Rose turned her back on the man she loves after he assisted the Englisch during World War II—only to discover she’s an Englischer herself. Born in the midst of the hardships of The Great Depression, Rose grew up in Berlin, Ohio, in the arms of a loving Amish family. But she is overwhelmed by self-doubt when she learns that she was born Englisch and abandoned when her family moved West in search of work. Was she meant to be Amish or would she have been better off growing up with her own kind—Englischers? When the man she loves leaves her behind, Rose is certain he left for good. Yet Rose discovers sometimes our greatest gifts are the ones we fear.
USA Today best-selling author Tricia Goyer is the author of over 35 books, including the three-book Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series and Lead Your Family Like Jesus, (co-written with Ken Blanchard). She has written over 500 articles for national publications and blogs for high traffic sites like TheBetterMom.com and MomLifeToday.com. She is the host of Living Inspired, a weekly radio show. Tricia and family live in Little Rock, Arkansas. They have six children. You can find out more about Tricia at http://www.TriciaGoyer.com.
My Impressions:
A Christmas Gift for Rose combines the best of Tricia Goyer’s writing genres, Amish and historical, with the Christmas sprit to create a lovely holiday gift for her readers. The setting is Ohio Amish country just following WWII. America is just learning about the cost of sacrifice for the young men who served overseas. And while most wish for a return to normality, the road is hard for those who saw so much in Europe and the Pacific.
Rose broke off her relationship with Jonathan when he decided to break with the Amish pacifist stance and serve in the Army as a medic. Her community has made its disapproval of Jonathan well-known, and Rose fears that continuing her relationship with him will alienate her from the family in which she has found safety. For all her life, Rose has sought to belong, fighting feelings of loss and abandonment. Finally, the truth of her adoption into her Amish family brings to light the nightmares and feelings that have plagued her. Her sense of self and belonging are shattered, and she fears that she will never fit any where again.
The desire to fit in is a strong one, sometimes overriding logic and good sense. How often do we, as Christians, undermine the security of another by our cliquishness or rules? A Christmas Gift for Rose is a beautiful portrayal of God’s desire for His people to belong not only to Him but to each other. The characters are genuine — their emotions real and believable. I loved Mam and Dat, the Amish couple struggling in their marriage, who found new life and love after taking Rose into their family. A heart-warming book – definitely put this one on your list of Christmas-time reading.
Recommended.
(Thanks to LitFuse and Zondervan for my review copy. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)
To read more reviews, click HERE.
To purchase a copy of this book, click on the image below.
Recent Comments