Good Day! Some of the new books out today include His Promise by Shelley Shepard Gray, Six Cats a Slayin' by Miranda James and The Christmas Remedy by Cindy Woodsmall & Erin Woodsmall.
The Christmas Remedy by Cindy
Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall is An Amish Christmas Romance. Holly Noelle Zook has an unusual profession
for an Amish woman. She is a pharmacy
technician at Greene’s Pharmacy in Raysburg, Pennsylvania and studying for
admission to nursing school. Holly wants
to bring better health care to the people in her community. She wants to make sure they have access to
medication and doctors. Holly is
determined that what happened to her father ten years ago will not happen to
anyone else. Holly is aware that to
achieve her goals she must sacrifice having a husband and children since Amish
woman quit working once they get married.
Holly returns to Greene’s one morning after her deliveries to find Joshua
Smucker standing outside. She enjoyed
socials and other youth events with him for six months until he began to get
serious. Holly is attracted to him, but
she will not give up her goals. Inside
the pharmacy, they find Lyle Greene on the ground after suffering a
stroke. Lyle’s son, Brandon, who is
close to becoming a licensed pharmacist, moves home to help care for his father
until he is back on his feet again. Lyle
and Brandon do not have the best relationship, and Brandon does not plan on
working at Greene’s after graduation. He
wants to work at a large chain pharmacy where he can earn more money. Then the pharmacy board inspector pays a
visit bringing a serious matter to their attention. Holly and Joshua with help from Brandon and
Graham have six weeks to resolve the problem.
If they do not succeed, the community could lose Greene’s Pharmacy
forever.
The Christmas Remedy is a unique
Amish story. Holly Zook is a spunky,
intelligent and determined woman with one goal in mind. She is a progressive thinker for a baptized
Amish woman. Holly is willing to give up
a future with Joshua to achieve it. But
is there another way? Brandon is
estranged from his father, and he plans on working at a large chain pharmacy to
earn a bigger paycheck. Time at Greene’s
Pharmacy and in Raysburg gives Brandon a different perspective. I found The Christmas Remedy to be
well-written with with a lovely small town.
The thoughtful characters suited the story. The author explained Holly and Brandon’s
motivations, and we see how circumstances as well as time can alter their viewpoint.
I like the mystery that is
included. It adds more interest and
depth to The Christmas Remedy. Readers
get to see how the Amish view healthcare and how they manage without
insurance. I have insurance and can
still barely afford to visit a doctor with the high co-pays. Many Amish prefer herbal remedies over modern
medicine. Holly wants to educate the
Amish on their options and know when to visit a doctor. Preventative care is important to staying
healthy and finding a serious illness in time.
Readers also get to learn more about pharmacy operations. They are governed by rules and regulations
just like any business except they have more oversight and reporting (the laws vary
from state to state as well). There is Christmas tidings and romance as well in
The Christmas Remedy. I hope we see more
Amish books like The Christmas Remedy with females in unique professions. Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall created an
intriguing Amish novel in The Christmas Remedy. I am giving The Christmas Remedy 4 out of 5 stars.
Kris
The Avid Reader
I've never read any Amish romance books because I'm not a religious person, but this sounds good.
ReplyDelete