Book Review: An Amish Christmas

An Amish Christmas: December in Lancaster County
by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, and Barbara Cameron
Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009

Looking for some sweet, heartwarming stories to lose yourself in this holiday season? An Amish Christmas may be just what you are looking for. Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, and Barbara Cameron, each established authors in their own right, have teamed up to write three novellas guaranteed to touch your heart and provide some quality leisure time. The three novellas, "A Miracle for Miriam," "A Choice to Forgive," and "One Baby" all take place in the same Amish community, focusing on different characters within it.

"A Miracle for Miriam" focuses on Miriam and her struggle with her own self-worth. Can she believe a young man who once cruelly rejected her is honest with his intentions and interest now? Can she forgive him for his insensitivity? Can she believe that she is beautiful and worthy of love?

"A Choice to Forgive" centers on Lydia, whose husband died two years before. When her husband's brother, her first true love, returns after 18 years away, she is forced to face their past together and the truth of what actually happened all those years ago. Can she forgive both her husband and her brother for the choice that they made?

"One Baby" features Sarah and her husband David. Sarah miscarried a baby the previous Christmas Eve and her heart is still heavy with grief. When this Christmas Eve finds them housing a very pregnant English woman and her husband who were stranded in a storm, she must face her own pain and anger at God and find the courage to help the lost couple in their own fear.

These three stories deal with forgiveness and trusting God. They both entertain and instruct. They are well-worth spending some time with this Christmas season. There is also a very useful reading guide in the back of the book for personal reflection or use in a book group.