An Amish Christmas: A Novel
By: Cynthia Keller / Narrated By: Cassandra Campbell
Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
Huzzah! Yet ANOTHER Listen that had me all warm and fuzzy. Well, after I wanted to throttle some characters
Seriously. Every story, each character has to start SOMEwhere if they wanna progress on their character arcs. But good gosh, the children in this story spend sooo much time as spoiled, obnoxious, vocal-in-their-contempt, gits that, truly, it was exHAUSting.
Now one thing up front. Yup, this audiobook is called An Amish Christmas, but don’t expect Amish Christian fiction (Like, for instance, An Empty Cup). Rather, this is the story of an English (How the Amish refer to those outside their faith and community) family who interact with an Amish family. So if you’re looking for Amish Christian fiction for a Christmas Listen, you might wanna go elsewhere as the Amish family are secondary.
Oooooh, but how important they are!
You see, Meg Hobart and her family (Husband James, sons Will and Sam, daughter Lizzie), after having it ALL, are now penniless, having lost all their money, their home, have nothing except a few bucks and all they could pack into their remaining car as they head, most dolefully, to Meg’s parents’s house in the east. Along the way, they get lost in Pennsylvania during a snowy and icy night, almost run headfirst into an Amish horse and buggy, skid off the road, and completely wreck their car.
The Amish way? Why, help this family as they would help anyone in need and dire straits. So the Hobart family is taken in, and oh my gosh! how this all freaks the kids out. Only little Sam looks upon the situation with a sense of curiosity upon meeting this unknown. The other kids, for aaaaages, for hoooours, sneer and make rude comments. Yes, the house has no electricity, so they can’t charge their iPods (The only tech they own as cell phones and such all had to be returned/contracts broken), and yes, the family wear different clothes, speak differently, eat, and say Grace for meals, but jeez Will and esPECially Lizzie were despicable.
Meg comes to realize that her children aren’t going through that teenage stage so much as they’re just hateful and spoiled. And so I spent a lot of time wanting to throttle the kids (Minus Sam who is befriended by elderly Samuel and a puppy, Rufus) cuz it’s not until MUCH time and plenty of story (With reprehensible shenanigans thrown in) that the true natures of those two start showing.
The whole Hobart family starts seeing the Amish for what they are: Good and honest people who value each other and who celebrate each meal, each day, each holiday with grace and true love. And when it comes to forgiveness? Meg starts learning a thing or two by the way she sees Amish Katherine forgive the eldest Hobart children, and soon she comes to wonder about the manner she’s been treating James. Yes, he lost everything; yes, he lied; can she trust him? Dunno, but holding onto anger is not the Amish way: To be forgiven, one must let go with full hearts.
Cassandra Campbell ALWAYS turns in an awesome performance, and this audiobook was no exception. She very much had me rolling my eyes when Lizzie would go onto her NEXT rant, and she very much had me wanting to be friends with the patient and warmhearted Katherine. She did Amish accents well, tho’ I’ve gotta admit, I know noooo Amish, so I don’t know if she’s spot on or not. All I know is that she did a family who was struggling and challenged well, and by the time I got to the end, I was rather cheering hard.
Yes, the ending is a taaaad abrupt, and I really could’ve done with a bit more written/plotted. I would’ve settled for an Epilogue, but it is what it is, and I’ll just have to accept it (I do sniffle a bit cuz I spent sooo much time groaning at misdeeds that I somewhat feel I deSERve more story, but…)
If you want to look around your home this Christmas and see and feel how much you DON’T need but have been given, give this audiobook a go. It’ll remind you to look deeper for blessings, to embrace all who are in your home as you currently quarantine. And if you’re alone? Spend some time listening to a family that’ll make you happy you’re not in one for oh, saaaay, HOURS. And then you can get onto dreaming of a family you’d like very much to meet. I’m so very blessed in that this year of Home and Home Only for the Holidays, I’ve a husband and three fuzzies. So great, but I’ve spent some time with this Amish family, and?
Wouldn’t it be nice to be THERE…?!
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