What do you think?
Rate this book
Brides of Amish Country #9
Amish Christmas Joy
One minute, Caleb Mast is an oil-rig roughneck who answers to no one but himself. The next, he's the father of a special-needs child he never knew existed. What kind of home can a man like him—without faith or community—provide for an eight-year-old girl? For little Joy's sake, Caleb returns to the Amish community he left behind years ago. His daughter bonds with Amish schoolteacher Leah Belier, and Caleb feels hopeful for once. But Leah blames Caleb for dashing long-ago dreams and can't bear to trust him. With Christmas weeks away, one special girl just may bring two hearts—and an entire community—together.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published November 19, 2013
58 people are currently reading
298 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Davids
142 books404 followersI was born and raised in Northcentral Kansas. I'm a farmer's daughter, but I now make my home in the city of Wichita. I'm an RN. Neonatal nursing has been the main focus of my career. What can I say? I love babies. I was invited to the highschool graduation of a baby I took care of. Talk about making me feel old!
In June of 2011 I became a widow after my husband of 36 years and 11 months died from multiple brain tumors. It was a very sad time, but thanks to the three f's, my faith, my family and my friends, life is moving forward. I have four brothers, one daughter and two grandchildren who all work at making me feel loved.
I'm the author of more than 30 books and I'm currently writing a series called The Brides of Amish Country for Love Inspired.
In June of 2011 I became a widow after my husband of 36 years and 11 months died from multiple brain tumors. It was a very sad time, but thanks to the three f's, my faith, my family and my friends, life is moving forward. I have four brothers, one daughter and two grandchildren who all work at making me feel loved.
I'm the author of more than 30 books and I'm currently writing a series called The Brides of Amish Country for Love Inspired.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 41 reviews
October 16, 2018
He was handsome in a rugged way that many women would find attractive. She refused to be one of them. A kind heart was more important than a handsome face.
Caleb has some serious problems.
1.) His 'perfect' brother whom his parents adore ran to him when he got into a car wreck. He had left his female passenger in the overturned car. Caleb takes full responsibility for the accident, even though he wasn't driving. He tells everyone he was driving. Everyone believes he is responsible for the accident and for the female - Rhonda's - resultant facial scarring.
2.) When Rhonda gets pregnant a few months after the accident, she tells her parents and everyone that Caleb is the father. Caleb has no idea why she is lying like this. He's never had sex with her and has no idea why she'd claim him as the father. When he flat-out denies it, everyone thinks he's the kind of man who would get an Amish female pregnant out of wedlock and then lie about it, and he's shunned from the Amish community. No one believes him - not even his parents or his brother whom he covered for.
3.) Now, after not seeing her for nine years, his Englisch ex-girlfriend Valerie shows up with her daughter and casually tells him she's Caleb's offspring.
"Joy is your daughter. I thought you should know."
He replaced the coffeepot with great care and set the mug down, amazed that he hadn't dropped either. "What?"
"I know I should have told you sooner, but she's your kid."
"I don't believe you."
She promptly goes out to 'get her cigarettes out of her car' and abandons Joy with Caleb.
At a loss for what to do, after trying to take care of Joy on his own for a few months, Caleb does the only thing he can think of: brings Joy to the Amish community he grew up in. A community that now hates him for a plethora of reasons, all lies.
Let's break this down, shall we?
THE GOOD
1.) A book with a child who has Down syndrome. I don't come across this too often. She's not a perfect angel, either. Davids shows both the wonderful moments and the trying moments of parenting.
Some moments in the book between Caleb and his daughter are pretty tear-jerking, if you are into that kind of thing.
"Mammi made me two white kapps and two black ones."
"You look very Plain in it, honey."
She scowled and stared at the ground. "I know I'm not pretty like other girls."
His heart twisted with pain. She'd never been made to feel good about herself. He crouched in front of Joy and smoothed the creases from her white apron. "Looking Plain means you look very Amish. The blue color of your dress makes your eyes as bright as the sky."
"I'm still ugly."
He lifted Joy's chin with his finger. "Never think that. God made you pretty in a very special way. He made you pretty from the inside out, not just on the outside like some girls."
She looked up with uncertainty in her eyes. "He did?"
"Yes, He did. Do you know what I see when I look at you? I see the prettiest girl in the whole world wearing a brand-new dress made by a grandmother who loves her."
SIDE NOTE: What is this 'not just on the outside like some girls' shit?! I just want to say for the record that I am against teaching girls to hate other girls. And I am completely against this idea that 'ugly' girls should feel better about themselves because they have more 'substance' than 'pretty' girls. That's so fucked up, and I don't think you should be teaching your daughter girl-on-girl hatred, especially at age 8.
ANYWAY. What was I saying? Oh, yeah, daughter with Down syndrome subplot that is designed to rip your heart out. But Davids does not make Joy overly cutesy, happy, or angelic. She definitely has her brat moments. Which is also refreshing.
Davids uses this book as an opportunity to point out that while in Englisch society children with Down syndrome can be considered a burden, the Amish think children with Down syndrome are a gift from God, a very special gift sent with reason and purpose. This is played up throughout the novel.
2.) Another good thing, which I guess I could include either here or in the How's the sex, Carmen? section is that Davids allows her characters to be sexually attracted to each other. And she's not pulling any punches here, either.
Leah realized he was studying her, too. Watching her with hard, piercing gray eyes that gave away little of what he was thinking. A shiver of awareness raced through her and brought a rush of heat to her face.
The fact that he's a hard, muscled laborer seems to be very enticing to Leah. And Caleb notices her looks, too.
She certainly wasn't a skinny kid anymore. Even under her long coat, he could tell she had filled out in all the right places.
