Christmas in Amish Country -- Christmas at Rose Hill Farm

What can be better at this time of year than a Christmas story with an Amish setting? Suzanne Woods Fisher delivers a great one in her Christmas at Rose Hill Farm.

This story is a little different from many of the typical Amish fiction books I've read.  The tone of the story is fairly serious -- maybe even nearing melancholy at times -- but still with a very hopeful spirit about it.  Bess and Billy both have old hurts hanging over present decisions -- and they both learn important things about themselves and others as they piece together events and lessons from the past.  And then there is George -- what a delightful and surprising character to find intermingled in important details of the story.

I always enjoy finding characters from previous books in new stories.  If you have read Suzanne's earlier series -- Lancaster County Secrets and Stoney Ridge Seasons -- you will recognize several old "friends," but at different stages of life than where you first met them.

I would strongly recommend this great story from Suzanne Woods Fisher to fans of Amish fiction and even to those who may not normally read in the genre.  I think a wide range of readers can relate to the characters' lives and relationships.

Thanks to Revell Publishing for providing a copy of Christmas at Rose Hill Farm in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book

Billy Lapp is far away from his Amish roots working as a rose rustler for Penn State and wants nothing to do with Stoney Ridge. And that suits Bess Riehl just fine. Why should she think twice about a man who left without a word of explanation? It's time she moved on with her life, and that meant saying yes when Billy's cousin Amos proposed--for the third time--and beginning to plan for her Christmas wedding.

When a "lost" rose is discovered in a forgotten corner of the greenhouse at Rose Hill Farm, Billy is sent to track down its origins. His plan is to get in, identify the rose, and get out. The only catch is that he's having a hard time narrowing down the identity of the lost rose--and he can't get Bess Riehl out of his mind.

As the history of the lost rose is pieced together, it reminds Bess and Billy--and Amos too--that Christmas truly is the season of miracles.

About the Author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series, the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of an Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner for The Search, a Carol Award finalist for The Choice, and a Christy Award finalist for The Waiting. She is also a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.