The Sound of Sleigh Bells

I was going to start off this review with the opener, "don't be put off by the cover and title, this isn't just a Christmas book (in October)," but when I skipped over to amazon to get the linky box for below, I realized that with such a high ranking, no one was being put off in the least. Man, how would it be to have everything of yours that hits print to shoot to the top of the rankings? (Yes, she's at 1200 something, but out of how many million books, that is the top!)

So, instead, let me say Congrats Cindy for another terrific book!

Anyway, I have been a lover of Amish novels ever since I discovered Beverly Lewis' The Shunning and I haven't been able to resist them since. I've hit a couple duds (neither by either of the mentioned authors), but for the most part, I'm a lover of the genre. But when Cindy was still an unknown and I got the chance to read her first book (and frankly expecting that it could be a dud), she screamed to the top of my favorite authors (not just Amish writing authors) list. So one must wonder why I was hesitant to read The Sound of Sleigh Bells. Could it be that it sounded Christmassy and it was October? Could it be that I expected a simple romance and I like the way Cindy writes strife? I don't know. But let me just tell you now, I should never have doubted her. It is fantastic. Not quite so much drama as When the Heart Cries, but frankly, I didn't need that this week anyway. Excellently written. Excellently compelling. Excellent.

Beth Hertzler works alongside her beloved Aunt Lizzy in their dry goods store, and serving as contact of sorts between Amish craftsmen and Englischers who want to sell the Plain people’s wares. But remorse and loneliness still echo in her heart everyday as she still wears the dark garb, indicating mourning of her fiancé. When she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds and she wants to help the unknown artist find homes for his work–including Lizzy’s dry goods store. But she doesn’t know if her bishop will approve of the gorgeous carving or deem it idolatry.

Lizzy sees the changes in her niece when Beth shows her the woodworking, and after Lizzy hunts down Jonah, the artist, she is all the more determined that Beth meets this man with the hands that create healing art. But it’s not that simple–will Lizzy’s elaborate plan to reintroduce her niece to love work? Will Jonah be able to offer Beth the sleigh ride she’s always dreamed of and a second chance at real love–or just more heartbreak?

This book was provided for review by Waterbrook.