Even though I hate that phrase ('filled out in all the right places'), I can see that Leah and Caleb want to... um. Explore each other's naked bodies. *cough cough*
Caleb's low, husky voice caused Leah's breath to catch in her throat. Her nearness sent her pulse racing. Thick tension filled the air. His eyes held an emotion she didn't understand, but it pulled at her, making her want to move closer to him.
She had an overwhelming desire to lay her hand upon his cheek and study him until the riddle was solved. What would his skin feel like? She could imagine the rough texture of his whiskers, the heat that would warm her palm and spread through her body.
His lips were slightly parted as he gazed at her. When he kissed, would they be soft and inviting or hard and demanding? If she moved a step closer, would she discover the answer?
The boldness of her thoughts shocked her.
This is about as steamy as it gets in Christian romance, folks. I'm actually surprised Davids took it to this level of heat. And impressed. Good on ya, Davids!
Even through the thick material of the coat, she could feel the firmness of his muscles. She could tell he was used to hard physical work. Slowly, she brushed down each arm. ... Without thinking she slid her fingers up the nape of his neck. His hair was short but thick. It felt like soft fur beneath her fingers.
Nom! Another good thing is that even though Leah is Amish and therefore completely silent about any attraction she has been feeling, Caleb is ex-Amish and after being in the Englisch world for 9 years and fathering a child out of wedlock and probably having a few sexual relationships and so is not afraid to come on to Leah a little bit. Really gently, but still. He doesn't keep his mouth shut.
Softly he said, "I didn't mention how nice you look tonight."
Color bloomed in her cheeks. She smoothed the front of her dark green dress with its matching apron. "This is only one of my school dresses. It's not new. In fact, it's a little stained and worn."
"Actually, I hadn't noticed your dress."
Her eyes flashed up and locked with his. He didn't flinch from her gaze. He wanted her to know that he saw her, and he liked what he saw.
Yay! Usually these Amish romances feature two Amish people falling in love and both of them are too shy / concerned with obedience to verbally talk about being attracted to each other in any way, much less do anything physical.
Davids actually allows some kissing in this novel, including a page-long kiss near the end that involves cute and gentle teasing and some sweet kissing. I mean, I would hesitate to describe it as 'hot' but it is certainly romantic and cute and sweet.
Three sweet kisses. :)
HERO AND HEROINE
Caleb is the type of man who allows his brother to put the blame on him for a near-fatal accident. And never tells anyone he wasn't the driver. Is this good or bad? I don't know. Caleb's brother is a piece of shit for letting it go on so long and getting so out of hand. I can understand running to your brother in a panic and concocting this cover-up, but I can't understand letting your parents and your whole community think he's guilty for a decade.
And the fact that Caleb never comes to his own defense mildly annoys me. I know I'm supposed to admire him, but...
That aside, what kind of man is Caleb? Well. I don't really know. His good side really shines through with his daughter. I can't BELIEVE he'd go back home - where everyone thinks he is a drunk driver AND someone who fathered a baby out of wedlock and abandoned it - willingly. But he does, for the sake of his child. He knows Joy will get her best life with the Amish and it's amazing to me that he's willing to deal with these jerkfaces in order to help her. It has to be excruciating knowing that your brother, mom and dad - not to mention the whole town - think you are a male who would impregnate a female and then abandon both her AND your baby... not to mention a drunk driver who scarred a woman and left her on the roadside as well. Not to mention having to see/deal with your brother every day... a brother who not only let you take the fall for the accident HE was responsible for but also refuses to believe you when you say you never impregnated Rhonda.
I don't really know how Caleb is coping with all of this stress. I don't really think it is possible, I think he'd break. No matter how much he loves Joy or how intrigued he is by pretty Leah. Davids really doesn't give me an idea, and he must be living in excruciating pain.
As for Leah, I think Davids could have worked to make her story a bit more powerful. She wants us to feel pain because Leah is a schoolteacher but has no children of her own.
She was forever comforting, caring for and teaching children who belonged to others. Her profession was a labor of love, a sacred duty, but it wasn't like having children of her own. The unfairness of it cut deep. She longed to hold her own babe. She didn't understand why God had chosen this path for her. She could only travel it as best she could and trust in His mercy.
Unfortunately, Davids doesn't really hammer this plot home. Ideally, this would be shattering and tear-jerking. But (because of page limits?) Davids is unable to give this subplot the care and attention it deserves.
He trusted her to look after Joy. The thought filled her with warmth. She watched him walk away with long, sure strides.
And why shouldn't he trust her? Looking after children was what she did. Other people's children - never her own. Because of him.
She accepted it as God's will, but sometimes she wondered why she was the one left without love in her life. She loved her students and they loved her, but it wasn't the same. That love couldn't hold her with tender arms or kiss away her fears in the darkness. She longed for the things marriage would bring - companionship, shared laughter, a sense of belonging to something important. But it wasn't to be.
Great. I mean, this is a good subplot! But it's going to take more (a lot more) than these two brief passages to make me ache for Leah. I should be weeping tears of joy when she and Caleb get together, and I just wasn't. Again, I think this was less Davids's fault and more of the restraints of Harlequin's specific length requirements.
PROBLEM
One problem I had with the book was Caleb and Leah's showdown at the end. You knew it was coming. How could Caleb be with a woman who thinks he is scum? Ever since returning to the Amish community, everyone has been urging him to claim Rhonda's son as his own. But he won't.
Let's think about this. When you really think about this it becomes very hard to believe that Leah would fall in love with him - no matter how rugged he is, no matter how well he treats Joy. She really believes he a.) drunk drove her sister and left her scarred and injured, and b.) impregnated her sister and then wasn't man enough to admit he had done it, someone who would abandon a woman and a child of his own blood. It's hard for me to believe Leah would fall in love with a man she truly thought was capable of such behavior. And I don't just mean as a youth! For as an adult, for he has returned now and still won't claim 'his' son. From what I know about Leah, this is not easy for me to believe.
