The Christmas Prayer by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Published by Shiloh Run Press on September 1, 2018
Genres: Amish & Mennonite, Christian, Christmas & Advent, Literature & Fiction
Pages: 176
Format: ARC, eBook
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Beloved, bestselling author of Amish fiction, Wanda E. Brunstetter takes readers on a journey in 1850 along the California Trail. Only the brave—or foolhardy—would attempt a cross-country journey late in the season. Three wagons meet up in Independence, Missouri, in April 1850, and their owners decide to keep forging ahead despite many setbacks and delays. December finds them in the Sierra Nevada Mountains when a sudden snowstorm traps them, obscuring the trail. Cynthia Cooper is traveling with her mother and the man she has promised to marry. But as Christmas is upon them and they are hunkered down in a small cabin, she is forced to reevaluate her reasons for planning to marry fellow-traveler Walter Prentice. When a widowed father heading to a California ranch and a gold prospector both show an interest in Cynthia, she weighs her dreams for marriage alongside her responsibility to care for her mother. Can love win over her timid heart?
The author of today’s book, The Christmas Prayer, is Wanda E. Brunstetter. I know I’ve shared this story probably too many times, but back in 2015 I met Ms. Brunstetter while she was doing a book signing event at the local Wal-Mart here in Sarasota, Florida. At that time, I was able to get my mother, Gloria an autographed copy of one of her favorite Amish books. Of course, ever since that meeting in 2015 when the opportunity arises to read and review one of Ms. Brunstetter’s books, I jump on it because my mother LOVES Amish stories.
Unfortunately for me, my mom recently had eye surgery and it isn’t healing as quickly as she had hoped. What that means to me is that I don’t have my Amish book reader/reviewer to help out when I have too many books in my TBR stack. Fortunately, I saw my Christmas deadline right around the corner, so I took care of this book right away!
The time period set out for The Christmas Prayer is April of 1850. Three covered wagons set out from Independence, Missouri headed for California. This group of folks were traveling together because they missed a wagon train they were supposed to connect with in Independence, but had arrived too late. They leave anyway on their own, hoping to arrive in California before winter. The group consisted of a brother, a sister, a widower and his two children, and a mother and daughter with the daughter’s fiancé .
The trip turns out to be very hard and the group fell behind schedule. They only traveled half the distance to California before winter set in and things just didn’t look good for the group. Their food supplies were dwindling, and they faced the possibility of freezing to death with only their covered wagons to help protect them.
There are several different point of view shared in this story and they are seamlessly put together. This was a great wagon trail Christmas story with a perfect ending. If you are expecting an Amish story because you see Wanda’s name on the cover, here’s a spolier alert: this book is not Amish.
New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, Wanda E. Brunstetter is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. She has written close to 90 books translated in four languages. With over 10 million copies sold, Wanda’s stories consistently earn spots on the nations most prestigious bestseller lists and have received numerous awards. She’s also written Amish cookbooks, Amish-themed devotionals, and several children’s books with Amish characters.
Wanda’s ancestors were part of the Anabaptist faith, and her novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Her books are well-read and trusted by many Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs. When Wanda visits her Amish friends, she finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family ties. Wanda writes about the Amish because they live a simple life, which she feels we all need in this day and age.
Wanda and her husband, Richard have been blessed with two grown children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Besides writing books, Wanda’s a professional ventriloquist. In her spare time she photography, gardening, knitting, looking for shells and agates on the beach, and spending time with her family.
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I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review but chose to since it was a great book! Thank you!
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