I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Barbour Publishing, 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.
A Christmas Prayer by Wanda E. Brunstetter Published by Barbour Publishing on September 1, 2018
Genres: Christian, Fiction, Historical, Holidays, Romance
Pages: 144
Source: Barbour Publishing, NetGalley
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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?
When I picked up this book the first thing I noticed was how small it was. Had I done even a smidgen of research I would have realized two things. First, this is actually a novella that is being re-released as a stand-alone book. Secondly, I would have realized that I’d read this story before, in a novella collection. Go figure, I mean come on me do research? Pulease! A favorite author releases a book and my first thought is ‘I gotta get my eyes on this one!’. That’s OK though, I mean after taking a much needed life hiatus from a lot of things (including blogging and reading) I’m jumping back in with almost both feet and something easy to read helps keep me from everything getting too much again. And Wanda is known for her easy to read, simpler storytelling style that is perfect for me right now.
That being said I found myself in the novella conundrum again. Getting a strong story in a short amount of space and words is hard. Even the best storytellers can fall flat in a novella setting. I had a smidge of this struggle with this novella but it wasn’t’ too much and I didn’t feel like I lost an amazing story. Yes, there were parts that I wanted more depth, greater understand. However, those parts, while a yearning I had, did not take away from a well told story. My personal need for these was not something that would take away from the story for most readers. I would love to know more about how Cynthia and her mother became entangled with Walter. I mean, I got the basic logistics but I feel like there was so much more I would have loved to explored. I would love to know more depth about their journey west in the wagons as well as the interactions between the families, and more about how they truly felt about Walter. I want to know so much more about that Christmas conversation and how awkward it would have truly been when all the love entanglements were unraveled. I’m an emotional reader, and an emotional reviewer, and I needed more emotion that the average novella allows to develop.
At the end of the day I read a solid story of growth in self, growth in faith, and finding love. I read a story about hardships, and overcoming, and family. I read a story of how a group of people, thrown together by ambition and hardship, forged a family that doesn’t require a blood bond or legal documentation. Sometimes love does win, and it’s easier than you built it up to be in your head. While not a ‘Christmas’ story ‘prayer’ is the ultimate basis of this book. And for all my Christmas loving readers, this is a perfect book of faith and family and holiday blessings that will easily be a year round favorite and a must read during the holiday season.
About Wanda E. Brunstetter
Wanda E. Brunstetter is an award-winning, New York Times best-selling author of Amish and historical fiction. She’s also written Amish cookbooks, Amish-themed devotionals, and several children’s books with Amish characters.
Wanda E. Brunstetter 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, who grew up in a Mennonite church, have Amish friends in several Amish communities.
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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