And from Caleb's perspective, things are just as bad. Here's yet another person who claims to love him but won't believe him, even though he's telling the truth. I know it's hard - Rhonda is her sister. But I was kind of disappointed that Leah couldn't bring herself to believe him. He's right to confront her and call her on it before they make a commitment.
I mean, everything gets sorted out... this is a romance and has a happy ending. But secretly I had been hoping while reading the book that she would be the one person to see he is telling the truth.
How's the sex, Carmen?
Please see section THE GOOD: PART II.
Tl;dr - Hero is the father of a child with Down syndrome. Davids aids her case by making Joy three-dimensional and not just a prop. I don't feel like Leah's individual storyline (as a woman who is sad that she has no children of her own) was really given the attention it deserved here, but that is probably Harlequin's fault and not Davids's. There's actually sexual tension in this book, which is a rarity in Christian romance fiction.
CATEGORIES:
Amish Romance
Contemporary Romance
Holiday/Christmas Romance
Inspirational Romance
Secret Baby Romance
Virgin Heroine
Caleb has some serious problems.
1.) His 'perfect' brother whom his parents adore ran to him when he got into a car wreck. He had left his female passenger in the overturned car. Caleb takes full responsibility for the accident, even though he wasn't driving. He tells everyone he was driving. Everyone believes he is responsible for the accident and for the female - Rhonda's - resultant facial scarring.
2.) When Rhonda gets pregnant a few months after the accident, she tells her parents and everyone that Caleb is the father. Caleb has no idea why she is lying like this. He's never had sex with her and has no idea why she'd claim him as the father. When he flat-out denies it, everyone thinks he's the kind of man who would get an Amish female pregnant out of wedlock and then lie about it, and he's shunned from the Amish community. No one believes him - not even his parents or his brother whom he covered for.
3.) Now, after not seeing her for nine years, his Englisch ex-girlfriend Valerie shows up with her daughter and casually tells him she's Caleb's offspring.
"Joy is your daughter. I thought you should know."
He replaced the coffeepot with great care and set the mug down, amazed that he hadn't dropped either. "What?"
"I know I should have told you sooner, but she's your kid."
"I don't believe you."
She promptly goes out to 'get her cigarettes out of her car' and abandons Joy with Caleb.
At a loss for what to do, after trying to take care of Joy on his own for a few months, Caleb does the only thing he can think of: brings Joy to the Amish community he grew up in. A community that now hates him for a plethora of reasons, all lies.
Let's break this down, shall we?
THE GOOD
1.) A book with a child who has Down syndrome. I don't come across this too often. She's not a perfect angel, either. Davids shows both the wonderful moments and the trying moments of parenting.
Some moments in the book between Caleb and his daughter are pretty tear-jerking, if you are into that kind of thing.
"Mammi made me two white kapps and two black ones."
"You look very Plain in it, honey."
She scowled and stared at the ground. "I know I'm not pretty like other girls."
His heart twisted with pain. She'd never been made to feel good about herself. He crouched in front of Joy and smoothed the creases from her white apron. "Looking Plain means you look very Amish. The blue color of your dress makes your eyes as bright as the sky."
"I'm still ugly."
He lifted Joy's chin with his finger. "Never think that. God made you pretty in a very special way. He made you pretty from the inside out, not just on the outside like some girls."
She looked up with uncertainty in her eyes. "He did?"
"Yes, He did. Do you know what I see when I look at you? I see the prettiest girl in the whole world wearing a brand-new dress made by a grandmother who loves her."
SIDE NOTE: What is this 'not just on the outside like some girls' shit?! I just want to say for the record that I am against teaching girls to hate other girls. And I am completely against this idea that 'ugly' girls should feel better about themselves because they have more 'substance' than 'pretty' girls. That's so fucked up, and I don't think you should be teaching your daughter girl-on-girl hatred, especially at age 8.
ANYWAY. What was I saying? Oh, yeah, daughter with Down syndrome subplot that is designed to rip your heart out. But Davids does not make Joy overly cutesy, happy, or angelic. She definitely has her brat moments. Which is also refreshing.
Davids uses this book as an opportunity to point out that while in Englisch society children with Down syndrome can be considered a burden, the Amish think children with Down syndrome are a gift from God, a very special gift sent with reason and purpose. This is played up throughout the novel.
2.) Another good thing, which I guess I could include either here or in the How's the sex, Carmen? section is that Davids allows her characters to be sexually attracted to each other. And she's not pulling any punches here, either.
Leah realized he was studying her, too. Watching her with hard, piercing gray eyes that gave away little of what he was thinking. A shiver of awareness raced through her and brought a rush of heat to her face.
The fact that he's a hard, muscled laborer seems to be very enticing to Leah. And Caleb notices her looks, too.
She certainly wasn't a skinny kid anymore. Even under her long coat, he could tell she had filled out in all the right places.
Even though I hate that phrase ('filled out in all the right places'), I can see that Leah and Caleb want to... um. Explore each other's naked bodies. *cough cough*
Caleb's low, husky voice caused Leah's breath to catch in her throat. Her nearness sent her pulse racing. Thick tension filled the air. His eyes held an emotion she didn't understand, but it pulled at her, making her want to move closer to him.
She had an overwhelming desire to lay her hand upon his cheek and study him until the riddle was solved. What would his skin feel like? She could imagine the rough texture of his whiskers, the heat that would warm her palm and spread through her body.
His lips were slightly parted as he gazed at her. When he kissed, would they be soft and inviting or hard and demanding? If she moved a step closer, would she discover the answer?
The boldness of her thoughts shocked her.
This is about as steamy as it gets in Christian romance, folks. I'm actually surprised Davids took it to this level of heat. And impressed. Good on ya, Davids!
