When the English Fall: A Novel

When a catastrophic solar storm collapses modern civilization, an Amish community faces unexpected challenges. Initially protected by their stored supplies and self-sufficient lifestyle, the community soon confronts desperate outsiders—the English, as the Amish call non-Amish people—who invade nearby farms seeking resources and committing acts of violence. Written as the diary of Jacob, an Amish farmer, the novel explores a central question: can a peaceful, nonviolent community survive when civilization falls apart? As violence escalates, Jacob and his community must grapple with whether abandoning their commitment to nonviolence and taking up arms is necessary for survival—and whether doing so would allow them to endure. David Williams's debut examines life within Amish society while considering broader questions about how modern civilization functions and what happens when its structures fail.