A SIMPLE CHRISTMAS WISH is another delightful holiday read
from Melody Carlson.
Rachel Milligan is looking forward to quality time with her
niece, Holly, while her brother and sister-in-law are on a Caribbean holiday. Though Christmas isn’t ever favorite holiday,
Rachel enjoys some festive moments through the eyes of Holly. When Rachel receives news that her brother
and sister-in-law were in a fatal plane crash, she is shocked and devastated. Thinking she is Holly’s only relative, Rachel
assumes she will be Holly’s guardian and starts putting her life in order to
assume that role.
Rachel is shocked to learn that her sister-in-law did have
family, and has left Holly’s care to her estranged sister who happens to be
Amish. With an ironclad will in place,
Rachel has no choice but to accompany her niece to Amish country to turn Holly
over to her new guardian. Torn and
confused, Rachel tries to help Holly embrace her new lifestyle. While Holly loves the thought of living on a
farm with cows, and horses, and other animals, she doesn’t quite understand why
she has to give up her fancy clothes, favorite baby doll, or why her Aunt Rachel
can’t live with her in this new place. Lydia,
Holly’s aunt, makes it obvious that she would prefer for Rachel to leave so she
can train Holly in the Amish ways. But with Christmas and Holly’s birthday just
around the corner, Lydia concedes and allows Rachel to stay through the
holidays. While there, Rachel finds that
Benjamin−Lydia’s brother− is not only interested in helping Holly adjust to her
new surroundings, but shows an interested in Rachel as well. An interest Rachel is open to, even if it
means having to become part of the Amish community.
You feel for Rachel as she struggles with what she must
do. She wants only the best for Holly,
but never once thought that would be a life without her. She weighs the pros and cons of the Amish
lifestyle and wonders if Holly will be able to handle such a drastic
change.
A SIMPLE CHRISTMAS WISH is sweet and warm. I am not a fan of the Amish genre, but
Carlson’s story is so unique, I found it entertaining as it pulled at my
heartstrings. The characters are well
fleshed out, from the protectiveness of Rachel, to the severity of Lydia, to
the warmth of Benjamin, and the wide-eyed wonder of Holly. A SIMPLE CHRISTMAS WISH is a great book to
put you in a holiday mood.
Book provided for review purposes.
Available November 2013 at your favorite bookseller from
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
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