Even through the thick material of the coat, she could feel the firmness of his muscles. She could tell he was used to hard physical work. Slowly, she brushed down each arm. ... Without thinking she slid her fingers up the nape of his neck. His hair was short but thick. It felt like soft fur beneath her fingers.
Nom! Another good thing is that even though Leah is Amish and therefore completely silent about any attraction she has been feeling, Caleb is ex-Amish and after being in the Englisch world for 9 years and fathering a child out of wedlock and probably having a few sexual relationships and so is not afraid to come on to Leah a little bit. Really gently, but still. He doesn't keep his mouth shut.
Softly he said, "I didn't mention how nice you look tonight."
Color bloomed in her cheeks. She smoothed the front of her dark green dress with its matching apron. "This is only one of my school dresses. It's not new. In fact, it's a little stained and worn."
"Actually, I hadn't noticed your dress."
Her eyes flashed up and locked with his. He didn't flinch from her gaze. He wanted her to know that he saw her, and he liked what he saw.
Yay! Usually these Amish romances feature two Amish people falling in love and both of them are too shy / concerned with obedience to verbally talk about being attracted to each other in any way, much less do anything physical.
Davids actually allows some kissing in this novel, including a page-long kiss near the end that involves cute and gentle teasing and some sweet kissing. I mean, I would hesitate to describe it as 'hot' but it is certainly romantic and cute and sweet.
Three sweet kisses. :)
HERO AND HEROINE
Caleb is the type of man who allows his brother to put the blame on him for a near-fatal accident. And never tells anyone he wasn't the driver. Is this good or bad? I don't know. Caleb's brother is a piece of shit for letting it go on so long and getting so out of hand. I can understand running to your brother in a panic and concocting this cover-up, but I can't understand letting your parents and your whole community think he's guilty for a decade.
And the fact that Caleb never comes to his own defense mildly annoys me. I know I'm supposed to admire him, but...
That aside, what kind of man is Caleb? Well. I don't really know. His good side really shines through with his daughter. I can't BELIEVE he'd go back home - where everyone thinks he is a drunk driver AND someone who fathered a baby out of wedlock and abandoned it - willingly. But he does, for the sake of his child. He knows Joy will get her best life with the Amish and it's amazing to me that he's willing to deal with these jerkfaces in order to help her. It has to be excruciating knowing that your brother, mom and dad - not to mention the whole town - think you are a male who would impregnate a female and then abandon both her AND your baby... not to mention a drunk driver who scarred a woman and left her on the roadside as well. Not to mention having to see/deal with your brother every day... a brother who not only let you take the fall for the accident HE was responsible for but also refuses to believe you when you say you never impregnated Rhonda.
I don't really know how Caleb is coping with all of this stress. I don't really think it is possible, I think he'd break. No matter how much he loves Joy or how intrigued he is by pretty Leah. Davids really doesn't give me an idea, and he must be living in excruciating pain.
As for Leah, I think Davids could have worked to make her story a bit more powerful. She wants us to feel pain because Leah is a schoolteacher but has no children of her own.
She was forever comforting, caring for and teaching children who belonged to others. Her profession was a labor of love, a sacred duty, but it wasn't like having children of her own. The unfairness of it cut deep. She longed to hold her own babe. She didn't understand why God had chosen this path for her. She could only travel it as best she could and trust in His mercy.
Unfortunately, Davids doesn't really hammer this plot home. Ideally, this would be shattering and tear-jerking. But (because of page limits?) Davids is unable to give this subplot the care and attention it deserves.
He trusted her to look after Joy. The thought filled her with warmth. She watched him walk away with long, sure strides.
And why shouldn't he trust her? Looking after children was what she did. Other people's children - never her own. Because of him.
She accepted it as God's will, but sometimes she wondered why she was the one left without love in her life. She loved her students and they loved her, but it wasn't the same. That love couldn't hold her with tender arms or kiss away her fears in the darkness. She longed for the things marriage would bring - companionship, shared laughter, a sense of belonging to something important. But it wasn't to be.
Great. I mean, this is a good subplot! But it's going to take more (a lot more) than these two brief passages to make me ache for Leah. I should be weeping tears of joy when she and Caleb get together, and I just wasn't. Again, I think this was less Davids's fault and more of the restraints of Harlequin's specific length requirements.
PROBLEM
One problem I had with the book was Caleb and Leah's showdown at the end. You knew it was coming. How could Caleb be with a woman who thinks he is scum? Ever since returning to the Amish community, everyone has been urging him to claim Rhonda's son as his own. But he won't.
Let's think about this. When you really think about this it becomes very hard to believe that Leah would fall in love with him - no matter how rugged he is, no matter how well he treats Joy. She really believes he a.) drunk drove her sister and left her scarred and injured, and b.) impregnated her sister and then wasn't man enough to admit he had done it, someone who would abandon a woman and a child of his own blood. It's hard for me to believe Leah would fall in love with a man she truly thought was capable of such behavior. And I don't just mean as a youth! For as an adult, for he has returned now and still won't claim 'his' son. From what I know about Leah, this is not easy for me to believe.
And from Caleb's perspective, things are just as bad. Here's yet another person who claims to love him but won't believe him, even though he's telling the truth. I know it's hard - Rhonda is her sister. But I was kind of disappointed that Leah couldn't bring herself to believe him. He's right to confront her and call her on it before they make a commitment.
I mean, everything gets sorted out... this is a romance and has a happy ending. But secretly I had been hoping while reading the book that she would be the one person to see he is telling the truth.
How's the sex, Carmen?
Please see section THE GOOD: PART II.
Tl;dr - Hero is the father of a child with Down syndrome. Davids aids her case by making Joy three-dimensional and not just a prop. I don't feel like Leah's individual storyline (as a woman who is sad that she has no children of her own) was really given the attention it deserved here, but that is probably Harlequin's fault and not Davids's. There's actually sexual tension in this book, which is a rarity in Christian romance fiction.
