There are many joyous way to spend during the holiday season and the best ways are ones that really bring you in touch with the Christmas spirit. Readers especially love books that can whirl them away to another special place and any reader who loves Amish, romance and/or Christmas tales will truly relish cozying up with AN AMISH CHRISTMAS QUILT to have a break from the hustle and stress of the season (or anytime) and disappearing into it.

Three separate Amish stories have been lovingly and beautifully threaded together in AN AMISH CHRISTMAS QUILT by these three well known and highly regarded authors of Amish books.

The first story, A WILLOW RIDGE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT by Charlotte Hubbard has us riding on a cold buggy ride to the Amish Community in Willow Ridge, Missouri where Mary Kauffman, a young near term pregnant widow, is desperately attempting to get to her aunt's place with her two young children, Lucy age four and a judgmental seven year old Sol and their assorted animals. As your heart goes out to her struggle, you breathe with relief when Seth Brenneman takes a small break from his work and notices something seems wrong. Seth certainly did not expect things to happen as they did or what he is expected to do.

A CHRISTMAS ON ICE MOUNTAIN by Kelly Long takes us to a different Amish community where two previously close childhood friends have not spoken to each other for so long that non one in the community even remembers what the feud was about. They know their reasons but their families have suffered. Now, Mathew Beider and Laurel Lapp want to marry. Even the Bishop is lined up for this, but they would dearly love to have their fathers at their wedding. How to get them speaking to each other again? It would take a miracle or God's intervention to make that happen as the ice between the two dads is thicker than that on Ice Mountain itself.

Lovingly stitched in AN AMISH CHRISTMAS QUILT is the wonderfully "gut" third story by Jennifer Beckstrand aptly titled A PERFECT AMISH CHRISTMAS. It opens with a delightful conversation between a matchmaking grandmother Anna Helmuth and her husband. She decides that her grandson Gideon would much rather give up a planned trip to the sunny beaches of Mexico to come and visit them and go ice fishing, snowshoeing and to fall in love with the Amish girl she has in mind.

Meanwhile, Dottie Schrock is intent on having the absolutely most perfect Christmas for her mother who is remission from her cancer treatments. Dottie has spent countless hours planning this special Christmas party for her mom right down to the smallest detail and she definitely does not want that handsome but devilish Gideon, a close friend of her brother, showing up to spoil this party as he did at the last one. But, as the saying goes when one sets too much stock in our own planning, God laughs. How can she make sure Gideon doesn't come to this party?

AN AMISH CHRISTMAS QUILT has to be, bar none, the mostlovely Amish story I have read! I cannot thank the authors (Charlotte Hubbard, Kelly Long, and Jennifer Beckstrand) enough for their generosity of spirit and talent as writers for collaborating together to write AN AMISH CHRISTMAS QUILT. Each story is separate; yet, lovingly braids together the three tales . They truly have put the perfect finishing touches on this lovely book and I am sure AN AMISH CHRISTMAS QUILT will be a classic story reread over future holiday seasons by its readers. I am particularly enchanted with how cleverly Hubbard combines her " quilting pieces" of pregnancies and pageants in such a special way that it gives a new take and freshness to the lovely age old story of the special baby's birth.

I have never written this in a review before, but there is not a line I would change in AN AMISH CHRISTMAS QUILT. It is totally captivating from beginning to end. The characters, both main and secondary, are all wonderfully depicted and authentic to who they are. Many have characters from other books written by these well regarded authors, so fans can enjoy their participation in the various romances, yet, readers new to their authors will not have missed anything and now have the "gut" opportunity to read more of Hubbard's Long, and Beckstrand other books.

While the romances in each story are the prominent feature, they all in their own way keep their focus on the real reason for the season just as Dottie learns the hard way what truly makes Christmas perfect. If I could give stars for AN AMISH CHRISTMAS QUILT, they would be many! Truly a wonderful gift for a friend or yourself this Christmas or for anytime! Enjoy with delight!

Book Summary

With all the warmth of a cozy quilt, three authors stitch together Amish tales of hearts joined, friendships patched, and the bright joys of Christmas tradition . . .

A Willow Ridge Christmas Pageant Charlotte Hubbard

Seth Brenneman didn't expect his holiday would include rescuing pregnant young Mary Kauffman and her two children. . .or having unexpected feelings for the still-grieving widow. But when they must play the leads in an impromptu live Nativity pageant to help his Amish community, will their roles reveal their hearts--and work a miracle for a lifetime?

A Christmas On Ice Mountain Kelly Long

Matthew Beider and Laurel Lapp's secret wish to marry is a gift their feuding fathers definitely won't accept. And trying to settle their dats' long-standing quarrel is making their holiday anything but merry. Can rediscovering the joys and friendships of Christmas past finally turn their families' futures bright?

A Perfect Amish Christmas Jennifer Beckstrand

Anna and Felty Helmuth's grandson, Gideon, plans to spend Christmas on a beach in sunny Mexico. But Anna is quite sure he'd rather be with them, snowshoeing, ice fishing-- falling in love. And she knows the perfect girl. Not only is Dottie Schrock an excellent quilter and baker, she's having a party. There's just one complication--Gideon is not invited. Dottie has her reasons, but Anna trusts that the spirit of Christmas--and true love--will change her mind, and her future . . .

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