Step into the cozy, snow-kissed world of Amish country with a collection of heartwarming Christmas stories by four of your favorite Amish storytellers. This holiday season, let the spirit of love, family, and faith fill your heart with these enchanting tales:
An Ideal Christmas by Mindy Steele
Ina Graber has decided on the perfect Christmas gift for her sister, Lavina, and she knows exactly who needs to build it. Now if she can only convince her childhood crush to help her when he doesn’t even know she exists.
Orders are piling up on local furniture maker and widower, Abner Fisher, but when a young woman from by a nearby community asks him to do the impossible, Abner discovers anything is possible this Christmas.
Gathered Around Love’s Table by Rachel J. Good
Miriam Lapp can’t bear to face a lonely Christmas table, which once held her large family, who’ve all gone to Pinecraft to care for her ill grandparents. Miriam has stayed behind to keep her rebellious seventeen-year-old brother, Abraham, out of trouble during Rumspringa. She decides to fill the seats at her holiday table with lonely and homeless people. Little does she know that this simple act of giving will lead her on a journey to warm her aching heart and provide healing for her brother.
One of her guests, Jerry Gingerich, has been struggling since he left the Amish. Reluctantly, he accepts her invitation, but the welcoming atmosphere and kindness he finds at the Lapp home begins to break through his walls. Miriam’s generosity becomes a beacon of hope to him as well as to the others she asks to share her table. But can Jerry open his heart completely, not just to the spirit of Christmas, but to the greatest gift of all – God’s love and forgiveness – so he can find healing, redemption, and love?
Trouble at the Christmas Table by Jennifer Beckstrand
Eleven-year-old twins Alfie and Benji Petersheim are in big trouble. They’re stuck in the cellar because intruder Zeke Hostetler is sleeping in their bedroom. Worse than that, Zeke is in love with their schoolteacher Sarah Zimmerman. But the worst part is Alfie and Benji accidentally put a long scratch in Mamm’s new kitchen table, and Mamm is going to be very angry when she sees it. Zeke Hostetler comes to the rescue and agrees to secretly fix the table if Alfie and Benji will help him woo Sarah Zimmerman. Unfortunately, if they help Zeke, they’ll lose their favoritest teacher in the world. But if Mamm sees that scratch, she’ll probably put them up for adoption or, worse, give them the spatula.
Alfie and Benji are going to need binoculars, walkie-talkies, three chickens, an unruly dog named Tintin, and a lot of luck to get themselves out of this mess.
Love Beneath the Pine by Tracy Fredrychowski
In the heart of Amish County, among the enchanting snow-covered landscape of Willow Springs, Hannah Schrock’s kitchen buzzes with activity and delightful aromas as Christmas approaches. Overwhelmed by her baking orders and devotion to her ailing grandmother, Hannah finds an unexpected ally in Isaac Kauffman, a gentle soul whose silent love for her has endured for years.
Isaac discovers an antique table in the barn. Even amidst Hannah’s refusal to help him, Isaac embarks on a journey to restore it, uncovering hidden secrets and heartwarming tales of its past owners along the way.
Ina Graber has decided on the perfect Christmas gift for her sister, Lavina, and she knows exactly who needs to build it. Now if she can only convince her childhood crush to help her when he doesn’t even know she exists.
Orders are piling up on local furniture maker and widower, Abner Fisher, but when a young woman from by a nearby community asks him to do the impossible, Abner discovers anything is possible this Christmas.
Gathered Around Love’s Table by Rachel J. Good
Miriam Lapp can’t bear to face a lonely Christmas table, which once held her large family, who’ve all gone to Pinecraft to care for her ill grandparents. Miriam has stayed behind to keep her rebellious seventeen-year-old brother, Abraham, out of trouble during Rumspringa. She decides to fill the seats at her holiday table with lonely and homeless people. Little does she know that this simple act of giving will lead her on a journey to warm her aching heart and provide healing for her brother.
One of her guests, Jerry Gingerich, has been struggling since he left the Amish. Reluctantly, he accepts her invitation, but the welcoming atmosphere and kindness he finds at the Lapp home begins to break through his walls. Miriam’s generosity becomes a beacon of hope to him as well as to the others she asks to share her table. But can Jerry open his heart completely, not just to the spirit of Christmas, but to the greatest gift of all – God’s love and forgiveness – so he can find healing, redemption, and love?
Trouble at the Christmas Table by Jennifer Beckstrand
Eleven-year-old twins Alfie and Benji Petersheim are in big trouble. They’re stuck in the cellar because intruder Zeke Hostetler is sleeping in their bedroom. Worse than that, Zeke is in love with their schoolteacher Sarah Zimmerman. But the worst part is Alfie and Benji accidentally put a long scratch in Mamm’s new kitchen table, and Mamm is going to be very angry when she sees it. Zeke Hostetler comes to the rescue and agrees to secretly fix the table if Alfie and Benji will help him woo Sarah Zimmerman. Unfortunately, if they help Zeke, they’ll lose their favoritest teacher in the world. But if Mamm sees that scratch, she’ll probably put them up for adoption or, worse, give them the spatula.