CATEGORIES:
Amish Romance
Contemporary Romance
Holiday/Christmas Romance
Inspirational Romance
Secret Baby Romance
Virgin Heroine
January 8, 2017
Caleb Mast left the Amish years ago because of some problems that arose. He works on an oil-rig, it's a rough job but it pays the bills. A knock on his door one day brings an ex-girlfriend to his door with a child. The child's name is Joy and it is his daughter. She has Downs Syndrome. The Amish consider special needs children a true blessing. After bringing his daughter to him she disappears again.
He brings his daughter to his parents because he considers it the best life for her being raised Amish. He plans to stick around just long enough to see her settled in her new life. The community is not happy to see him back considering how he left years ago. Amish school teacher, Leah and his daughter bond and he develops feels for her as well. Will a romance ensue? Will he stay in the Amish community? I enjoyed this book a lot and really enjoyed reading about special need child, Joy :)
He brings his daughter to his parents because he considers it the best life for her being raised Amish. He plans to stick around just long enough to see her settled in her new life. The community is not happy to see him back considering how he left years ago. Amish school teacher, Leah and his daughter bond and he develops feels for her as well. Will a romance ensue? Will he stay in the Amish community? I enjoyed this book a lot and really enjoyed reading about special need child, Joy :)
November 16, 2013
Having this book dedicated to special needs parents everywhere drew me to this book. I have a special needs son (22q Deletion Syndrome) so I had to read it. Great story. Would recommend to anyone!
November 15, 2013
I really liked Amish Christmas Joy by Patricia Davids. One of the Brides Of Amish Country series. Caleb leaves the Amish after everyone blames him for an accident that scared a woman's face. Then that woman claims Caleb is the father of her baby. Both claims are not true. Nine years later a another woman drops off an 8 year old girl claiming it's his child. Joy has down syndrome. The mom leaves. Caleb tries to raise Joy by himself, but Joy is a handful. Caleb figures his parents are the only one who can help him. Leah is a school teacher. She helps Joy in many different ways. A big thing between Caleb and Leah is a trust issue. Leah has a hard time trusting Caleb. Romance does happen in the end. A very good story.
November 29, 2014
I really liked this story, I just found it lacking in some areas. I don't know a lot about Down Syndrome, but I don't think kids who have it are that hard to raise, Joy is made to be more of a brat than anything. I know they are not happy all the time, but its not impossible for them to understand when someone says no and running away is not common either...
I also wasn't 100% satisfied with the closure at the end, Caleb deserved more for all he had suffered because of lies, he didn't so much as get a "I'm sorry" from either of the two people who made it impossible for him to remain with the Amish years ago.
I really loved the character of Leah, if I had had a teacher like her, bullying would not have been a problem.
I also wasn't 100% satisfied with the closure at the end, Caleb deserved more for all he had suffered because of lies, he didn't so much as get a "I'm sorry" from either of the two people who made it impossible for him to remain with the Amish years ago.
I really loved the character of Leah, if I had had a teacher like her, bullying would not have been a problem.
December 17, 2013
This book is so goot (good)!!! Patricia, you did a wunderbaar (wonderful)job on telling Caleb and Leah's story. I especially liked it when his little girl, Joy, said she had "Up-sindome" instead of "Down-Syndrome"....What a joy to read this inspiring book about special needs children. Patiently waiting for your next book in the "Brides of Amish Country" series. May God continue His Blessings on you, Patricia and THANK YOU for sharing your God-given talent of writing great inspirational stories with us. Frehlicher Grischtdaag, (Merry Christmas)to you,Patricia and your family.
This is a "must read" ...guaranteed to melt your heart!
This is a "must read" ...guaranteed to melt your heart!
July 18, 2016
I read this in 4 days! And it would have been 1 if I didn't have to be an adult and work. I really enjoyed this one! I don't know what it is about the Christians and Amish books but we seem to love them.
December 1, 2022
Oh, Patricia, what did you *DO*!!!?!?!!??
First, let's start with the cover. See that enormously huge CHRISTMAS TREE covered in tinsel and ELECTRIC LIGHTS?!?!?! That's forbidden, remember? Amish don't allow X-mess trees.
Then there's the child with her hair all neatly tucked in a bonnet. Joy's hair is too short to tuck into a bonnet, and wisps around her face THE ENTIRE BOOK. Oh, and the girl on the cover? SHE DOESN'T HAVE DOWN SYNDROME.
I can't believe you let that hit the shelves.
And that's not even hitting the story.
In this one, Caleb is a roughneck oil-rigger in Texas who's never around. Just came off a four week stint at sea... so HOW exactly does his ex-girlfriend from NINE YEARS AGO know when to show up, there? She doesn't complain about having to wait for him, so we're left to believe the timing just happens to be right?
She's bone thin, haggard from drugs and alcohol, been living in who-knows-what mud puddle, and shows up to shove an eight-year old kid at him and tells him it's his. Thing is, he DOESN'T DENY IT OR DEMAND A PATERNITY TEST, shoving her out the door? Hello, it could be *ANYBODY'S* kid, but he doesn't even contest it? She LEFT him and stole all his money - you would take her word, seriously?!?!!
Then she 'steps outside for a cigarette' - and like he didn't see this coming - takes off. He waits THREE HOURS before deciding she isn't coming back. ?!?!? He should be taking the child to the cops and telling them she's apparently an abandoned child. If he wanted to seek paternity tests at that point, it would've been fine, but... ?!?!?!?! Where did he check his brain?
Instead, he takes 'Joy' (an only child, spoiled brat, I-don't-care-WHAT-syndrome-she-has, unloved, uneducated eight year old) to Pennsylvania. Because HE doesn't want her, either - he's going to dump her at his parent's house. So he basically tucks her under his arm and lugs her to Amish Country to dump at the home of people he crapped all over. Who also crapped all over him. Because *LUVVVV*... inspired!
