My Review
"Who I am can't be defined by breaking bonds with my family. It can only be defined by blooming right where He planted me." Erin and Cindy Woodsmall have coauthored four books together including this their third Christmas one. I look at this book as a sequel to The Amish Remedy, last year's
Christmas book by these authors.
In this one we see an update to the character's and situations we encountered in the previous book. This book can be read as a stand alone but you'll have a better understanding of the characters having read the first one before this.
An Old Order Amish character's parents turn their backs on her and her needs when they believe she brings shame to them in their community. To the rescue, her brother who is willing to give up everything he knows for her, the sister who got a little too comfortable in the Englisher world and experienced what she should not have.
A beautifully written Christmas romance that will fill you with hope. Full of grace,forgiveness,surprises and a miracle. I especially enjoyed reading the epilogue as we see and update for the characters a year in the future. I have a feeling next Christmas time there will be another Christmas romance released with some of the characters and I'll look forward to reading it. Expected publication: September 24th 2019 by WaterBrook. I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own
GoodReads Summary
For fans of holiday romances and Amish life comes a new Christmas tale of surprising expectations and discovering miracles. Old Order Amish Ivy Zook is wrestling with her need to shed her community's ways so she can grow the business of her dreams: planning parties. As long as she's stuck living without modernization, she can barely get her business on its feet. But if she leaves too soon, she'd cause trouble for her sister, Holly, who is planning her wedding to Joshua Smucker. All of their plans become twice as complicated when an old car crashes into the storefront of Greene's Pharmacy, carrying a Swartzentruber (ultra-conservative sect) Amish man, Arlan, and his very ill sister. The Zooks take in Arlan and Madga, tending to the woman's illness and Arlan begins helping around the family farm. Ivy and Arlan are on different tracks, one wanting to leave her community and the other to return to his. But both young people are trying to discover what God has in store for their futures and what miracles might lie around the corner this Christmas season.
About The Authors
Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times, CBA, ECPA, and USA Today best-selling author who has written twenty-two (and counting!) works of fiction and one of nonfiction. Cindy has been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal,and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life. Wall Street Journal listed Cindy as the one of the top three most popular authors of Amish fiction. She's won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer's Choice Awards, Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings' Best Books of the Year. She's been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards, Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards. Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity. Though she didn't realize it at the time, seeds were sown years ago that began preparing Cindy to write these books. At the age of ten, while living in the dairy country of Maryland, she became best friends with Luann, a Plain Mennonite girl. Luann, like all the females in her family, wore the prayer Kapp and cape dresses. Her parents didn't allow television or radios, and many other modern conveniences were frowned upon. During the numerous times Luann came to Cindy's house to spend the night, her rules came with her and the two were careful to obey them--afraid that if they didn't, the adults would end their friendship. Although the rules were much easier to keep when they spent the night at Luann's because her family didn't own any of the forbidden items, both sets of parents were uncomfortable with the relationship and a small infraction of any kind would have been enough reason for the parents to end the relationship. While navigating around the adults' disapproval and the obstacles in each other's lifestyle, the two girls bonded in true friendship that lasted into their teen years, until Cindy's family moved to another region of the US. As an adult, Cindy became friends with a wonderful Old Order Amish family who opened their home to her. Although the two women, Miriam and Cindy, live seven hundred miles apart geographically, and a century apart by customs, when they come together they never lack for commonality, laughter, and dreams of what only God can accomplish through His children. Over the years Cindy has continued to make wonderful friendships with those inside the Amish and Mennonite communities--from the most conservative ones to the most liberal. Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in their now empty nest. If you'd like more information or to contact her, you can go to her website: http://www.cindywoodsmall.com or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorcindywoodsmall
Erin Woodsmall is a writer, musician, wife, and mom of three. She has edited, brainstormed, and researched books with Cindy Woodsmall for almost a decade.
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Do you have a favorite Cindy and Erin Woodmsmall book or a favorite of Cindy writing alone?
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