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    An Amish Christmas: A Novel
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    An Amish Christmas: A Novel
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    An Amish Christmas: A Novel
    Audiobook7 hours

    An Amish Christmas: A Novel

    Written by Cynthia Keller

    Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Meg Hobart has everything: a happy marriage to a handsome, successful husband, a beautiful home in Charlotte, North Carolina, and three wonderful children. But it all comes crashing down around her the day she learns that her husband, James, has been living a lie-and has brought the family to financial ruin. Penniless and homeless, the Hobarts pack up what little they still possess and leave behind their golden life for good. But it's not the material things Meg finds herself mourning. Instead, she misses the certainty that she should remain married to James, who has betrayed her trust so thoughtlessly. Worse, she is suddenly very aware of just how spoiled her children have become. Meg wonders what her family has really sacrificed in their pursuit of the American dream.

    A frightening twist of fate forces the Hobarts to take refuge with a kind Amish family in Pennsylvania, where they find themselves in a home with no computers, no cell phones, nothing the children consider fashionable or fun. Her uncooperative brood confined to the Amish world of hard work and tradition, their futures entirely uncertain, Meg fears she can never make her family whole again.

    Celebrating life's simplest but most essential values, packed with laughter and tears, this is a story of forgiveness and the power of love. You will never forget the special moment in time that is An Amish Christmas.


    From the Hardcover edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateOct 26, 2010
    ISBN9780307751065
    Unavailable
    An Amish Christmas: A Novel

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    Reviews for An Amish Christmas