Alfie and Benji are going to need binoculars, walkie-talkies, three chickens, an unruly dog named Tintin, and a lot of luck to get themselves out of this mess.
Love Beneath the Pine by Tracy Fredrychowski
In the heart of Amish County, among the enchanting snow-covered landscape of Willow Springs, Hannah Schrock’s kitchen buzzes with activity and delightful aromas as Christmas approaches. Overwhelmed by her baking orders and devotion to her ailing grandmother, Hannah finds an unexpected ally in Isaac Kauffman, a gentle soul whose silent love for her has endured for years.
Isaac discovers an antique table in the barn. Even amidst Hannah’s refusal to help him, Isaac embarks on a journey to restore it, uncovering hidden secrets and heartwarming tales of its past owners along the way.
MY THOUGHTS.....
Just seeing this cover and the names of four respected authors made me want to read this book and I'm thrilled to have the chance! An Amish Christmas Table is a collection of four short stories but this review is for An Ideal Christmas, a novella by Mindy Steele. I loved this return to Miller's Creek, and a chance to catch up with one of my favorite characters, Hazel Miller! Who wouldn't love this Amish matchmaker, who admits to sometimes being an "Amish meddler"? I loved this reunion with Hazel and also meeting Abner Fisher and the young woman who's loved him since she was a girl. Ina Graber has little hope of catching Abner's eye but it won't hurt to try, will it?
Steele shares a heartwarming story with a perfect blend of romance, humor, and inspiring Christmas magic! An Ideal Christmas is a great holiday read and I look forward to reading the other novellas in An Amish Christmas Table!
I received a complimentary ARC but there was no obligation for a review. These are my honest thoughts.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Tracy Fredrychowski is a country girl, author, homesteader and everything simple living. She has a passion for writing about the simpler side of life, much like the life she lived growing up in rural Pennsylvania.
USA Today bestselling author Rachel J. Good grew up near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the setting for many of her Amish novels. Striving to be as authentic as possible, she spends time with her Amish friends, doing chores on their farm and attending family events.
Jennifer Beckstrand is the USA Today Bestselling author of clean romantic comedies, sweet historical Westerns, and Amish romances. Her popular books include Dandelion Meadows, The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series, The Honeybee Sisters series, The Amish Quiltmaker series, and Cowboys of the Butterfly Ranch series. Jennifer is a two-time RWA RITA® Award finalist, a Carol Award® finalist, and a #1 Amazon bestselling Amish author.
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Steele shares a heartwarming story with a perfect blend of romance, humor, and inspiring Christmas magic! An Ideal Christmas is a great holiday read and I look forward to reading the other novellas in An Amish Christmas Table!
I received a complimentary ARC but there was no obligation for a review. These are my honest thoughts.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Raised in Kentucky timber country, Mindy Steele writes Amish Romance peppered in humor, using her rural surroundings as her muse. She is a best-selling author and the winner of the 2022 FHLCW Reader's Choice award for sweet romance. Steele creates realistic characters for her readers and believes in engaging all the senses to make you laugh, cry, hold your breath, and root for the happy-ever-after ending. Readers can find themselves, somewhere within the pages of her Amish fiction or romantic suspense novels.
Learn more by visiting Mindy's Website.
Tracy Fredrychowski is a country girl, author, homesteader and everything simple living. She has a passion for writing about the simpler side of life, much like the life she lived growing up in rural Pennsylvania.
Her life has always been intertwined with the Amish, and it’s only fitting that she has a genuine passion for their simplicity, sense of community and God-centered lives.
Growing up in Northwest Pennsylvania she spent her childhood immersed deep in Amish Country. The clip-clop of horse and buggy woke her each morning as Amish men drove past her childhood home on their way to work. As a young woman, she was traumatized by an Amish murder that involved a family member and changed her life forever.
Even though she currently lives in South Carolina her travels take her through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin’s Amish Country every year. During those stops, she researches the communities she visits and prides herself on writing Amish fiction that truly represents the Amish culture. She considers herself very fortunate to have made friends in those communities and values the information they share and wants nothing more than to represent their lifestyle as accurately as possible.
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Follow her on Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram or visit her Website
Rachel loves to travel and visit many different Amish communities. In searching for the best Amish soft pretzels, she’s visited many Amish markets, auctions, and mud sales. Because of her love of Amish food, she tries to include recipes in her books &/or newsletters as often as possible. When she’s not traveling, she spends time with family and writing.
Along with her Amish novels, she’s written more than 65+ books for both children and adults under several pen names. To find out more about Rachel and her books, you can sign up for her newsletter and connect with her on Facebook.
Rachel enjoys meeting readers and speaks regularly at book events, schools, libraries, churches, book clubs, and conferences across the country. She also loves talking
Jennifer Beckstrand is the USA Today Bestselling author of clean romantic comedies, sweet historical Westerns, and Amish romances. Her popular books include Dandelion Meadows, The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series, The Honeybee Sisters series, The Amish Quiltmaker series, and Cowboys of the Butterfly Ranch series. Jennifer is a two-time RWA RITA® Award finalist, a Carol Award® finalist, and a #1 Amazon bestselling Amish author.
View all my reviews
What a wonderful review. Thank you.
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