THE AMISH CHRISTMAS LETTERS consists of three wonderful novellas –MARYBETH’S CIRCLE LETTER by Patricia Davids, LOVE DELIVERED by Sarah Price, and SEALED WITH A KISS by Jennifer Bechstrand. All three have the common thread of the Amish circle letters written between cousins as a way to updated with events in each other’s life.
MARYBETH’S CIRCLE LETTER is the story of Marybeth Martin, 32 and unwed, who considers herself well on the way to being an old maid which she is at peace with.
Who is the better matchmaker – Marybeth or her cousin Wilma? Their friendly competition is how they decide who “entertains” Great Aunt Ingrid during her holidays visit to Sugarcreek enduring her dreadful fruitcakes.
Marybeth takes notice of Josiah Weaver, a widow still recovering from an accident with a young daughter, Simone, to tend to, in the grocery store. She thinks he could be the one to save her from Great Aunt Ingrid. However, she finds Josiah closed to the idea of a new wife, but he does need a nanny for three weeks to enable him to start a new job. A bargain is struck – free nanny service for three weeks provided he goes out once with a woman of her choice for the evening. They shake hands and the deal is sealed.
Are they both going to get more than they bargained for in this deal? Can Marybeth find just the right woman for Josiah or will she be her own competition? Can Josiah welcome another woman into his life or finally see the true woman in front of him? Can farm animals help make a piece of property a farm and heal a little girl’s heart in the process? Can one little girl be the glue that intertwines three hearts into one happy family? Where will Great Aunt Ingrid spend her time in Sugarcreek?
LOVE DELIVERED is the story of Katie Mae Kauffman although young she has had her share of hardships. She helped care for her ailing mother until her death. Then it was up to just her father to keep the farm going. After her father suffers a stroke and is confined to a wheelchair unable to communicate, it’s all on Marybeth’s shoulders – caregiver, maintaining a home and trying to keep the farm up. As much as she tried, she seemed to be slipping further behind with each passing day.
In steps Bishop Brenneman with his solution for not only her problems but those of another church member who is having a hard financial time. Katie and her father are to move into the dawdihause and rent out the main house to Nathanial Miller and his seven children while he does maintenance around the place and works the farm. In his opinion, a win/win for everyone. Katie is devastated, both for the move out of her family home but also because she doesn’t think highly of her neighbor. However, she knows there is no going against the Bishops request.
Katie Mae is determine to stay detached and she’s sure not going to be watching his children. Little Becky’s sweet lisp and enduring ways of bringing Abraham out of his shell works to melt her resolve and wiggle into her heart.
Can Katie Mae and Nathanial get past their preconceived notions of the other and learn about the true person? Will Abraham get the physical therapy he needs when the church says they don’t have the funds at present? Will Becky’s Christmas prayer come true?
SEALED WITH A KISS is the story of Carolyn Yutzy who goes to Greenwood, Wisconsin for six months at the request of Anna Helmuth to be the babysitter for her grandson’s seven children while the parents work trying to establish their new cookie business here at Christmas time.
The problem is the kids feel neglected by their parents, don’t want a babysitter and will do just about anything to bring attention to themselves. After all bad attention is better than no attention right? Carolyn has the patience of an angel determined to not let their antics get to her and try to show them that she’s there to help them and not to replace their parents.
In steps Aaron, a confirmed bachelor and the kid’s uncle, who thinks Carolyn is the worst choice in the world to be taking care of his little relatives. She messy and undisciplined allowing the kids to be unruly. No wonder she’s not married. In turn, Carolyn can hardly stand to be in the same room with Mr. Know It All Aaron who is so full of himself that there’s no wonder there’s no room for a Mrs. in Aaron’s life.
Will time and events show the true facts of who Carolyn and Aaron are to each other? Can Carolyn make Aaron laugh, realize that a little dirt never hurt anyone and what he’s missing in his life? Can Carolyn see Aaron through new eyes for the dependable, gentle, caring man he really is? Will a near tragedy bring them even closer together or will a misunderstanding drive them further apart?
The three authors that contributed to THE AMISH CHRISTMAS LETTERS managed to write three completely different stories but at the same time made one story morph into the next so smoothly you didn’t notice it wasn’t all the same writer. I loved learning about circle letters and how they work and loved how they worked into the three novellas. I would highly recommend this Christmas story for any time of the year reading to anyone that loves not only the Amish genre, but loves well written stories with heart.