There are many joyous way to spend during the holiday
season
and the best ways are ones that really bring you in touch
with the Christmas spirit. Readers especially love
books
that can whirl them away to another special place and any
reader who loves Amish, romance and/or Christmas tales
will
truly relish cozying up with AN AMISH CHRISTMAS QUILT to
have a break from the hustle and stress of the season (or
anytime) and disappearing into it.
Three separate Amish stories have been lovingly and
beautifully threaded together in AN AMISH CHRISTMAS QUILT
by
these three well known and highly regarded authors of
Amish
books.
The first story, A WILLOW RIDGE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT by
Charlotte Hubbard has us riding on a cold buggy ride to
the
Amish Community in Willow Ridge, Missouri where Mary
Kauffman, a young near term pregnant widow, is desperately
attempting to get to her aunt's place with her two young
children, Lucy age four and a judgmental seven year old
Sol
and their assorted animals. As your heart goes out to her
struggle, you breathe with relief when Seth Brenneman
takes
a small break from his work and notices something seems
wrong. Seth certainly did not expect things to happen as
they did or what he is expected to do.
A CHRISTMAS ON ICE MOUNTAIN by Kelly Long takes us to a
different Amish community where two previously close
childhood friends have not spoken to each other for so
long
that non one in the community even remembers what the feud
was about. They know their reasons but their families have
suffered. Now, Mathew Beider and Laurel Lapp want to
marry.
Even the Bishop is lined up for this, but they would
dearly
love to have their fathers at their wedding. How to get
them speaking to each other again? It would take a
miracle
or God's intervention to make that happen as the ice
between
the two dads is thicker than that on Ice Mountain itself.
Lovingly stitched in AN AMISH CHRISTMAS QUILT is the
wonderfully "gut" third story by Jennifer Beckstrand aptly
titled A PERFECT AMISH CHRISTMAS. It opens with a
delightful conversation between a matchmaking grandmother
Anna Helmuth and her husband. She decides that her
grandson
Gideon would much rather give up a planned trip to the
sunny
beaches of Mexico to come and visit them and go ice
fishing, snowshoeing and to fall in love with the Amish
girl she has in mind.
Meanwhile, Dottie Schrock is intent on having the
absolutely
most perfect Christmas for her mother who is remission
from
her cancer treatments. Dottie has spent countless hours
planning this special Christmas party for her mom right
down to the smallest detail and she definitely does not
want
that handsome but devilish Gideon, a close friend of her
brother, showing up to spoil this party as he did at the
last one. But, as the saying goes when one sets too much
stock in our own planning, God laughs. How can she make
sure Gideon doesn't come to this party?
AN AMISH CHRISTMAS QUILT has to be, bar none, the
mostlovely
Amish story I have read! I cannot thank the authors
(Charlotte Hubbard, Kelly Long, and Jennifer Beckstrand)
enough for their generosity of spirit and talent as
writers
for collaborating together to write AN AMISH CHRISTMAS
QUILT. Each story is separate; yet, lovingly braids
together the three tales . They truly have put the perfect
finishing touches on this lovely book and I am sure AN
AMISH CHRISTMAS QUILT will be a classic story reread over
future holiday seasons by its readers. I am particularly
enchanted with how cleverly Hubbard combines her "
quilting
pieces" of pregnancies and pageants in such a special
way
that it gives a new take and freshness to the lovely age
old story of the special baby's birth.
I have never written this in a review before, but there is
not a line I would change in AN AMISH CHRISTMAS QUILT. It
is
totally captivating from beginning to end. The
characters,
both main and secondary, are all wonderfully depicted and
authentic to who they are. Many have characters from other
books written by these well regarded authors, so fans can
enjoy their participation in the various romances, yet,
readers new to their authors will not have missed anything
and now have the "gut" opportunity to read more of
Hubbard's Long, and Beckstrand other books.
While the romances in each story are the prominent
feature,
they all in their own way keep their focus on the real
reason for the season just as Dottie learns the hard way
what truly makes Christmas perfect. If I could give stars
for AN AMISH CHRISTMAS QUILT, they would be many! Truly a
wonderful gift for a friend or yourself this Christmas or
for anytime! Enjoy with delight!
With all the warmth of a cozy quilt, three authors stitch
together Amish tales of hearts joined, friendships
patched,
and the bright joys of Christmas tradition . . .
A Willow Ridge Christmas Pageant
Charlotte Hubbard
Seth Brenneman didn't expect his holiday would include
rescuing pregnant young Mary Kauffman and her two
children.
. .or having unexpected feelings for the still-grieving
widow. But when they must play the leads in an impromptu
live Nativity pageant to help his Amish community, will
their roles reveal their hearts--and work a miracle for a
lifetime?
A Christmas On Ice Mountain
Kelly Long
Matthew Beider and Laurel Lapp's secret wish to marry is a
gift their feuding fathers definitely won't accept. And
trying to settle their dats' long-standing quarrel is
making
their holiday anything but merry. Can rediscovering the
joys
and friendships of Christmas past finally turn their
families' futures bright?
A Perfect Amish Christmas
Jennifer Beckstrand
Anna and Felty Helmuth's grandson, Gideon, plans to spend
Christmas on a beach in sunny Mexico. But Anna is quite
sure
he'd rather be with them, snowshoeing, ice fishing--
falling
in love. And she knows the perfect girl. Not only is
Dottie
Schrock an excellent quilter and baker, she's having a
party. There's just one complication--Gideon is not
invited.
Dottie has her reasons, but Anna trusts that the spirit of
Christmas--and true love--will change her mind, and her
future . . .
Excerpt
Excerpt from A Perfect Amish Christmas by Jennifer
Beckstrand in An Amish Christmas Quilt, a novella
collection.
