Amish Celebrations is a lovely collection of stories that transports the reader to a very different way of life.

As ever with a novella collection, I liked some stories more than others. The book begins with The Gift of Sisters. Fifteen year old wins Hannah and Rachel are feuding over a new man in the district. I didn’t enjoy the cattiness between the two, but as a mom of two girls, I understand how quickly that can happen. The ending is very sweet and made working through the initial quarrels worth the effort.

The second offering provides more romantic upset when Rebecca and Noah struggle with miscommunication as their wedding approaches. This story adds in the impact of the English or non-Amish way of life on the strict, conservative community. This story intrigued me and I was very happy with the surprising conclusion.

In the third story, hiccups play a central role when wedding plans are thrown into disarray by outside forces. Chester and Priscilla are convinced of their love, but a ruined dress, missing money and problems with their future home cause both to question their upcoming marriage. This is a sweet reminder that faith is equally important in the tricky times as the good ones.

My favorite tale came at the end with A Christmas Miracle. Young mother of five, Mary is struggling to keep her husband, children and home in order until and English woman, sent by Santa steps in. This is a lovely story of second chances, forgiveness and lifelong learning.

Connect with Beth Wiseman’s website here…

To sneak a peek or grab a copy of Amish Celebrations, click here…

For another fun novella collection, check out The Kissing Tree…