Review: An Amish Christmas

Title of Book: An Amish Christmas
Authors: Beth Wiseman, Katherine Fuller, Barbara Cameron
Series: December in Lancaster County
Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Inspirational, Romance, Christmas, Amish, Adult, Young Adult,
Pub Date: September 15, 2009
Book Source: Borrowed from Library

Synopsis: From Amazon, Goodreads
A Choice to Forgive by Beth Wiseman
After Daniel disappeared that long-ago Christmas Eve, Lydia built a life with his brother. But now she's a widow and Daniel has reappeared, asking for forgiveness. Can she go back to her normal life with her long-lost love as her neighbor?

A Miracle for Miriam by Kathleen Fuller
Seth is no longer the arrogant young man who shattered Miriam's confidence and broker her heart. Will he be able to show "plain" Miriam that she is truly beautiful to him?

One Child by Barbara Cameron
The birth of one child forever changed the world two thousand years ago. On a snowy Christmas night in Lancaster County, another child changes the world for two very different couples.

Christmas Cradles by Kelly Long
When Anna Stolis takes over for her aunt, the local midwife, Christmas night heats up with multiple deliveries, three strangers' quilts, and unexpected help from the handsome and brooding Asa Lapp.

My Thoughts on this book:

I picked this book up from the library. I read the back on the cover and one of the story caught my attention or interest. So I picked it up and checked it out to read. It one I read from start to finish. It was hard to put down. I love Christmas stories anytime of year but the season is one of my favorites. In this case, these four novellas tell the story of one December in Lancaster County. These four some way connect to each other but not in a series kind of way.

In A Miracle For Miriam, you learn about the deep hurt that causes Miriam to disappear into herself. Seth caused the hurt when they were both fourteen years old. Most of us remember our hurts and some of us have allowed those hurts to influence us as adults. It’s a beautiful love story in which other characters from the other three novellas are introduced.

A Choice to Forgive opens with Lydia answering a knock at her door and discovering her first love, Daniel Smucker, standing confidently on her doorstep. He promised to marry her when they were young and mysteriously disappeared on Christmas. Lydia marries his brother, Elam, who happens to comfort her during her difficult heart break. She becomes a widow when he dies of a heart attack. Those feelings of love for Daniel rise again and she struggles to forgive him for running away. He tries to explain the difficult and complicated situation that sent him away, and the secret that he and his brother kept from her causes an enormous emotional struggle.

One Child by Barbara Cameron addresses Sarah and David’s struggle over their miscarriage. Sarah prays to Derr Herr for a child. It’s the only gift she wants on Christmas. Mysterious visitors bring unexpected joy during a particularly bad blizzard. It’s a story of healing, love, and friendship.

Christmas Cradles tells the story of Anna Stolis and Asa Mast. Anna has never been married. She has become a midwife. Asa Mast also never married. A tragedy occurred during his rumschpringe years that brought him to this point. His father is very ill, refusing to go to the hospital on Christmas. Anna has three deliveries during the night. Normally, his father, Samuel, accompanies Anna’s Aunt Ruth (also a midwife), but with Aunt Ruth taking the evening off and Samuel sick, Asa joins Anna in her delivery runs. It is a love story of two insecure people who never thought they could fall in love.

My Reviews: Goodreads

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Review: A Plain & Simple Christmas

Title of Book: A Plain & Simple Christmas
Author: Amy Clipston
Genre: Amish, Fiction, Romance, Adult, Christian Fiction, Young Adult, Christmas
Series: Kauffman's Amish Bakery
Publisher: Zondervan
Pub Date: September 13, 2010 (Hardcover, 186 Pages)
Book Source: Borrowed from Library
Contact Author: Facebook / Website / Twitter
Buy this Book: Christianbook.com, Zondervan, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Booksamillion.com, Borders


Synopsis: is from Author Website
A Plain & Simple Christmas is the tale of Anna Mae McDonough who was shunned by her family four years ago when she left her Amish community in Lancaster County, PA, to marry an "Englisher" (non Amish) man and move with him to Baltimore. Now, eight months pregnant when her first child, she longs to return home for Christmas to reconcile with her family, especially her stern father, who is the religious leader for her former Amish church district.

So Anne Mae writes a letter to Kathryn Beiler, her brother's wife, to enlist her help. Kathryn asks her husband, David, if she should arrange Anna Mae's visit. David cautions her that a visit would cause too much stress in the family and instead suggests they visit Anna Mae and her husband in the spring. However, Kathryn arranges the visit anyway, believing in her heart that it's God's will for the family to heal.

When Anna Mae arrives in Lancaster for Christmas, she doesn't receive the welcome she expects and her world begins to fall apart, leaving her to question her place in her family – and her faith in God.

A book filled with love, the pain of being separated from one's family, and the determination to follow God's will regardless of the outcome, A Plain and Simple Christmas is an inspiring page-turner that will keep you guessing what happens next…right to the very last page.

My Thoughts on this Book:

Anna Mae McDonough is shunned by her family and the Amish community. She left her community to marry Kellen McDonough who is an Englisher and moved to Baltimore. She is know expecting her first child and is now long to reconnect with her family and with the approaching of the holidays.

Anna Mae reach out to her sister in law to make arrengments to come and visit her family for the holidays. Her sister in law talks to her husband David. Her husband tell her not to do this and agrees to take her and the children to visit Anna Mae and Kellen in the spring. Katherine goes against her husband wishes and plans this visit for Anna Mae. 

The Reviews: Goodreads

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Review: Naomi's Gifts

Title of Book: Naomi's Gift
Author: Amy Clipston
Genre: Amish, Fiction, Romance, Adult, Christmas, Christian Fiction, Young Adult
Series: Kauffman's Amish Bakery
Publisher: Zondervan
Pub Date: September 12, 2011 (Hardcover, 184 Pages)
Book Source: Borrowed from Library
Contact Author: Facebook / Website / Twitter
Buy this Book: Christianbook.com, Zondervan, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Booksamillion.com

Synopsis: is from Goodread
Naomi's Gift re-introduces twenty-four-year-old Naomi King, who has been burned twice by love and has all but given up on marriage and children. As Christmas approaches---a time of family, faith, and hope for many others---Naomi is more certain than ever her life will be spent as an old maid, helping with the family's quilting business and taking care of her eight siblings. Then she meets Caleb, a young widower with a 7-year-old daughter, and her world is once again turned upside-down. Naomi's story of romantic trial and error and youthful insecurities has universal appeal.

My Thoughts on this Book:

This story keep my interest but it did not take my heart to want to a point where I was wanting to know to What going to happen next. I will say this it is good read and a Christmas story to itself. I hope it was meant to stand alone. Just my thought because I liked does not meant it will be for you it up to you to decide.

In the beginning of the story, Caleb and his daughter Susie (Susan) are coming to visit Caleb family. Susie want to stop at the market to get a pie or something to take to her Aunt Sadie's place. They stop in the farmer market. Susie run to a quilt stand and starts talking to Naomi King.

The Kauffmans are some what talked about though out the book. Though most of the story is around Caleb,  Susie and Naomi along with a snip of Kaffuman family. It centered around the Christmas season. You see Caleb's sister side of the story as well and try to match her brother up with Irene Wranger.

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