They get to AmishWorld, and 'Joy' that she is, she gets out of the car while he's in a store and runs off screaming for her mommy... then pitches a tantrum, kicking and screaming on the pavement. And it's here we meet Leah, the Amish woman who takes one look at her and says, "What a sweet, darling child!"
Say WHAT?!?!?!
"I've seen a temper tantrum or two in my time," Leah assures him. WHERE? She has no children of her own, and while she's a TEACHER, if the Amish kids are acting like that in school...???? What the farts?!?!?! I thought they were raised to sit through THREE HOUR services with no problem. This whole thing stinks of BS. But Leah is charmed by Joy's antics, apparently.
Meanwhile, there's the underlying history plot that has to be addressed. Caleb had a car (frowned on, but during rumspringa not unheard of, but Davids weirdly treats it as a 'sin' in this book, even though young boys drive, have cellphones, play video games, etc. all the time) as a teenager. He took his (also teenaged/rumspringa) brother to a party (GASP!), then gave him the keys (HORROR!) and dared him to try driving (UNHEARD OF! Wait, actually, not.)
Naturally, the brother hits a buggy and disfigures the face of a girl in their district in the accident. Caleb took the fall for the incident so his perfect brother could remain 'perfect', since he was the 'hellion' brother, anyhow.
Then the girl that got disfigured claims Caleb knocked her up. Now THAT he wouldn't take the blame for, but everyone took her word over his because 'poor maimed girl' vs. hellion's word... amIright? That's why he took off, angry, and didn't come back for a decade. BTW, the girl is Leah's sister, now married to Caleb's brother. And everyone HATES Caleb. Wayne, because of guilt/secrets, Sister, because of lies/secrets/self-loathing, and Leah, because hurt sister.
Except NONE OF THIS is Amish behavior. They immediately forgive all - or so the true story goes. Yet here we have NONE of that. Wayne can't stand Caleb, is hating him to his face in front of everyone, spitting vitriol. Sister won't even look at him, refuses to let her son near him. That... doesn't sound like forgiveness to me. Yet these are the *upstanding* Amish that are backed by the congregation, and not Caleb, who's there facing everyone, seeking truth/honesty/forgiveness.
NO. JUST. N.O. That's NOT how the Amish work.
It gets WORSE. Joy jumps out of a moving buggy because temper tantrum. ((Which begs the question 'how did she get to PA from TX without jumping out of a moving car???')) She wouldn't DO that - it's not in the character of a child NOT to be afraid of something like that. And yeah, she has Downs, but she's 'polite, chrischun' Downs, because she has no learning disabilities (they're all blamed on Englisch Granny not teaching her to read or write - and she learns the ENTIRE alphabet in two weeks in the book, so... no mental stunting, here), she knows she looks different/has Downs, and she doesn't follow patterns or rely on people to help her - she just takes off pell-mell at the store, from the school, from her grandparents. That's NOT Downs behavior. Downs pretty much ensures mental delays, but we don't see that, here. It's all wrong.
Then comes the REALLY fun part. The X-mess pageant at the school. Amish don't believe in Santa or Frosty or trees with presents... so the *ONLY* story they would perform is the X-mess Pageant. ((And I say X-mess, because it's NOT Biblical in any way, shape or form, and it's fellowshipping darkness mixed with light, as all chrischuns do.)) Anyhow, the Amish only perform once a year, because only once a year is 'hochmut' allowed (Hochmut = pride/showcasing).
This book takes it six notches higher, because Joy showed up at the beginning of December, and there wasn't time to add her to the pageant they already cast, so the kids wrote an 'extra' play so she could be in it. And what is that play? (((wait for it...))) THE X-Mess Pageant!! A-gain!!!
Because imagination, right, Davids? Only let's call it the JOY pageant!
Because THIS time, "Behold, I bring you tidings of great Joy" becomes, "Hey, everybody! I'm JOY!! That's MY name!!" Seriously? I'm the GREAT JOY? Can you say 'hochmut on steroids'?! They wouldn't be smiling and encouraging that, I'm sorry. Amish are against self-elevation, and Joy is *ALL* about that. And indulged, which is utterly distasteful.
Worse, she and her dad have only been in town a few weeks, Leah *just* fell for him, they aren't Amish, Caleb's still an outsider and unbaptised, and they haven't even talked to the elders about anything, and JOY is up there, telling the ENTIRE community that "my daddy is gonna marry the teacher and I'm gonna have a new mommy!"
Um, your daddy hasn't completed *anything*, hasn't spoken to *anyone*, and this would NOT be an announcement anyone would accept, especially considering the gossip that her daddy is a man-ho who knocked up one of their innocents and then fled for nine years, during which time he knocked up ANOTHER woman and had *YOU*. Maybe - we don't even know THAT. He's been to ONE service, still has a job and a place elsewhere...
How. About. NO!
I'm utterly NOT impressed. This was garbage.
And hugely disappointing.
First, let's start with the cover. See that enormously huge CHRISTMAS TREE covered in tinsel and ELECTRIC LIGHTS?!?!?! That's forbidden, remember? Amish don't allow X-mess trees.
Then there's the child with her hair all neatly tucked in a bonnet. Joy's hair is too short to tuck into a bonnet, and wisps around her face THE ENTIRE BOOK. Oh, and the girl on the cover? SHE DOESN'T HAVE DOWN SYNDROME.
I can't believe you let that hit the shelves.
And that's not even hitting the story.
In this one, Caleb is a roughneck oil-rigger in Texas who's never around. Just came off a four week stint at sea... so HOW exactly does his ex-girlfriend from NINE YEARS AGO know when to show up, there? She doesn't complain about having to wait for him, so we're left to believe the timing just happens to be right?