    4/5

    98 ratings38 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      This is a wonderful read that teaches the lesson that just maybe breaking the bank and counting how many presents are under the tree really isn't as fulfilling as many of us try to convince ourselves. The Amish way of life compared to upper middle class living at first may seem boring and much too difficult but as the book moves along, the rich family in question soon learn just which way of life is the fullest.
    • 3/5
      I won this Advance Reader's Edition from GoodReads. This was a nice easy read. A heartwarming story of a family who finds what really matters after losing everything they thought was important. The story flowed nicely, it was well written. A genuinely feel-good family story. I will say I would have liked a little more depth to the characters and maybe gotten a little deeper into the conflict/resolution aspect. Also, I lived in a small town in PA for 10 years and spoke with many Amish people, I would have liked to have seen them portrayed a little more realistically. Their characters fell a little flat for me. However, overall it was a nice sweet story that I have given to my mother to read because this will be something that she will absolutely love. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys feel-good, family oriented, down-home type books.
    • 3/5
      An Amish Christmas played into all my desire and longing to know more about the Amish culture and live a simpler life myself. A family in crisis gets a lesson in the truly important things in life. I loved the portrayal of the modern family, the focus on things, and the contrast between the lives of teenagers in the two different cultures. I found the book to be sweet and inspiring.
    • 3/5
      This book would make the perfect Hallmark Christmas movie. Rich family has it all. Rich family loses everything. Now poor family sets out to start new life. Family gets caught in accident. Family is taken in by kindly strangers. Family learns to change their ways. It's a simplistic plot but one that many people enjoy because of it's familiarity and heartwarming plot.Ok, the Hobart family was just really unbelievable. The entire family was just plain spoiled, all of them. James deceits his family for months and then throughout the entire book NEVER looks for a job himself. Even at the end, with the resolution he is basing his career just on Meg and hoping that she will be able to do enough for his job to work out. I did not like him at all. Meg is a total pushover. I can understand her ignorance in the beginning of the story and then her shock and anger when she does discover the truth. However she doesn't do anything to counter James' actions, she is pretty much just a doormat. I wonder if that has anything to do with her horrid parents and the disgusting way that they treat her. Then their three children are just plain spoiled. Will and Lizzie are rude and spoiled. The youngest son shows all signs of being a hoarder which his mother seems to think is a cute trait of his, never thinking that he might have some issues that need to be discussed.While I could not stand the Hobart family, on the other hand I really did like the Lutz family , the Amish family that they stayed with. They were an excellent, although a bit stereotypical, example of the type of family that the Hobarts should have attempted to live like. What does make the book stand out is that this is not a faith based Amish novel. While references to the Amish faith is mentioned, there is nothing in this book that encourages or even really discusses any talk about faith at all. It is simply just used a plot device to get the Hobart family to realize that they need to change their ways in order to survive as a family. As it stands, nothing about the Hobarts' own faith is ever mentioned throughout the entire book.Overall, this was an ok read. It's a predictable yet feel good story for the most part. As I stated, I'm not a fan of the Hobarts at all but I hoped that they learned their lessons and will be able to move on in life as better people. The story is simplistic but not groundbreaking. To be honest, at times I felt as if the Amish characters were simply used because of the recent Amish trend and craze that is going on now. Still it's an interesting read and if you like Christmas stories as well as the Amish, you'll enjoy this book.
    • 4/5
      This was a nice Christmas book that focused on the simple joys of life. After the family looses everything they find joy in living with an Amish family after a car accident and discover that all the gadgets and things didn't mean anything and actually made life more stressful. A great book to get you in the Christmas spirit.
    • 3/5
      Overall, I would say that this was a good book, although I would not consider it excellent. It was a unique idea for a story, and the interaction of the family with the Amish is very interesting. Also, the concepts of how the lifestyle of luxury many of us find ourselves in often does not have the same fulfilling appeal of a simple life, as well as a theme of forgiveness were well portrayed. However, I thought the book was lacking a bit of substance which would have otherwise made it more than a "quick read." The pace of this book made it feel almost like a short story, and the ending was also a bit abrupt. It was an entertaining enough read that it will be placed in the books to be lent to my Mother in Law, as I think she will enjoy a quick holiday story at this time of year.
    • 4/5
      An excellent Christmas book for our times. A woman living in Charlotte, NC, with her husband and 3 children, learns from her husband on Thanksgiving Day that the family is about to lose their home. The husband has lost his job and their investments. The only solution the family has is to go North and move in with relatives. Enroute, the family car almost hits an Amish farmer and his horse. The car is damage and the family is forced to stay in the Amish community while the car is prepared. The family undergoes a metamorphosis with the ongoing influence of the Amish community. This would be a wonderful book club selection because it should generate a lot of discussion about less is more. The author does a good job developing the characters. It is a book with a message for our time without being "preachy".
    • 3/5
      A decent read, a little slow at parts but worthwhile.
    • 5/5
      Kept me through the entire book. Enjoyed the storyline, and never strayed from it at all throughout. Book was well written and you could tell that the author completely researched her story.
    • 4/5
      A sweet little read, with a great big message. The Hobart's are so caught up in a materialistic and technology existence that have lost sight of the important values in life. Two of the three children are self-absorbed brats. The husband demolishes his family's trust by making a selfish financial decision. They lose everything, are homeless, and about to move in with the wife's parents who are cold and void of any affection. On their journey to the parent's house, they are involved in an accident with an Amish man and his horse and buggy. The car is so damaged and they are so broke that they have to accept the hospitality of the Amish family. Here's where I would say, "God works in mysterious ways!" It's the best thing that could have happened to them and we also get a gentle reminder of what's important in life. Esse quam videri: To be, rather than to seem.
    • 4/5
