Two more great Christmas books! A Quaker Christmas and On Christmas Morning
I read one of these book the hectic week before Christmas, then started the other one but didn't get time to finish it until two days ago, as I'm sure most wives, moms and grandmothers can understand! But I still want to go on and do the reviews in hopes that some of you will buy them now to read later.
The first book I want to tell you about is A Quaker Christmas, pubbed by Barbour. Like my anthology, this book contains 4 novellas, each written by a different author. I enjoyed the varieties of stories in this collection. The first one by Lauralee Bliss is set in an inn run by a Quaker family. One of the guests doesn't seem to like being there when he first arrives, then later stays around. Could the innkeeper's daughter have something to do with that?
The second story by Ramona K. Cecil is centered around a pregnant widow and her husband's friend who comes to her aid. But he bears a secret he thinks will drive them apart if she ever finds out. Can they both find and give the forgiveness they each need?
I've never heard of pirates and Quakers joining, but Rachael Phillips combines them in a fun story about a man from a pirate family who rescues a Quaker maiden, leading to her falling for his brother before she finally is rescued by the first man from another mistake.
The final story ups the tension with a newlywed wife of a Quaker who chooses to lead a pregnant slave to freedom on the Underground Railroad while her husband is out of town. All of these stories take place during the Christmas season, and I found it interesting to read about the various ways and extent some Quakers joined in Christmas celebrations.
Although our Walmart no longer has these Barbour anthologies, I think you can still find them at your local Christian bookstore, Lifeway stores, and online at cbd.com and amazon.com
The final Christmas book I read this Christmas season is Love Finds You on Christmas Morning, pubbed by Summerside Press. I've enjoyed several of their Love Finds you in...collections. This one is a little different in that the title does not bear the name of a real town (although both stories take place in Cary, North Carolina), and there are two stories, one historical and one contemporary, both by a different author. I liked this format, and hope they will do more of these in the future.
The first story Deck the Halls by Debby Mayne, was set right before the depression, and the story tells of a young hardworking girl with an injured father who has to work to support her parents. A young man from one of the prosperous farms in the area seeks her out, but does she dare to hope he really is interested in her? Or are they from two different lifestyles?
The last story 'Tis the Season by Trish Perry, is set in the present day, with a great-granddaughter of the couple in the first story dreaming of buying and restoring the home her great-grandparents built, only to have it bought out from under her. Can she bear to help the buyer restore it? What will happen when he finds out her connection to the house? Both enjoyable reads!
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