She's bone thin, haggard from drugs and alcohol, been living in who-knows-what mud puddle, and shows up to shove an eight-year old kid at him and tells him it's his. Thing is, he DOESN'T DENY IT OR DEMAND A PATERNITY TEST, shoving her out the door? Hello, it could be *ANYBODY'S* kid, but he doesn't even contest it? She LEFT him and stole all his money - you would take her word, seriously?!?!!
Then she 'steps outside for a cigarette' - and like he didn't see this coming - takes off. He waits THREE HOURS before deciding she isn't coming back. ?!?!? He should be taking the child to the cops and telling them she's apparently an abandoned child. If he wanted to seek paternity tests at that point, it would've been fine, but... ?!?!?!?! Where did he check his brain?
Instead, he takes 'Joy' (an only child, spoiled brat, I-don't-care-WHAT-syndrome-she-has, unloved, uneducated eight year old) to Pennsylvania. Because HE doesn't want her, either - he's going to dump her at his parent's house. So he basically tucks her under his arm and lugs her to Amish Country to dump at the home of people he crapped all over. Who also crapped all over him. Because *LUVVVV*... inspired!
They get to AmishWorld, and 'Joy' that she is, she gets out of the car while he's in a store and runs off screaming for her mommy... then pitches a tantrum, kicking and screaming on the pavement. And it's here we meet Leah, the Amish woman who takes one look at her and says, "What a sweet, darling child!"
Say WHAT?!?!?!
"I've seen a temper tantrum or two in my time," Leah assures him. WHERE? She has no children of her own, and while she's a TEACHER, if the Amish kids are acting like that in school...???? What the farts?!?!?! I thought they were raised to sit through THREE HOUR services with no problem. This whole thing stinks of BS. But Leah is charmed by Joy's antics, apparently.
Meanwhile, there's the underlying history plot that has to be addressed. Caleb had a car (frowned on, but during rumspringa not unheard of, but Davids weirdly treats it as a 'sin' in this book, even though young boys drive, have cellphones, play video games, etc. all the time) as a teenager. He took his (also teenaged/rumspringa) brother to a party (GASP!), then gave him the keys (HORROR!) and dared him to try driving (UNHEARD OF! Wait, actually, not.)
Naturally, the brother hits a buggy and disfigures the face of a girl in their district in the accident. Caleb took the fall for the incident so his perfect brother could remain 'perfect', since he was the 'hellion' brother, anyhow.
Then the girl that got disfigured claims Caleb knocked her up. Now THAT he wouldn't take the blame for, but everyone took her word over his because 'poor maimed girl' vs. hellion's word... amIright? That's why he took off, angry, and didn't come back for a decade. BTW, the girl is Leah's sister, now married to Caleb's brother. And everyone HATES Caleb. Wayne, because of guilt/secrets, Sister, because of lies/secrets/self-loathing, and Leah, because hurt sister.
Except NONE OF THIS is Amish behavior. They immediately forgive all - or so the true story goes. Yet here we have NONE of that. Wayne can't stand Caleb, is hating him to his face in front of everyone, spitting vitriol. Sister won't even look at him, refuses to let her son near him. That... doesn't sound like forgiveness to me. Yet these are the *upstanding* Amish that are backed by the congregation, and not Caleb, who's there facing everyone, seeking truth/honesty/forgiveness.
NO. JUST. N.O. That's NOT how the Amish work.
It gets WORSE. Joy jumps out of a moving buggy because temper tantrum. ((Which begs the question 'how did she get to PA from TX without jumping out of a moving car???')) She wouldn't DO that - it's not in the character of a child NOT to be afraid of something like that. And yeah, she has Downs, but she's 'polite, chrischun' Downs, because she has no learning disabilities (they're all blamed on Englisch Granny not teaching her to read or write - and she learns the ENTIRE alphabet in two weeks in the book, so... no mental stunting, here), she knows she looks different/has Downs, and she doesn't follow patterns or rely on people to help her - she just takes off pell-mell at the store, from the school, from her grandparents. That's NOT Downs behavior. Downs pretty much ensures mental delays, but we don't see that, here. It's all wrong.
Then comes the REALLY fun part. The X-mess pageant at the school. Amish don't believe in Santa or Frosty or trees with presents... so the *ONLY* story they would perform is the X-mess Pageant. ((And I say X-mess, because it's NOT Biblical in any way, shape or form, and it's fellowshipping darkness mixed with light, as all chrischuns do.)) Anyhow, the Amish only perform once a year, because only once a year is 'hochmut' allowed (Hochmut = pride/showcasing).
This book takes it six notches higher, because Joy showed up at the beginning of December, and there wasn't time to add her to the pageant they already cast, so the kids wrote an 'extra' play so she could be in it. And what is that play? (((wait for it...))) THE X-Mess Pageant!! A-gain!!!
Because imagination, right, Davids? Only let's call it the JOY pageant!
Because THIS time, "Behold, I bring you tidings of great Joy" becomes, "Hey, everybody! I'm JOY!! That's MY name!!" Seriously? I'm the GREAT JOY? Can you say 'hochmut on steroids'?! They wouldn't be smiling and encouraging that, I'm sorry. Amish are against self-elevation, and Joy is *ALL* about that. And indulged, which is utterly distasteful.
Worse, she and her dad have only been in town a few weeks, Leah *just* fell for him, they aren't Amish, Caleb's still an outsider and unbaptised, and they haven't even talked to the elders about anything, and JOY is up there, telling the ENTIRE community that "my daddy is gonna marry the teacher and I'm gonna have a new mommy!"
Um, your daddy hasn't completed *anything*, hasn't spoken to *anyone*, and this would NOT be an announcement anyone would accept, especially considering the gossip that her daddy is a man-ho who knocked up one of their innocents and then fled for nine years, during which time he knocked up ANOTHER woman and had *YOU*. Maybe - we don't even know THAT. He's been to ONE service, still has a job and a place elsewhere...
