Amish Christmas at North Star by Cindy Woodsmall, Mindy Starns Clark and Emily Clark, Amanda Flower, and Katie Ganshert {Review & Giveaway}



Cindy Woodsmall, Mindy Starns Clark and Emily Clark,
Amanda Flower, and Katie Ganshert
Contemporary Fiction / Amish

One night four lives entered the world by the hands of an Amish midwife on the edge of North Star, Pennsylvania. Rebekah's Babies, as they are called, are now adults, and in four heartwarming novellas each person experiences a journey of discovery, the possibility of love, and the wonder of Christmas.

Guiding Star by Katie Ganshert
Curiosity gets the best of Englischer Chase Wellington when he investigates the twenty-five-year-old disappearance of an Amish baby. When he finds adventurous Elle McAllister in Iowa, will his revelations upend her world?

Mourning Star by Amanda Flower
Eden Hochstetler slips from her parents' shop to investigate the death of her friend Isaac. Who is guilty? Isaac's handsome great-nephew Jesse, an angry Englischer, or someone else?

In the Stars by Cindy Woodsmall
Heartbroken Kore Detweiler avoids North Star after Savilla Beiler rejects his love. But when he is unexpectedly called home, he and Savilla must join forces to keep a family together.

Star of Grace by Mindy Starns Clark and Emily Clark
Andy Danner left North Star to join a new Amish settlement in Mississippi. His little brother devises a scheme to bring Andy home for Christmas and unwittingly unleashes the power of forgiveness in a reclusive widower's life.

READ AN EXCERPT

My Thoughts

I usually skip over novellas but at Christmastime I devour them. Some people love Christmas movies, I love Christmas novellas. It's such a treat to snuggle up in the evening with a quick read. Amish Christmas at North Star is an even bigger bonus because it includes four novellas in one book.

Katie Ganshert sets the stage with the backstory of a cold and snowy night when four babies were born by the hands of an Amish midwife named Rebekah Schlabach. The circumstances were so unusual that the new little ones were forever dubbed "Rebekah's Babies".

The novellas then take up the individual stories of the babies twenty-five years later. What I really enjoyed about each story was that the author's personal style shined through. For instance Amanda Flower writes some really great cozy mysteries and her story in the book includes a bit of mystery along with the theme.

All of the authors are some of my personal favorites so I don't think that I could really choose a favorite story among them. While each of the stories relates to the opening they are also very stand alone. In fact other than the main characters being born on the same night and the central story revolving somewhat around North Star I didn't really find much that connected them until the ending that tied it all together nicely.

This book would make the perfect stocking stuffer for the book lover on your list. You could also pair it with a box of hot chocolate and fuzzy socks and it would become a full fledged present. Whatever you decide you can't go wrong with this group of writers.




Now . . . how about a GIVEAWAY?!! We loved Amish Christmas at North Star so much that we wanted to make a way for one of our readers to get their own copy. To do that we have partnered with Family Christian Stores to give one of our readers a $25 Appreciation Certificate so they can purchase the book or anything else they would like either online or in store.

The giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will run through midnight on Wednesday, December 2, 2015. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. The winner will be contacted by email and will have forty-eight hours to claim the prize. If unclaimed, a new winner will be drawn. The winners’ entries will be verified. Please enter the contest using the Giveaway Tools form below. All entries are optional.

6 comments:

  1. I would buy a gift for a friend.

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  2. I would use it to buy a gift for my mom for Christmas.

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  3. I would probably use it to treat myself because I don't think anyone else in my family would use it. They love to read, but would rather borrow from the library. I love to borrow from the library too, but have a list of books I would love to own!

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  4. I have been wanting to purchase a journaling bible for my teen daughter as well as for a bible study group friend.

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  5. I missed the War Room when it was playing at the theaters. I would love to get the DVD of the movie.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I would love to win and use this awesome certificate to buy the Melissa and Doug: Hungry Stuffed Pelican for my son!
    Thank You for the chance!

    Fiona N

    ReplyDelete

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