A Patchwork Christmas

This is a collection of four short novels all centered around Christmas and quilts. That alone caught my attention. The other attention getter for me was the authors--some of my favorites.

Seams Like Love, by Judith McCoy Miller, describes the life of Karla Stuke--who had been jilted by her fiance--in the Amana Colonies during the late 1800's. She is working on her sister Antje's wedding quilt and has no time for courting, or so she thinks. Her childhood friend, Frank, returns to her village to work with the apothecary after finishing pharmacy school. Frank desires to renew his friendship with Karla with hopes of courting her. Karla doesn't believe that she is worthy of courtship after her last disastrous one. Frank has his work cut out for him to change her mind.

A Patchwork Love, by Stephanie Grace Whitson, tells the story of Jane and her daughter Molly who are traveling by train to meet a man who wants her for a mail-order bride. On the way, the train becomes stuck in a snow bank and since they are the only passengers remaining on the train, Peter Gruber and his mother offer them a place to stay until the train is able to move again. Little Molly has become ill on the train and needs Anna Gruber's healing hands to help her get better. Anna is hoping Jane can look beyond the scars on her Peter's face to see the man he is and com to love him.

In The Bridal Quilt by Nancy Moser, Ada is the daughter of social climbers and they desire for her to make a socially and financially beneficial marriage. She loves Samuel, who wants to make the lives of orphans and street children better. He feels that Ada can't accept what he wants to do, that his grandfather won't approve, so he moves to the orphanage. While running errands for her family, Ada sees Samuel and calls to him, and he looks back at her and becomes the victim of an accident. Ada brings him to her home and nurses him back to health. Now all she has to do is assure him of her love.

Oh my goodness, these books are all well written, all intriguing stories and all endearing. Definitely five stars, two thumbs up, and a patchwork quilt to keep warm while you read.