This is actually an omnibus of two past stories, “The Sound of Sleigh Bells” and “The Christmas Singing” along with a new one, “The Dawn of Christmas.”

The Sound of Sleigh Bells

Beautiful Beth, a 26 year old Amish girl living in Pennsylvania, carries a secret heavy burden that has kept her from enjoying herself for a long time.  It has also kept her from moving on in life, or being willing to involve herself in a love relationship.  Beth dresses in black even though she is long past the traditional mourning time for her dead fiancée, Henry.  She works as a buyer of Amish goods for the store owned by her maiden Aunt Lizzy.  Beth is determined to follow the single life her aunt has lived.

At 28, Jonah an Amish man in Ohio, has lived through hard times.  As a teenager he rescued his siblings in a sleighing accident.  Through his efforts no one but himself was hurt.  But he lost 2 fingers and injuries to his leg kept him permanently using a cane and having a limp. He spent lots of time in hospitals for operations and physical therapy.  During that time, he turned to wood carving as a stress reliever and has become a master carver.  Jonah is also someone who understands pain, and how to put it behind him.

Aunt Lizzy has hated being single, and works with all her might to change the destiny her niece Beth is wanting for herself.  She is worried sick about Beth’s withdrawal from life.   She has reached the point of being willing to do anything if it will help Beth.   Aunt Lizzy, through some complicated maneuvering, has gotten Beth and Jonah to become pen pals.  Beth thinks she is writing to an old man, and Jonah thinks he is writing to middle-aged Lizzy.  Aunt Lizzy believes Jonah’s understanding of pain can bring healing if Beth will just allow him into her life.  Aunt Lizzy thinks corresponding through letters will be just the ticket for Beth’s healing.

Lizzy knows a day of reckoning will come, but believes the anger Beth and Jonah might feel over being fooled, will be worth it if Beth gets healing for her soul.

The truth does end up coming out, Beth’s secret burden is also brought out into the open, but situations take place differently than Lizzy had planned.

The Christmas Singing

Everyone always thought Mattie and Gideon would marry.  They had been childhood sweethearts, and  had become engaged.  Suddenly Gideon broke their engagement and broke Mattie’s heart as well.  He claimed he wanted to date others, even Englischers–women outside the Amish faith.

Hoping for a new start, Mattie left Apple Ridge to go to live at her brother and his family in Ohio.  She is very talented as a baker, and an artist at cake decorating.  She opened a bakery in her new town, and became very successful.  After a while, she began dating again, and for two years had been seeing Sol.  If things keep going this way, Mattie assumes she will marry Sol.

Much against her will, Mattie finds herself back in Apple Ridge, and she is often rubbing shoulders with her former fiancée, Gideon. This makes her uncomfortable, and causes her thinking to become confused.  Mattie’s family, and Mattie herself, begin to question her relationship with Sol.  Is she considering marrying him because she feels comfortable with him, or does she really have passion for him?  

While in Apple Ridge, Mattie discovers things about Gideon.  This new information causes her to question whether or not the real reason their engagement was broken had nothing to do with dating other people, but was something else entirely.

The Dawn of Christmas

Take one Amish woman, Sadie–who thinks all men are untrustworthy–and one Amish man, Levi–who thinks all women will tear his heart to shreds–put them together and watch what happens.

Daniel, her unfaithful fiancée, sent Sadie running to Peru to forget him  and work with Mennonite missionaries. Her family is demanding she return to the Amish community and get a husband.  Sadie has decided she never wants to marry, and she is desperate to find a way to return to Peru.

Levi has seen the heartache his brother has suffered since his wife deserted him and his small nephew. To avoid that agony, Levi has vowed to remain a bachelor. But he is chafing from the heavy pressure he is getting from friends, relatives and–even his brother–to marry.

A strange turn of events has brought the man-hating Sadie and woman-hating Levi together. They attempt to be friends, but with their aversion to each other’s gender, their relationship is rocky. Sadie suggests they pretend to court for a few months, then have a big breakup. In that way the pressure would be off both of them, and they would no longer be part of fix-ups their respective families have been arranging. Sadie hopes this pretense, especially the breakup, will garner enough sympathy from her family to earn her more time on the mission field. Levi hopes for at least a year of dating pressure to be removed so he can recover from the fabricated break-up.

But plans don’t always become reality.  It appears the illusion to fool everyone is blowing up in Sadie’s face, and she really will have her heart broken once more by a man.

Conclusion

All three of these stories center around the Amish community of Apple Ridge.  Because of that, Beth and Jonah from “The Sound of Sleigh Bells” show up in “The Christmas Singing.”  And Beth and Jonah, as well as, Mattie and Gideon all make appearances in “The Dawn of Christmas.”  So we are treated to a few more morsels of each of their stories.

I liked all three books and would give them all five stars.  These are quick to read, and fun because they are each set during a Christmas season.  The Amish characters are interesting and don’t always do what you might expect.  I also like that past characters show up in succeeding books. I recommend them.

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not been compensated in any other manner. 

The Author’s Web Site:  http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/books/novellas/christmas-in-apple-ridge/

More Info:  http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=219690&isbn=9780307730992

Read Chapter One:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/101875405/Christmas-in-Apple-Ridge-by-Cindy-Woodsmall-Chapter-1-Excerpt#.UO6kbTOxxpg

Author Bio:  http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=72213