Article and Interview by Elise Cooper
The Amish Animal Doctor by Patrice Lewis shows the struggle someone has over career versus community. It is an age-old struggle whether a woman is Amish or English.
In this novel the main heroine, Abigail, returns home to take care of her mom who is recovering from hip replacement surgery. She enjoys the comfort and support of her family and community. But unfortunately, she cannot once again become Amish because Abigail feels being a veterinarian is her calling. She does not want to give up helping animals. Readers will sympathize with Abigail’s struggles and start to understand that an Amish woman can also have a career but needs the right partner. Benjamin appears to be that person who will help her work out the details needed to balance a family and job.
A bonus is that readers get to learn about the Pyrenees dog breed. The story shows how the Amish can use the dog not only as a pet, but as a working dog. These types of dogs are valuable to any farmer or rancher.
This was a great story that shows the skills of the Amish, the desire to be part of a community, and the need for self-worth.
Elise Cooper: The idea for the story?
Patrice Lewis: I was going through blurbs of Amish romances and wanted to find something outside the box. Since I have an affinity for animals, with a zoology background, I made my main character a veterinarian.
EC: Was this a personal story?
PL: Hugely so. I never studied veterinarian science but did take an interest in animal behavior and field biology. In addition, the dog Lydia is based on a dog I had. Unfortunately, she passed away five years ago. She was a Pyrenees. Her name was also Lydia. This type of dog’s job is a livestock guardian. But my dog was a guardian of us, a house dog. Lydia was a wonderful, wonderful dog. The difference between the dog in the story and the dog in real life is that our dog was never bred. We found out that 80% of female dogs who were not fixed and never had puppies get cancer. It was a harsh lesson.
EC: What was the role of the dogs in the plot?
PL: I wanted to show how dogs have a working function and a personal function. Pyrenees need a job and a purpose. I showed how Lydia was a pet but also did a job on the farm. These breeds are powerful, independent, and strong willed. These types of dogs are not for everybody.
EC: You went beyond the Amish seeing animals only for work?
PL: All farmers to an extent look on animals as part of their business as opposed to a pet. Yet, they love them to pieces. Pyrenees, even the ones out in the field guarding the livestock, are extraordinary loving animals with their humans. There is a very strong bond. A service dog is both a worker and a pet.
EC: You delve into the age-old conflict of women: family versus job?
PL: It is a conflict. Amish women usually have large families and see their job as raising their children. But many of them have sideline gigs that are very creative from making quilts to running stores. But Abigail had a job that was demanding and caused her to be extremely focused, a veterinarian. This being the case I needed the male lead, Benjamin, to be understanding and committed to her job. If one parent cannot be home, it causes a conflict. He had to be compatible with her career ambitions.
EC: How would you describe Abigail?
PL: Independent, passionate, compassionate, smart, and motivated by what she saw as a G-d given gift, veterinarian science. She did have a longing to get back to the incredible support system of the community. This caused a little bit in her of being needy. It was community versus her calling. She is spunky by the way she stands up for herself whether with the Bishop, Benjamin, and her mother.
EC: How would you describe Benjamin?
PL: A loner, moody, and organized. He saw the women he loved leave the Amish. His sister became a nurse and the woman he was courting went to the English side. This caused him to be wary and bitter. But he did take a journey, that he must be more self-aware. What put him off was exposure to the English world.
EC: What about the relationship?
PL: At first, he was put off by Abigail because he thought she had two feet planted in the English world. They were friendly, but he did not want to get involved. She also had a previous failed relationship and was whiplashed. Neither were looking for a relationship. They both were wary but attracted to each other. They looked beyond the physical attraction where friendship preceded everything else. They realized that there had to be a lot of give and take. Each became supportive of the others career choice.
EC: There is a scene where this woman does not take responsibility for her dog. Can you talk about it?
PL: People think they can just let their dogs loose, especially those who live in the country. It is a pet peeve for me with people who do not take control of their animals. We know someone who has this Great Dane who is good with people but not with other dogs. It has gotten to the point we had to change our walking route because we are afraid this dog will attack our own dog. It is a common problem where people say that their dog is so friendly until we see their teeth. Anyone who has an animal should be responsible.
EC: Your next book?
PL: We are still working on a title. The story has a hero who is a widowed man with a four-year-old boy. The heroine has been raised Amish until she was eleven. She entered the English foster care system after her parents died. She becomes a nanny for the little boy. I am hoping for my stories to have a setting of this mystical remote rural town in Montana.
EC: THANK YOU!!