      This book proved to be a fairly quick, feel-good read that encompasses both Christmas themes as well as Amish themes, which are two popular themes in books these days. What first attracted me to this book is that it begins in Charlotte, NC, a city only about 10 minutes from my home. In many ways the book did not seem to be "accurate" as far as the depictions of the Amish were concerned, it served the purpose of being a feel-good Christmas book with a positive message.
    • 3/5
      On the surface, suburban homemaker Meg Hobart has it all: a successful husband, three kids, and a beautiful house. Although Meg doesn't realize it at the time, there are cracks showing through the family's idyllic life. Thus, Meg is completely taken by surprise during the midst of Thanksgiving holiday preparations, when her husband suddenly confesses that he's led the family to financial ruin.Finding themselves homeless, the Hobarts pack up a few belongings and leave everything else behind. On their way to Meg's family home in upstate New York, Meg tries to cheer the family up with little side trips. However, fate takes over and the Hobarts find themselves stranded in a Pennsylvania Amish town after a car accident.In true Amish tradition, the Lutz family takes in the Hobarts for as long as needed. The family must make the transition from a life of modern conveniences to a life without electricity, computers, cell phones, and fashion. Meg is stunned to observe how incredibly selfish and rude her two teens are behaving when faced with this challenge. Though discouraged she somehow motivates her uncooperative family into participating in the Lutz family activities. Meanwhile, the realization that she's been living a lie has a devastating effect on Meg. Will she ever learn to trust her husband again or would they be better off if she leaves him behind? Only time will tell.The Bottom Line: This easy read is a tale for the times. The self-absorbed Hobart family learns the true meaning of Christmas through the examples set by the Amish people. The lessons of forgiveness and love shine through in this uplifting holiday story. Recommended for everyone who enjoys holiday stories that celebrate the family.
    • 5/5
      The beginning of this book is gives us a family like many of our own: self-absorbed teenagers, their younger brother, and parents that have a solid but distant marriage. Like many couples, as they built a career and family their own relationship slowly withered away to where both are not entirely happy. Instead, they focus on achieving the perfection of "the American Dream" - the often sought but rarely achieved nexus in today's society. The husband is so desperate to provide the Dream for his family, he resorts to risking their entire savings (stealthily without his wife's knowledge) - which he ultimately loses. He can't face telling his wife right away, so he compounds his mistake by lying to her outright. The fact he destroys his teens' social status angers them, and the youngest child become more anxious than usual with all the drama unfolding around him.With no job, home or income, the family packs up to move in with the wife's parents. It's right before Christmas, and they head north from North Carolina through Pennsylvania Dutch country. On the way, they -literally- run into an Amish farmer. With his Amish grace and acceptance, he invites the family to stay at his home until their car is repaired. Thrust into an unusual situation, each family member is confronted by the simplicity of the Amish - which makes them question their own life. Not every member arrives to peace in the same way or at the same time, but each one discovers that sometimes simple is best. And that a happy family and productive life is the real American Dream - not all the material things that replace love, hope and loyalty of family and friends. The end of the book ends on a positive note, but I would not exactly call is "happily ever after". In this book, you know that the family will survive intact and they will ultimately succeed and be happy. However, you are also aware there will be bumps along the way. The book does not tidily push aside resentment or suddenly establish trust between two partners, all because of one "a-ha" moment. Instead, the characters clearly state that this is only a start and they will do their best from that point forward. I liked that honest assessment at the end.I found this book to be very uplifting and an easy read. It gave me new hope, and I found it perfect for Christmas. At a time when our economy has so many families downsizing and not able to afford the excesses of past Christmases, this is a comforting book to read. For my library, it is definitely a keeper.
    • 3/5
      Enjoyable read if somewhat improbable story line. A well to do attorney loses his job without telling his wife until they are about to be foreclosed on and he has to confess. They pack up their three spoiled kids in their 1969 mustand, the only vehicle the bank hadn't taken back., and set off from North Carolina to upstate New York. The plan is to move in with Megs parents, who aren't really very welcoming about taking in a daughter they don't get along with, and her family.It is a little hard to believe any modern woman wouldn't figure out from dunning notices in the mail, to bill collectors on the phone that something was wrong. Foreclosure processes take many months, not two weeks, and they could have declared bankruptcy. I am pretty sure an attorney could have found another job is a city the size of Charlotte.The family is in Pennsylvania when they wreck into an Amish buggy, and are stranded there, with little money and no transportation. They are taken in by the family who owns the buggy for the Christmas holidays.If you are willing so suspend your sense of reality, it is an enjoyable look into Amish life, with some likeable characters that deserved to be more fully developed. Maybe in a second book? It ends with a happily ever after and you could do worse than to curl up with this book in front of a fire with a cup of hot cider.
    • 4/5
      This is a pleasant Christmas story. It is the story of a materialistic family with bratty children who lose everything. But during their unexpected stay with an Amish family, they rediscover what is really important in life.
    • 4/5
      Let me start by saying this was not like any of the other Amish fiction books I have read. This is a very sad story of a very modern average family loosing everything, and by everything I mean all their money, their cars (except for the one that is paid for) and even their home. The husband, James looses his job (and neglects to tell his wife) and then proceeds to invest and loose all their money, again without telling her. After telling the kids, who think they are gonna die! They plan to go stay with Meg's parents in upstate NY. On the way (with only what they can fit in their small car) they have an accident almost running into an Amish buggy. The Amish family, The Lutz's, being a very kind and loving family invite them to stay with them until their car is fixed. What this turns out to be is - A very rude awaking for everyone! There is great character development all throughout the book, so good in fact that I wanted to slap the two oldest teens several times! And let me tell you! - if my husband ever did this to me he'd be alone on the highway and I'd be with my parents! I loved the Amish family, I loved Meg (the mom) she was great through the whole thing, trying to keep her family together. And when she tells her 2 oldest teens off about their rude behavior, I literally yelled out loud "Go Mom!". I loved the way the Author portrayed the the older kids as snobby spoiled brats, and youngest as very loving and accepting. It was very believable, today's teens would totally act like that, unfortunately. It would be the younger ones to be the first to fit in, there is innocence in youth. I liked the bonding between Meg and the Amish women. Meg was looking for something, she needed to belong, and feel special after everything that had happened.
