Until that fateful night in the snowstorm, Lydia Brand had been content to let life be. Although she knew she was adopted, Lydia knows not to ask any questions about her past as she loves her parents and doesn't want to hurt them in any way. She knows mother doesn't want any questions about the past as it is too painful, especially as she had lost her five year old son Sammy who had drowned in a pond.

Lydia's family is Amish and the owners of a furniture store in Home Valley, Ohio where Lydia also works, yet, her real joy in work comes from her volunteer labours at their neighbour's farm where Josh Yoder has a petting zoo in the summer and then rents out his donkeys and camels for Christmas pageants near their Amish community for local churches. Lydia loves all animals, but her heart is taken by Melly, an eight foot tall female camel. When Melly strays out in a winter snowstorm, Lydia knows she has to look for her. Instead of finding the camel, Lydia stumbles upon the prone body of a woman lying in the field. After covering her with her cloak, Lydia sees a note in her hand getting wet in the snow. Seeking to protect it, she puts the note in her glove, goes to get help and almost forgets about it.

Later when Lydia remembers the note, she realizes it has a special meaning for her. Now, she knows she can't wait any longer to find out about her past. Her only clues are the note and a snow globe given to her on the quiet by her father who said it was from her birth mother. Josh offers to help her and as Lydia spends more time with him, that raises the ire of Gil Reich, an Amish man who works in her father's store. Gil wants to marry Lydia and Mrs. Brand is strongly encouraging his courting efforts. Still, Lydia knows she must find out the meaning behind the note, but who can she trust? Malice and danger follow every innocent question asked.

With remarkable skill, Karen Harper instantly pulls the reader into the whirling snow globe of Lydia's life as it swirls from the quiet and ordinary and past secrets shaken loose by questions being asked endanger the lives of those asking. Be warned: UPON A WINTER'S NIGHT is an enthralling read and will be very hard to put down once you start reading!

This suspenseful and enthralling novel also reads very well as a stand-alone story filled with mystery and a budding romance; yet many of Harper's ardent fans will be thrilled to see the reappearance of some of the secondary characters who were first introduced in the author's Home Valley Trilogy Series. With UPON A WINTER'S NIGHT, Harper is sure to gain many more fans; so, like many others, I hope there will be more Home valley stories from this very talented writer.

With her strong and respectful understanding of Amish ways and beliefs, Harper develops an intriguing storyline with realistic characters and she is particularly adept at showing both the Amish and the "worldly" emotional responses to their beliefs and circumstances. I personally love Amish stories and I find that while Harper's novels tend to be a little more contemporary in nature than other Amish writers, she always stays very true to normative expectations of Amish customs. As the Christmas season is part of the focus of the book, UPON A WINTER'S NIGHT would make a wonderful present for a friend or a great treat for yourself to relax with over the festive season or at any time in the year! So, swirl away as you find out the meaning behind the snow globe mystery!

Book Summary

A cold night's silent majesty hides a BITTER secret…

Though she is deeply loved by her parents, the fact that Lydia Brand is adopted has always made her different from her close-knit Amish community. But as Christmas approaches and she begins to search for answers about her biological parents, more questions surface.

Soon it seems that the deaths of two women in her small town may not be coincidences, after all. And her pursuit of the truth has left her only with hints of a dark secret—and threats from an unseen adversary.

While she does her best to stave off advances from her parents' preferred suitor, Lydia discovers that her heart truly belongs to the man who's been there all along: her friend Josh Yoder. It's only with his help that Lydia can ensure that the stillness of a winter's night means peace…and not danger.