Good Morning Everyone :)
I'm excited to share with you all today a quick review of an upcoming Christmas release by Wanda E Brunstetter.
As I'm sure most of you are aware, Wanda is one of the most influential voices in Christian Amish fiction, and in fact her novel White Christmas Pie is one of my all time favorites. I was really intrigued at the notion of reading a historical novel by her that isn't Amish fiction, and I'm so thankful I got the opportunity to.
The Christmas Prayer by Wanda E Brunstetter:
Source: Publisher Via NetGalley
Publisher: Barbour Publishing INC/Shiloh Run Press
Publication Date: September 1st, 2018
Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction
Synopsis:
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?
*****synopsis from goodreads****
My Review:
The Christmas Prayer is a charming, historical novella that focuses around twenty year old Cynthia Cooper who's family has recently fallen on hard times. After her father's passing, Cynthia and her mother are left in poor financial shape, and her mother especially, had grown accustomed to the finer things in life. As a means of providing for herself and her mother, Cynthia accepts a marriage proposal from a successful businessman named Walter. However, accepting the marriage proposal means uprooting her life from New York, and traveling cross country in a covered wagon to begin a new life in California. Their journey will place them in close contact with two other families along the way. Jack is heading west to help his brother out on his cattle ranch, and to give his two children a better life after the death of his wife and their mother. Cole, a blacksmith by trade, is headed west at the prospect of gold, and is bringing his sister, Virginia a schoolteacher, along with him.
Struggles and trials abound the travelers as they continue to try and make their way to California, and soon Cynthia discovers the biggest challenge of all is dealing with Walter's attitude to everything happening along their journey. Cynthia begins to question whether or not a marriage to Walter is truly what God could have planned for her, especially when she sees the kindness that abounds in both Cole and Jack on their travels. Their journey reaches a dangerous point when the weather turns bad, and they are forced to hunker down and spend Christmas in a small, abandoned cabin they discover in the woods. It's here in the cabin however, that they truly discover the real meaning of Christmas, and learn that God has a plan for each and every one of them if they'll only be willing to follow it.
All in all, this sweet novella really emphasized the importance of faith, and kept me intrigued right from the opening lines. I really enjoyed all the characters, with the exception of Walter, and I appreciated the maturity shown by Cynthia in the choices she makes to try and help her family. The writing style and the well developed characters will leave the reader feeling like they're experiencing everything right along with Cynthia, and I definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a sweet historical read this holiday season.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Barbour and Shiloh Run Press for the opportunity to advance read this.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Barbour and Shiloh) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.
I'm excited to share with you all today a quick review of an upcoming Christmas release by Wanda E Brunstetter.
As I'm sure most of you are aware, Wanda is one of the most influential voices in Christian Amish fiction, and in fact her novel White Christmas Pie is one of my all time favorites. I was really intrigued at the notion of reading a historical novel by her that isn't Amish fiction, and I'm so thankful I got the opportunity to.
The Christmas Prayer by Wanda E Brunstetter:
Source: Publisher Via NetGalley
Publisher: Barbour Publishing INC/Shiloh Run Press
Publication Date: September 1st, 2018
Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction
Synopsis:
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?
*****synopsis from goodreads****
My Review:
The Christmas Prayer is a charming, historical novella that focuses around twenty year old Cynthia Cooper who's family has recently fallen on hard times. After her father's passing, Cynthia and her mother are left in poor financial shape, and her mother especially, had grown accustomed to the finer things in life. As a means of providing for herself and her mother, Cynthia accepts a marriage proposal from a successful businessman named Walter. However, accepting the marriage proposal means uprooting her life from New York, and traveling cross country in a covered wagon to begin a new life in California. Their journey will place them in close contact with two other families along the way. Jack is heading west to help his brother out on his cattle ranch, and to give his two children a better life after the death of his wife and their mother. Cole, a blacksmith by trade, is headed west at the prospect of gold, and is bringing his sister, Virginia a schoolteacher, along with him.
Struggles and trials abound the travelers as they continue to try and make their way to California, and soon Cynthia discovers the biggest challenge of all is dealing with Walter's attitude to everything happening along their journey. Cynthia begins to question whether or not a marriage to Walter is truly what God could have planned for her, especially when she sees the kindness that abounds in both Cole and Jack on their travels. Their journey reaches a dangerous point when the weather turns bad, and they are forced to hunker down and spend Christmas in a small, abandoned cabin they discover in the woods. It's here in the cabin however, that they truly discover the real meaning of Christmas, and learn that God has a plan for each and every one of them if they'll only be willing to follow it.
All in all, this sweet novella really emphasized the importance of faith, and kept me intrigued right from the opening lines. I really enjoyed all the characters, with the exception of Walter, and I appreciated the maturity shown by Cynthia in the choices she makes to try and help her family. The writing style and the well developed characters will leave the reader feeling like they're experiencing everything right along with Cynthia, and I definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a sweet historical read this holiday season.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Barbour and Shiloh Run Press for the opportunity to advance read this.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Barbour and Shiloh) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.
Comments
Post a Comment