I just finished Levi’s Will by W. Dale Cramer (Bethany House) and would recommend it as a good book for summer reading. I stumbled on it because I am reading any and all things “Amish.”

A simple plot: Will Mullett runs away from his Amish home as a 19-year-old and spends the rest of his life trying to make amends with his unforgiving father, Levi.(Get the title?! Clever! His wife thought of it, he mentioned in the Acknowledgement page.)

Cramer’s writing is excellent, just excellent! The storyline isn’t exactly an edge-of-the-seat drama…it’s basically that one plot line.

But that is a common feature among authors, I find. Writers of excellent prose aren’t necessarily writing great drama. And, conversely, good story tellers aren’t necessarily great writers. Good writers, but not great.

Debbie MacComber, for example, is a good story teller but not a great writer.

I guess that’s where Jodi Picoult is amazing…she writes a gripping story with beautiful writing. My problem with Jodi Picoult is that she only writes about the underbelly of humanity. Dark, dark, dark.

(Like I should argue with successful bestselling authors?!)

Who, to you, is an author who writes beautiful prose and creates a page turner?