An Amish Holiday Family by Jo Ann Brown

An Amish Holiday Family

Book Summary

An Amish Holiday Family by Jo Ann Brown has Beth Ann Overholt in Evergreen Corners, Vermont helping to repair the damage done by the last floods.  She is feeling a little lost after the loss of her job as a midwife when her boss retired and the death of her grandmother who raised her.  Beth Ann is out walking when she encounters Robert Yoder by the broken covered bridge.  It is his desire to repair the damaged bridge, but he has been met with resistance.  On her way to dinner at the community center, Beth Ann comes across a boy panhandling.  She takes him inside for a hot meal and to learn more about him.  Robert helps her to learn that Douglas has two younger siblings, and he is taking care of them on his own.  Beth Ann gets temporary guardianship of the threesome which she finds overwhelming.  She is pleased when Robert begins helping her with the kids, though, Beth Ann as well as the children notice that he holds himself back.  As time passes, Beth Ann cannot imagine her life without the three kids nor Robert in it.  Beth Ann wishes that this temporary arrangement could become permanent.  

My Thoughts

An Amish Holiday Family by Jo Ann Brown is the fourth installment in the Green Mountain Blessings series.  Each book can be read as a standalone, but they are a pleasure to read as a whole.  I thought An Amish Holiday Family was well-written with developed, realistic characters.  Beth Ann Overholt is a remarkable woman.  She is at a crossroads in her life.  Beth Ann had been a midwife helping Amish women deliver their babies under the care of a physician.  Circumstances have left her without a job and then her grandmother passed.  Beth Ann was raised by her grandmother and feels the loss heavily.  She is in Evergreen Corners to help with the reconstruction which is in the final phase.  Robert Yoder came to town to visit the sister he has not seen in twenty years.  She escaped their abusive father as soon as she was able and never returned.  Robert is carrying a heavy burden and it is not something he wishes to share.  He does, though, want to find a way to rebuild the damaged covered bridge.  Then comes along three children who need Beth Ann and Robert’s help.  They are living in squalid conditions without adult supervision.  Douglas, Crystal, and Tommy Henderson were delightful especially little Tommy.  They provided humor in the story.  There are some sections, though, that are sad (have your tissues handy).  We get to see if Beth Ann and Robert can come together to help these three children.  With a little help from God and the good people of Evergreen Corners, there might be a Christmas miracle.  There is a mystery in the story as well.  Tools and decorative items are disappearing from the job sites.  The individual is sneaky and manages to disappear quickly. I liked that the characters from the previous three books are in An Amish Holiday Family.  We get to see what is happening in their lives.  I like that Evergreen Corners is a close-knit community.  I can see why people who are visiting chose to stay.  I loved the epilogue that wrapped up the story beautifully.  An Amish Holiday Family is an emotional novel with a covered bridge conundrum, a tricky thief, a grocery gift giver, a surplus of laundry, and holiday happenings. 

An Amish Holiday Family is out in paperback on October 27 and ebook on November 1.  The other novels in Green Mountain Blessings series are An Amish Christmas Promise, An Amish Easter Wish, and An Amish Mother's Secret Past.  I hope you enjoy this book and the series as much as I did.  Thank you for stopping by today and reading my review.  I will return next time with Bending the Paw by Diane Kelly.  It is the 9th A Paw Enforcement Novel.  I finished clearing out one of the sheds on our property.  It was a harrowing experience.  I lifted an item out of the box and a slimy, scaly head popped out.  I shrieked and ran into the house.  It was just my luck that the creature decided not to leave the box right away.  I still had several items to get to the curb for trash night and the green creature was not cooperating.  My mother stood guard with a shovel while scurried by with the items for the trash (we laughed about it afterword).  The snake emerged after we were done and in the house.  I am hoping it has left the yard.  I did not have a restful night (it was over four feet long).  I am glad the rest of the shed was uneventful.  I hope you have a non-frightening day!  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

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