How. About. NO!
I'm utterly NOT impressed. This was garbage.
And hugely disappointing.
December 24, 2013
The Amish are known for being Plain . . . for making sure that everything is equal (so as to avoid pride), and that everyone is treated the same. In all my reading about them, I've only ever come across one real inconsistency with this notion (if it even can be termed as such!): all children are deemed as blessings from God; however, children with special needs are seen as an extra special blessing. What a beautiful way to live!
Joy is one of those special children, and plays an integral role in this story (in fact, she is the titular character). Her father, an ex-Amishman, has no idea that he has a daughter, let alone one with special needs. As he comes to terms with his fatherhood, he feels drawn to have Joy grow up in the Amish community he left, and her presence becomes the best Christmas present the community of Hope Springs will get that year, bringing with her peace and healing for those she loves most.
Joy is one of those special children, and plays an integral role in this story (in fact, she is the titular character). Her father, an ex-Amishman, has no idea that he has a daughter, let alone one with special needs. As he comes to terms with his fatherhood, he feels drawn to have Joy grow up in the Amish community he left, and her presence becomes the best Christmas present the community of Hope Springs will get that year, bringing with her peace and healing for those she loves most.
May 14, 2016
Sweet story of a young man who left the Amish life and his girlfriend behind when falsely accused of fathering her expected child. He runs with an English girl who later disappears with the money he has earned to start a home. Fast forward -- she returns with a special needs child and tells him he's the father. She steps out for a cigarette and fails to return. Now what? He can't work and take care of the little girl. But she would be safe at his parents' home.
See how the girl adjusts to family structure, school and a new language. See how the dad is forced to look at himself, the facts that caused his leaving, his brother and sister-in-law, the challenges and joys of his daughter and the choices he has to make.
See how the girl adjusts to family structure, school and a new language. See how the dad is forced to look at himself, the facts that caused his leaving, his brother and sister-in-law, the challenges and joys of his daughter and the choices he has to make.
March 2, 2015
It's hard not to fall in love with the character of Joy. She truly lives up to her name.
However, the character of Caleb and the web of lies he is caught in feels a bit contrived. All confessions are made with only a minimum of words and effort. In any romance novel you need an obstacle to get in the way of true love, but this is quite a large and unrealistic obstacle. To have it resolved so quickly and quietly is a bit of a let-down. It would have been very interesting to see how the characters worked through these issues.
All in all it is fine as a train or beach book, but there are better books in the series.
However, the character of Caleb and the web of lies he is caught in feels a bit contrived. All confessions are made with only a minimum of words and effort. In any romance novel you need an obstacle to get in the way of true love, but this is quite a large and unrealistic obstacle. To have it resolved so quickly and quietly is a bit of a let-down. It would have been very interesting to see how the characters worked through these issues.
All in all it is fine as a train or beach book, but there are better books in the series.
December 13, 2016
just what I needed this holiday season
November 28, 2013
For this type of novel, very good. In these novels, the outcome is known, so the "goodness" in reading them depends on the grace and beauty of the story. This had both, and, as set in an Amish situation, their discussions of faith did not seem artificial or imposed.
December 14, 2013
What a joy it was to read this book. I was lacking a bit of the Christmas spirit due to circumstances in my own life this year, but now I can't wait to hold my family close, even though my youngest daughter is 23 hours away by car, and treasure the love we have as a family. Thank you Patricia.
March 12, 2015
I was happy to see that one of the characters had Down Syndrome and that it was treated in a way that shows how special these children all. Very good read and would love to see Joy appear in another book someday! :)
November 15, 2015
Amish Christmas joy
This was a very good book. I liked the way the story evolved around a special needs child. I've always believed that God sends special children to very special parents and this was certainly true in this book.
This was a very good book. I liked the way the story evolved around a special needs child. I've always believed that God sends special children to very special parents and this was certainly true in this book.
March 28, 2014
Good read!! Great story and was delightful to read!!
February 18, 2014
Very enjoyable Amish Christmas story.
April 10, 2014
A moving tender Christmas story that can be enjoyed any time of the year. It shows the power of forgiveness and also the joys of raising a child with downs syndrome
March 27, 2015
This is a story about how a child with special needs brings everyone something to cherish especially at Christmas
October 13, 2014
Love this book and very easy to read! Love how the say Up syndrome instead of Down syndrome :)
February 4, 2015
Cutest story I have read in a loooong time!
July 18, 2016
Good story.
October 31, 2023
Caleb has been away from his family for a number of years. After taking the blame for something is brother did, and being accused of being the father of an Amish girl, he left with a girlfriend who left him after a year. She tracks him down after 8 years to tell him he has a daughter, then leaves her with him and takes off. Joy is a Down syndrome child and Caleb reca.ls from his upbringing that they are considered special b,B, in the Amish community. A beautiful story of how lies can ruin lives but love and forgiveness can restore faith & love.
December 14, 2018
This was a quick read... a heart-warming story indeed!
I enjoy reading books about the Amish... their simple life-style fascinates me! This book drew me in to a point that I couldn't put the book down!!
I would recommend it!
I enjoy reading books about the Amish... their simple life-style fascinates me! This book drew me in to a point that I couldn't put the book down!!
I would recommend it!
June 12, 2021
The Amish Christmas Joy by Patricia David’s was a delightful book from beginning to end. The secrets within the family caused many lives to take drastic paths that eventually led them all to Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness.
January 9, 2024
I rolled my eyes when i picked this one up. But now i just want more like this one. Had all the emotions. Was a quick read. I surprised myself by not wanting to put it down. Will he looking for more of her books.
December 3, 2017
This is a nice, light, warm feeling Christmas read.
February 8, 2018
I really loved this story, It truly about love and forgiveness.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 41 reviews