    • 3/5
      Good book. Focuses on showing us that we don't need things and money to make us feel good. The story features a family who thought they had everything until they had nothing. Traveling to live with bitter relatives, an accident leaves them stranded and without the graciousness of an Amish family they would have no where to stay. The family teaches them that hardwork and routines help to clear the head and teach you what is important in your life. A good lifes lesson for people who are too busy to see where they are headed.
    • 3/5
      about people loosing everything they have and end up with a wonderful amish family,it was an easy read but too much time spent on the time it took to get to the amish people.but overall i liked it
    • 5/5
      Really enjoyed this book. Started out like many other down and out stories, but took a twist along the way. The Amish culture was very well portrayed, and it was nice to see the way the characters developed and how they each dealt with the situations differently. Yet in the end, they all reached a point where they all wanted the same solution to happen.
    • 5/5
      This is a story of a modern, well-to-do family, living the good life when the husband loses his job but does not tell his family for months. On Thanksgiving eve, he tells his wife that the only money they have is what is left in the checking account $1900. They lose their house, their children leave in the middle of the year from their private school, their cars are all leased. Their only vehicle that is owned is an antique Ford Mustang. They leave Charlotte NC heading north to live with family, but an accident in the Amish country of Pennsylvania changes everything. I read this book in September when it was still 95 degrees where I live, but I could feel the cold of the Amish countryside. The descriptions of the life was beautiful and the storyline was very believable. I enjoyed this book so much I am recommending it to my book club as our December book. This book is not just a Christmas book, it is a book about family love and forgiveness.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed reading this book and seeing how the families interacted. It gives a story of hope and how things can be overcome. I think that it is a good read.
    • 5/5
      I received this book as part of the Early Reviewers group. I have to say that I truly enjoyed reading it!! The book is exactly the type of genre that I look for when I am purchasing a book, and this one totally fit the bill. I like how the author showed the contrast between the well-off alpha family (the Hobarts) and the Amish family that opened their home to them after they were faced with some unfortunate circumstances. Cynthia Keller portrayed the teenagers exactly how I would have pictured them, and this book was one of those that I would like to continue to follow. The main characters (the Hobarts) were not the most endearing characters in the beginning, but as they grew in their understanding of others and themselves, they became a family that you can actually relate to. If you are someone who enjoys reading Amish fiction, I am almost positive that you will enjoy this book as much as I did.
    • 5/5
      I got An Amish Christmas as an early reviewer book via Library Thing. The story line was interesting, a family loses everything and ends up stranded/befreinded in Amish country. This is a simple, straighforward story of hope. No vampires, no deep plot twists, no crooked lawyers just a family in trouble finding hope in simplicity.This not a typical book for me but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The tragic circumstances that the family goes through close to what many people are facing today and I think that brings the story close to home for many people. This is a great relaxing read around the fire at Christmas.
    • 3/5
      The Hobart family runs up against some truly tough circumstances but finds hope in the end after time spent with an Amish family. I enjoyed the story, but there were some issues I had a tough time getting past. First, there is a major continuity problem. Meg, the mother, pays the bills, so everything is up-to-date when James informs her that all is gone. Instead of trying to find a new job and salvage what they have, within 2 weeks, they've given up everything and are homeless. It takes at least 4 months of nonpayment to foreclose on a home. Anyway, I had a hard time getting past that. Then, the other thing that bothered me was that throughout over 75% of the book, I did not like the main characters at all and frankly didn't care what happened to them. I stuck with it, though, and the last part of the book was much better, thus the 3-star rating. I think many might give up before reaching that point, however. The overall message is a good one, and I knew it was coming, but I wouldn't want others to lose that message by putting the book down too soon.
    • 3/5
      I wanted to like this book. The story line is an interesting one. Unfortunately the characters seemed flat to me. They weren't fleshed out or given any but the barest bones of characterization. I liked them, but I didn't feel like I knew them. There was no explanation, for example, of the animosity Meg's parents had for her or there apparent lack of enthusiasm for any of the joys of life. The truest event in the book was the accident that Meg's children caused and their subsequent attitude adjustment. As a book that will get the reader reflecting on the important things in life, this will do the trick - but more as a parable than as a book about real people.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book and was sad to see it end. The characters were real people who were easy to relate to. A great feel-good story that I will recommend to anyone and everyone!
    • 5/5
      I couldn't stop reading this book! My eyes are killing me. It was so worth it. I loved the the spoiled rich kids learned a lesson about life, and the parents learned a lesson as well, several, in fact.Great read!
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book. The family had lost everything monetary, and each other. After spending time with the Amish family and learning more about the simple things, they really found out what was important.
    • 5/5
      I thought this was a wonderful heart warming book! This book was a very quick and easy read, I did not want to put it down! It tells a wonderful story on how a modern day family that had everything and then lost everything. However, in the end they gained so much more! It really makes you think about your own life and what is really important. I will recommend this book to many others.
    • 5/5
      Absolutely heartwarming. By the time you make it to the last page you will find yourself wishing it was you staying in this Amish community. Bursting with the love and warmth of a people who truly understand the meaning of family. The true meaning of spirit shines through the pages. As the family in the story learns it is the simplicity of joy that comes with love, faith, family, friends and forgiveness that makes this life worth living.