Friday, September 23, 2011

Book Review: A Lancaster County Christmas by Suzanne Woods Fisher @suzannewfisher



A Lancaster County Christmas by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Publisher: Revell
Publish Date: September 1, 2011
Hardcover, 208 pages 
Fiction, Amish Romance, Christian
 ISBN: 978-0800719951




My Review:
My thoughts:  Isn't the cover lovely - doesn't it look like a Christmas card you would send?


A Lancaster County Christmas is a charming, lovely Christmas story that warms the heart and gets you in the right mood for Christmas.  It's a nice romance that tells the story of a couple finding that love is still there for them even when one has almost given up on it.  But even beyond that there is so much more to the story.  While predictable, the story is still a wonderful and warming tale for these fall and winter evenings coming and a must-read for lovers of Amish fiction.  Even if you haven't read Amish fiction before, I recommend this one as one to get your feet wet with. It has exposure to the Amish culture, but an English (American) couple as well.  It has suspense, romance, family and an Amish teenager deciding between the faith and the outside world.  This book really packs it in to 200 pages.

Suzanne has a true way with Amish fiction, she really has a gift for telling their stories in a real way.  I loved the look into Mattie and Sol's life as well as Jaime and C.J.'s.  I like how Mattie and Jaime had things to teach each other even though they come from different cultures.  It's really a beautiful book that I truly took something away from.  I loved each character in their own way and though the book is short I feel I got to know something about each one of them and I like that.  The action and suspense was good also.  The plot moved the book along quickly and I didn't want to put it down and I hated it when it ended.  I wanted more of these characters, even though it ended properly.  The characters just stick with you and you wish you could see a continuation of their lives and that's a good quality of a book.

So if you enjoy a good Amish story or even if you haven't dipped your toes into the water of Amish fiction, A Lancaster County Christmas is a great book to warm your heart on a cool evening.  It's a great book to curl up with a cup of hot cocoa,  hot tea or coffee and a warm blanket and escape to Lancaster County for the evening.  You won't regret it.


My Rating: 5.0/5.0


About the Book:
Jaime and C. J. Fitzpatrick began their married life as most couples do--in love and looking forward to a bright future together. But four years later they've drifted apart and are almost ready to call it quits. 


Mattie Riehl was hoping to give her husband Sol the Christmas gift they have both longed for--news that a baby was on the way. But as usual, she is disappointed. The holidays bring an acute awareness to Mattie that her dream of a big family isn't likely to become a reality.

Then a winter storm raging outside blows the Fitzpatricks into the Riehl home--and into a much slower pace of life. Can these two couples from different worlds help each other understand the true meaning of love this Christmas?

With her trademark plot twists and attention to detail, Suzanne Woods Fisher offers readers a beautiful Christmas story of love, forgiveness, and what truly matters in life.


Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

About the Author: 
Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Choice, The Waiting, and The Search, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Benedict eventually became publisher of Christianity Today magazine. Suzanne is the host of a radio show called Amish Wisdom and her work has appeared in many magazines. She lives in California.

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FTC Information: I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.