Reviewed by phyllish on
Finding a Plain Christmas could be considered a parable expounding on the account of Martha and Mary. Kirsten was a perfect Martha – driven, determined to do things perfectly, working to outdo her own parties each year and exhausting herself in the process.
I really appreciated the approach of this book. It was told from the perspective of the Englischer, Kirsten as she learns how wrong her conceptions of the Amish were and more importantly, learns that her focus has been on the wrong things. I loved the way the various Amish that she spoke to were dumbfounded at her questions. “But aren’t there parties and parades and things that go with it to make it more festive?”
The explanation as to why the Amish traditions are what they are was so clear and it made me think I’ve never seen it described before. I won’t tell you what was said, because it is so much better hearing it through the story. The conversations about the beliefs were done in such a way that they did not feel like information dumps. Yay!
Before you get caught up in the busyness of the holiday season, take a couple of hours to read this and get your perspective adjusted so you are really ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior.
The story included some of the characters from previous books by these authors, Caleb and Ruby, and Caleb’s twin sisters. It was fun to see them a bit in the future. Readers who choose to read just this story wouldn’t even realize that they were referenced in a previous book and would not be lost.
The voice of this book, because it was not told by the Amish, is different from the others I read, so be sure to check out the others in the series as well.
This review was originally posted on Among the Reads
I was given a free copy of this item. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 21 October, 2018: Finished reading
- 21 October, 2018: Reviewed