Indians who attacked his Amish family’s home on the Pennsylvania frontier during the brutal raids of the French and Indian War cost the lives of his wife and two of his children. Carried away with his younger sons, Jakob is enslaved by the Seneca, while Joseph and Christian are adopted into different divisions of the Lenape tribe and struggle to adapt to new lives.

Jakob plots a perilous escape in spite of overwhelming odds against succeeding. But even if he can get away, could he survive a harrowing journey over the hundreds of miles of rugged terrain that lie between him and his Northkill community? Does home still exist? Are his older son and daughter, Johannes and Barbara, still alive? Will he ever find his boys and bring them home?

eviewer: Kelly Potts

I was excited to read “The Return” after being riveted while reading their first book” Northkill”. It was a good book but not quite as exciting as their first. I became a little lost with all the new natives names -, wasn’t sure who was who sometimes. I cannot fathom not remembering your birth first or last name after just five years – especially Joseph who was an older teen when captured. After being torn from their homes and family it appears that they all assimilated into the native lifestyle and were able to make relationships. Even further harder to understand how the two boys did not want to return to their Amish family. I did wonder if Jakob would bring Sunshine and her kids home with him when he escaped. My favourite and most surprising part was when Shinghas asked for forgiveness. The same man who slaughtered the family and stole Jakob and the boys away.

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Reviewer: Leona G's Mom

This book is a very well-written sequel to Northkill.  It chronicles the life of three members of the Hochstetler family as they live and adapt to separate Indian communities.  It also shares each of their struggles as they consider the possibility of escape back home to their Amish family, as well as the difficulties for those who do return to adjust to their old life.

The beginning of the book focuses on the father, Jakob.  The authors show his spiritual growth that occurs through difficulties and the changed man he is by the end of the book.  The rest of the book deals with two of his sons who become quite entrenched in their new Indian lives.

There is not a lot of violence in this book, other than a somewhat vague recounting of the raid described in the first book.  The romance in this one is more than in the first.  There is some difficulty for the reader to keep track of the different characters that have unfamiliar Indian names.  I wish I had known as I was reading it that there is a glossary at the end of the book to help with this.  (Or the authors could have put that glossary at the beginning!)

Overall, it is an excellent fiction book that tells of a real- life event.  I feel that a mature reader would really enjoy it and would have a hard time putting it down.

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

After reading the first book in the series - Northkill, I was so fascinated and invested in the story I had to continue reading to find out what happened to the Hochstetler family. So I immediately purchased this book from Amazon. I am so glad I did!

The authors have done an incredible job at taking us into the continuing story of their ancestors, Jakob Hochstetler and his sons Christian and Joseph, who were kidnapped and held captive by the Seneca and Lenape Indians. 

For Jakob, nothing will deter him from escaping, returning home and finding his sons who were torn from him. But for Joseph and Christian, who have been adopted into the Lenape tribe and are considered one of them, they cannot think of anything worse than returning to their former lives. 

I loved how the authors take you into the mindset of each captive. Jakob, being older and set in his faith was focused on escape, yet he was obedient to his captors. He bided his time and waited. His journey home was harrowing and one of the finest pieces of writing I've ever read. Joseph and Christian on the other hand, being young, are easily converted to accept their new lives. They come to love their new "mothers" and "fathers". But when the English propose a new peace treaty with the Indians they demand that all white captives be returned. Joseph and Christian refuse to go and I won't tell you more because it is such a good book that I don't want to spoil it. 

Excellent writing and wonderfully researched, this is a series you want to invest yourself in!

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