The Dawn of Christmas

by Cindy Woodsmall
GIVEAWAY & Free Preview

4.0 out of 5 stars Trust Doesn't Come Easy...

Description

The Amish community of Apple Ridge is a place to discover anew that even though life doesn’t always look the way you might expect and pain can’t help but color our actions…love may just be around the corner, just in time for Christmas!

Sadie Yoder enjoys her freedom away from home but after four years, her Old Order Amish family insists it’s time to come home and settle down. Levi, a bachelor who distrusts women after a family heartbreak, also has no desire for romance. To keep their families from meddling in their lives, Sadie and Levi devise a plan—but soon discover that the walls around their hearts are breaking down. Can they let go of their prejudices, learn to trust each other, and embrace a future together?

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Biography

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author who has written a dozen (and counting!) works of fiction and one of nonfiction. She and her dearest Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud, coauthored the nonfiction, Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. Cindy’s been featured on ABC Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life. In June of 2013, the Wall Street Journal listed Cindy as the second most popular author of Amish fiction, following Beverly Lewis.

She is also a veteran homeschool mom who no longer holds that position. As her children progressed in age, her desire to write grew stronger. After working through reservations whether this desire was something she should pursue, she began her writing journey. Her husband was her staunchest supporter as she aimed for what seemed impossible.

She’s won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer’s Choice Awards, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings’ Best Books of the Year. She’s been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards, Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards.

Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity. Though she didn’t realize it at the time, seeds were sown years ago that began preparing Cindy to write these books. At the age of ten, while living in the dairy country of Maryland, she became best friends with Luann, a Plain Mennonite girl. Luann, like all the females in her family, wore the prayer Kapp and cape dresses. Her parents didn’t allow television or radios, and many other modern conveniences were frowned upon. During the numerous times Luann came to Cindy’s house to spend the night, her rules came with her and the two were careful to obey them—afraid that if they didn’t, the adults would end their friendship. Although the rules were much easier to keep when they spent the night at Luann’s because her family didn’t own any of the forbidden items, both sets of parents were uncomfortable with the relationship and a small infraction of any kind would have been enough reason for the parents to end the relationship. While navigating around the adults’ disapproval and the obstacles in each other’s lifestyle, the two girls bonded in true friendship that lasted into their teen years, until Cindy’s family moved to another region of the US.

As an adult, Cindy became friends with a wonderful Old Order Amish family who opened their home to her. Although the two women, Miriam and Cindy, live seven hundred miles apart geographically, and a century apart by customs, when they come together they never lack for commonality, laughter, and dreams of what only God can accomplish through His children. Over the years Cindy has continued to make wonderful friendships with those inside the Amish and Mennonite communities—from the most conservative ones to the most liberal.

Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in their now empty nest.

Contact Cindy at the following sites:

https://www.facebook.com/authorcindywoodsmall
https://twitter.com/cindywoodsmall
http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/

FREE PREVIEW:
 Read Chapter One

My Review ~

The Dawn of Christmas is relevant to much more than the holiday. Two young adults have been badly hurt, each by a member of the opposite gender, and have lost all hope for a future relationship or imminent marriage. This Amish tale is a story of learning to trust where all hope of trust has been destroyed by another. As the two discover one another a friendship of sorts begins. Upon pressure from her father, Sadie and Levi formulate a plan to "court" to satisfy the demands of Sadie's family. The friendship between them is comfortable over time until each realizes there is more to the relationship than just convenience and friendship alone. With issues from the past staring them in the face the question appears regarding where this relationship should go. Will one betray the other when the going gets rough? You'll have to pick up a copy and see for yourself.

Cindy Woodsmall is well versed author, and writes with integrity and fluency. She knows the Amish way of life well, and weaves an excellent story of the vulnerabilities in life. I would have enjoyed this as a full-length novel rather than a novella. There is so much more to the story, and I felt some predictability due to the brevity of the book. As a whole the characters are very strong and likable, people I'd love to know, and the events throughout the story kept me wanting more. This is an excellent book to read at any time throughout the year. I'm looking forward to more from Cindy Woodsmall!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

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