Dottie stopped in her tracks. Her stomach fell to her toes
and shot back up again as if she were riding an unpleasant
roller coaster.
Hat in hand, Gid Stutzman leaned against the doorjamb, his
brow cocked and his mouth twisted into a wry grin. His loose
brown curls fell across his forehead and his dark eyes
flashed with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.
He wasn't supposed to be here. He should have received Ada's
letter a week ago.
Dottie's stomach did a double back flip and three
somersaults. It had been two years since she had seen Gideon
Stutzman and he'd definitely grown up. His shoulders and
arms had filled out nicely, and that square jaw and tan face
made her heart flutter even as her stomach kept bouncing.
But his appearance didn't matter. She'd always think of him
as Junior's annoying teenage cousin who never stopped
teasing her and made a point to make a pest of himself.
He'd sure enough received Ada's letter, because it dangled
casually in his fingers like a used tissue. She swallowed
hard. Oh, he was annoyed all right. And it was a good guess
the letter had something to do with it.
"Dottie Schrock, I would have a word with you about this
letter."
Her stomach stopped its roller coaster ride and lodged in
her throat. "I'm wonderful busy right now," she managed to
squeeze out.
He nodded. "Oh, I'm sure you are." His other brow rose to
meet the first one. "Getting ready for the party I'm not
invited to."
Dottie feigned innocence. Either that or die of
embarrassment. She'd rather not pass away at the young age
of twenty. How had Gid found out about the party? "What do
you mean?"
"Hmm," he said, studying her as if he were a cat ready to
pounce on an unsuspecting mouse. He looked as if he wasn't
about to let her get away with anything. "Let's see here."
He unfolded Ada's letter. "Dear Gid, We are so happy you
will be spending Christmas with us while your parents are in
Mexico. Junior wants to go camping with you so you can show
him how to make an ice cave. And so on and so on," he
said, his gaze scrolling to the bottom of the page. "Ah,
here it is. It wonders me if you could postpone your
arrival until Christmas Eve."He glanced at Dottie.
Her face felt hot, as if she'd been standing next to the
roaring wood stove all afternoon. She resisted the urge to
squirm and tried to look mildly interested even though she
knew what came next. She'd helped Ada write the letter.
Gid kept reading. "Dottie is sure we're going to be extra
busy up until Christmas, and we don't want you to feel
ignored. I hopeyou understand how busy we will be.
We really think it's better if you don't come until
Christmas Eve. Or maybe even Christmas Day. Love, Ada."
"It wondered me why Ada was so concerned about my arrival date."
"You read that part. She was afraid you'd feel ignored.
Everyone is too busy to entertain you."
Gid's eyes flashed, and he looked as if he wanted to laugh.
"Jah, I'm sure that was the first thought that came
into my cousin's head when I told her I was coming."
Gid was a cousin on the other side of Ada's family. Dottie
was very glad that she and cocky Gid Stutzman were of no
relation whatsoever.
He held the letter up like a stop sign. "When I saw your
name in her letter, I got suspicious."
"Ada and I are best friends. Are you saying she's never
mentioned me in a letter before?"
Gid smirked. "When I got Ada's letter, I wrote to Junior. He
told me that you were throwing a party on the very day I had
planned on coming into town."
Dottie resisted the urge to growl. Junior couldn't fold
napkins, and he couldn't keep his big mouth shut. At the
moment, he was not on her good list. Truth was, he never had
been.
Gid narrowed his eyes and stared her down. "You don't want
me at your party," he said. The very idea seemed amusing to him.
Dottie thought she might suffocate with embarrassment.
Though she hadn't seen him for two years, she remembered how
blunt Gid could be, and his wide grin only made it worse.
Boys! Tilting her head back, she clamped her eyes shut and
clenched her teeth. "Okay. You're right. I asked Ada to
write and tell you to come a day later than planned."
He seemed on the verge of laughing. "You wrote the letter
for her, didn't you?"
"Maybe," she grudgingly admitted, wondering if her face was
as red as the poinsettia frosting.
Her admission pushed him over the edge. He threw back his
head and laughed. "I thought so, Dottie Schrock."
"Thank you so much for laughing at my humiliation." He'd
done it before. She didn't know why it irritated her now.
That brought him up short. For the first time since he'd
arrived, he lost the aggravating smile. If she didn't know
better, she'd think he almost looked contrite. "I'm not
laughing at you. Honest." His lips curved upward again as if
he found it impossible to keep from grinning. "I'm laughing
at how clever I was to figure it out."
Dottie ground her teeth together until she thought they
might crack. Gid was nothing if not arrogant. But the lack
of an invitation to her party must have taken his confidence
down a peg or two. She didn't want to feel smug about that,
but she couldn't help herself.
She pasted a look of sympathy on her face. "You're upset
that I didn't invite you to the party. I'm sorry that I hurt
your feelings."
He ran his fingers through his curly hair. "I'm not upset
about your party. I'm irritated that you tried to meddle in
my life. You might be pretty to look at, but you are a fussy
busybody."
In vain, Dottie tried to pretend Gid hadn't just called her
pretty. What did he mean by saying such a thing to his
cousin's cousin when he hadn't seen her in two years? He was
angry with her, for goodness sake. She willed herself to
calm down before her cheeks burst into flame. They felt hot
enough. "I am not a busybody. You should appreciate that I
wanted to spare your feelings."
"I'm perfectly capable of governing my own feelings. And
making my own choices, thank you."
Dottie slumped her shoulders. "I just . . . I didn't know,
and I couldn't have been sure you wouldn't be offended."
"I am offended." A grin tempered his rebuke. "No harm done
as long as you promise not to poke your cute nose where you
shouldn't."
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