Three enjoyable Christmas stories ( )

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This is a book of 3 Christmas romances that take place in the late Victorian-era of America, where a woman might marry for convenience as often as she marries for love. But God will surprise these three women with a chance at real love just in time for the Christmas holiday.
In “Seams Like Love” by Judith Miller you will be introduced to Karla Stuke of the Amana Colonies in the year 1890. She has recently be jilted by her fiancé and has had her faith in men destroyed. Frank Lehner, a childhood friend, has recently finished his schooling to be a pharmacist and arrives back into the same colony as Karla. Frank will have to have great patience to win Karla’s love. And Karla will need to see herself as God’s special creation with specific gifts He has given her to glorify Him. She will need to shed her insecurity about herself and learn to love again.
In “A Patchwork Love” by Stephanie Grace Whitson, you will find yourself on a train headed west in 1875 with widowed Jane McClure and her young daughter. Jane is on her way to marry a prosperous businessman who she barely knows in order to give her daughter a better life. A sudden snowstorm will stop the train in its tracks and Jane and her daughter will seek shelter at a homestead close by. Henry Gruber and his Mom will take these two in and help the daughter, who has taken ill. Henry’s face has been damaged in the war. Jane will discover she has grown to care for Henry a lot, despite his disfigurement. Can Henry see his worth in time to keep Jane and her daughter from getting back on the train? This was my favorite of the 3 stories. I enjoyed how each person in this story helped Henry to see his true worth.
Finally there is “The Bridal Quilt” by Nancy Moser. This story takes place in New York City in the year 1889. Ada is a young lady of wealth, who is hoping this Christmas Season to be engaged to Samuel, who is also from a wealthy family. But Samuel finds himself rescuing a young child from danger in the slums of the city and it changes everything. He finds his calling in life, but it will cost him his inheritance, his family and the giving up of Ada, the love of his life. Time will go by until one day their paths will cross again. Has time changed their feelings or their desires? It is very interesting how the author weaves this story to its conclusion.
An enjoyable holiday read during Christmas that left me very satisfied and eager to snuggle up and read away into the wee hours of the night. ( )

A collection of three stories, set during the late 1800's in America, each featuring a young woman given a second chance at love.

Karla, a young woman living the Amana Colonies in Iowa, packs away her wedding quilt and resigns herself to remaining unmarried for the rest of her life when her fiance breaks their engagement.

Jane is a widow traveling to Denver to marry a man she barely knows, in order to give her daughter a better future, then they become stranded in a snowstorm.

Ada, a wealthy ingenue, inadvertently causes a serious injury to a poor man who was once considered quite a catch. Each woman must search her heart, and decide which path in life is really the best.

I enjoyed these stories, and my favorite was the one about Jane and her daughter. Each story is followed by instructions for a craft project based on a project that was being worked on in the story, and also one or two cookie recipes. ( )

A Patchwork Christmas
ISBN: 9781616267483
Author: Judith Miller, Nancy Moser, Stephanie Grace Whitson
What first attracted me to this book is my love of quilting, although I read and knit more than I quilt.
And that it's about Christmas.
Seems Like Love by Judith Miller
Karla is an expert quilter and runs the local hotel.
An old friend from school, Frank is there to stay for a while as he does his internship before they give him the job.
He is allowed to sit in the kitchen while Karla and her mother Irma prepare dinner and reminisce about past Christmases. They catch up with each other lives and talk about the quilts for Karla's sister for her wedding.
Karla and Oskar's wedding was announced and with the customs they had to wait a year but he found another to marry.
Karla also teachs young children how to knit and crochet. A woman after my own heart with all her talents!
Very interesting to learn more of the customs of their community.
Frank and others attempted to get her to go out, even for ice skating but she wanted to finish the quilt. She feels she's just a plain woman and nobody would be interested in marrying her and having babies, which is all she wants.
She does spend some time during the holiday preparations and also teaches the young children how to knit and that everybody has a talent of their own and might not be good at everything.
Religion is mentioned many times, faith, and most importantly trust.
Karla must learn to trust again after Oskar had left...
When her mother takes ill Frank tries to help.
Not only is the mitten pattern that was taught in class included here but cookie recipes.
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A Patchwork Love by Stephanie Grace Whitson
Jane is headed to Denver as Mr. Higgins promised her daughter, Molly to see all the colorful lights in the store windows. She is hoping he will ask her to marry him.
She trips getting out of the buggy on the ice but they make it to the train where her knee is swollen she can hardly walk. Molly has a cold and it's snowing out. Henry the porter on the train, gets them to move to more comfortable seatings and tells them he won't have to heat the car they were in, as they were the only ones there. She read to Molly from the book of Little Women that her parents had given her when she was a young child.
Train gets stuck on the tracks due to heavy snowfall and a neighbor in the area comes to rescue them and brings them back to their house. Mrs. Gruber also knows a bit about healing so she pulls out the quilts to keep them all warm. Til the train whistles the journey will not continue onto Denver.
Anna Gruber tells Jane of her boys' war scars and that many more had lived because of him, but his wife to be no longer wanted to marry him. Because Molly is so sick Peter tries to help cure her of her illness. They've had to send the train on along with a telegram and Peter brings a surprise back for Molly.
They have a major topic to get over-his scars on his face...
Good Christmas read, love pattern and recipes at the end.
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The Bridal Quilt by Nancy Moser
Ada and Samuel are seeing one another and not engaged so he enjoys his time with males his age.
A fight breaks out and the next day he has to bring the orphan back to the children's home.
Just when she thinks he will propose he asks her to help get gifts for the orphanage. Now that there is illness in the house she can not go with him.
Faithfulness is what the flowers mean that he had sent to Ada.
Although she was ready to marry him and help carry on his charity work, his father has disowned him for his charity work. no money, no job, nothing.
She has now a year later taken up with another man in hopes of becoming married.
When the accident happens she must take care of him and visits the grandfather's house to try and make amends.
Ada tries to explain to the grandfather that God has called on Samuel to help do his work here on earth.
More quilting patterns for ornaments and recipes at the end of this book. ( )