About the book:
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.
My thoughts:
This was the first Amish fiction novel I have read that wasn't set in the present day and I thought one of the coolest things about this story was- it didn't matter. It read the same. The Amish are the same now as they were then. While this was not a surprise, I still found it refreshing that a group of people could remain largely unchanged generations later. As usual, we could certainly learn a thing or two from the Amish. A Christmas Gift for Rose was an interesting story altogether. Through a confession or her mother's Rose learns that she is actually adopted and not Amish by birth which causes her some huge struggles. Is she even truly Amish since she wasn't born that way? Did she have any right to judge her former beau Jonathan chose to go off to war (even though he didn't fight or break any of his Amish beliefs while there)? I really liked this story. It brought to mind something I would have never thought of- how would the surrounding Englishers feel when the Amish chose not to participate in a war? I liked following Rose's story and how she grows in just a short amount of time after her mom drops the adoption bombshell on her. It was also interesting to follow Jonathan's thought process and how he felt he needed to do one thing, but was able to stay true to his beliefs while doing so. I think Jonathan is probably more a character I would relate to more than Rose because he feels like he needs to do what he knows in his heart is right, regardless of what might be thought of him. I find the Great Depression time period to be an interesting one, so it was neat to think of it from the prospective of the Amish, something I have never considered when thinking about this time period. I also really enjoyed the protective relationship Rose is on the receiving end of when it comes to her brother, just a few years older than she. It was sweet to see where that began and how it never really stopped. I really enjoyed this novella. It is a great, quick little holiday read. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Amish Fiction or a love story set during Christmastime.
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.
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A Christmas Gift for Rose is now available for purchase on Amazon.com
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