The Christmas Prayer - My Review

This new Christmas book by Wanda Brunstetter was the perfect quick read for the holiday season.  I try so hard to read as many Christmas books as I can throughout the month of December, so it is always nice to include novellas like this into my to-read list.  This particular story is set in the American West during the middle of the 1800’s.

A wagon train is being set up, so that people from the East can forge a new life in an exciting but unknown terrain.  Cynthia Cooper is one such person who has decided to make this journey with her fiancé and mother, but she is still hesitant about her decision.  Will they survive this type of perilous travel?  And will she ever find peace in her heart to move forward as she believes she aught, or will her mind override her actions? 

There are so many characters making the journey with Cynthia, and each one has their own set of baggage and stories to tell.  Yet each individual makes the ride more interesting for Cynthia, and she does her best to engage with every person.  Some of the plot change will be surprising for the reader, and the quick resolution might be to fast for some.  However, it is important to remember that this is a novella; therefore, the climax comes quickly, and so the character’s endings must be tied up rather swiftly.  If you enjoy a shorter read though, then this book is for you. 

Have you read any other books by Brunsetter?  I own several of her books, but this was the first Christmas book I have read by her.  As always, please recommend some of your favorite books in the comments below.  Happy reading and Merry Christmas! 

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to Barbour Publishing for my copy.

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?

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New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, Wanda E. Brunstetter is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. She has written close to 90 books translated in four languages. With over 10 million copies sold, Wanda's stories consistently earn spots on the nations most prestigious bestseller lists and have received numerous awards.

Wanda’s ancestors were part of the Anabaptist faith, and her novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Her books are well-read and trusted by many Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs.

When Wanda visits her Amish friends, she finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family ties. Wanda enjoys photography, ventriloquism, gardening, bird-watching, beachcombing, and spending time with her family. She and her husband, Richard, have been blessed with two grown children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

To learn more about Wanda, visit her website at: www.wandabrunstetter.com