I hear this question all the time, “How accurate is the movie Amish Grace?” My response is always the same, “That movie is an entirely fictional adaptation of a real event.” The reply is often something like, “Oh, that’s too bad, I really loved that movie.”
I feel entirely different about it. That movie falsely portrays the most personally difficult, and beautiful, moments of my life. It’s a fabricated story of relationships within my family, within my community (including my Amish neighbors who showed nothing but grace and compassion) and with God—I never doubted him for a moment! Amish Grace is a Hollywood generated “made for TV movie”, but this is my life, and to me it’s personal.
Please hear me though—I’m not angry. Truthfully, I was frustrated when I found out about it, but not angry. I believe in the redemptive love of God, that is, his ability to take the worst circumstances and use them for good in our lives. His WORD, the Bible, is very clear that he redeems. His redemption covers a bad movie. My life is, and will forever be, a story of God’s love. If you’ve watched the movie, you owe it to yourself to hear the truth. I’m not just talking about the truth of my story; I’m talking about the truth of God’s love for you. One Light Still Shines, is a true story- my viewpoint on relationships within my family, interactions with the Amish community, and above all, the miraculous way God restored my life. I pray that as you read it, you would feel His redemptive love washing over you, encouraging your heart to believe that he’s not finished writing your story.
You can read reviews and find out more about it at Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/One-Light-Still-Shines-Schoolhouse-ebook/dp/B00BW29466/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398088629&sr=1-1&keywords=one+light+still+shines
or Zondervan- http://www.zondervan.com/one-light-still-shines.html
Marie Monville 
Yes , how sad for people who do not realize that all people, no matter what denomination/religion, we all need the same God and His love to have the right kinds of relationships with people. It takes a daily walking with Him and trusting him to lead us. god bless your day! Mary Ann Mast
Hollywood always seems to distort the facts. But your book came right from your heart and shows the goodness of God in the worst of circumstances. Thank you for sharing with us. It was very well written.
Thank you. I have read, re-read and shared your book with family members. I consider it one of the most powerful stories I have ever encountered. I have also seen the movie and knew instinctively it wasn’t a “true” adaptation of those events.
Thank you for sharing your story. It has meant a lot to me.
I came across your book at the library and I’m so glad I did. Thank you for putting your story on paper. I was awed by how God met you in your tragedy. It was an experience just reading your story… so emotional. And God’s redemption in your life, your family and your Amish friends…. beautiful, amazing, astounding! What an awesome God He is! Thank you so much for sharing your story.
a sister in Christ, Debbie
I have read the book and have seen the movie. I enjoyed the movie for what it is: fiction. I was inspired by the book for what it is: Truth. God’s love is miraculous and redeeming and full of hope and grace. Thank you.
Dear Marie,
I just finished reading your book. Wow! It has forever changed me 🙂 I couldn’t put it down the last three days. Thank you for reminding me how faithful and loving our lord Jesus Christ is! I’m so blessed by you and your story and your walk of faith. I am blessed and encouraged and filled with more joy through my times of sorrow and darkness after having read your book and words and faith!
Marie I heard you speaking on a Christian radio station. I got the book right away from the library. Marie, your book not only is one of the most well-written books I have ever read, but incredibly healing to me! As a Christian mom I struggled for years to understand how and why my precious only son got involved in heroin. He’d purposefully overdosed but a friend threw him in a bath-tub of cold water and he did revive. I was so bewildered, ashamed, angry at God for what I felt was not fulfilling His Word to me in many promises there! Yes, I was angry at God. We never had a drug addict in our extended family before! Just a plain old regular God-fearing family who tried to do the right thing.
To make a long story short, by the grace of God, eventually my son gave up drugs, went to college, got married, gave us the most beautiful loving grandson anyone could ever hope to have, and got his Bachelors Degree in healthcare! The bad things and dark times still hurt me, when I didn’t know if I would find him dead or alive from heroin, and when it took all I had and God had, to keep going when there seemed to be no real change. In the end, it boiled down to spiritual warfare and outlasting the devil! And God ‘s faithfulness. Your writing put to words so many feelings I’ve had that I haven’t even had the words for. And all this happened 10 years ago! So thank you. Life just hurts sometimes. There is hope!