Customer Reviews

A Log Cabin Christmas Collection

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The cover words "LOG CABIN" & "AMERICAN PIONEER CHRISTMASES" sold me on trying this book. I love historic fiction, my wife and I both relish Christmas reads, and I recognized a few of the authors listed as being successful writers. Being a man, the stated Romance aspect did not defer me from the purchase. What a wise buy. With 9 good stories included in this Christmas anthology, it's a bit over a buck per tale. That's old-fashioned value. As much history as romance, if not more.

9 novellas liberally use terms such as puncheon floors, buckboards, out houses, guns, forests, circuit riders, butter churns, crosscut or axe, and other words and descriptions of articles long lost to 21st century living. The stories require one to 1 ½ hour of time to read and pack suspense, adventure, mystery and romance into each novella. This is invigorating historical fiction. And of course, each has a dapple of romance. Suitors and "suitees" are quickly established and of course, in the Christmas tradition of peace and love......eventually......find joy. Stories are each about 50 pages, just right for holiday reading. And it give readers a quick look at 9 different, perhaps first time read, authors. You might be rewarded with another "favorite" author.

One fault found was three of the stories have mistaken information written in the short synopsis' of each story. The Softcover fold inward on the front and back, like a dust jacketed hardcover. Synopsis for story one states a mother's diary was read; not that of an aunt's. Story 2 cover fold synopsis has 5 children, not the true 3, inside the schoolhouse. The last story synopsis refers to a nonexistent blizzard...snow yes, blizzard no. Fortunately this takes nothing away from the inside authors' enchantments.

SNOW ANGEL - Margaret Brownley
1885 Maverick TX
A blizzard forces the teacher, sheriff, and 3 school kids to spend Christmas Eve in the log schoolhouse. They overcome cold, a bear, fear, lack of food, and 5 personal struggles.

THE CHRISTMAS SECRET - Wanda E. Brunstetter
1880 Allentown Coopersburg PA
Log cabin Christmas Eve wedding (also the brides 20th birthday) plans end due to secret history recorded in an aunt's diary. Bride runs to hide the shame.

CHRISTMAS TRAPS AND TRIMMINGS - Kelly Eileen Hake
1811 London & Appalachian Mts KY
When a London heiress and nurse arrive at a KY mountain trapper's shack unannounced, the relationship is off to as shaky a start as what the quaking earth also decides to provide. The "traditional KY pioneer" breakfast" p127 was a word-photo experience.

A STAR IN THE NIGHT - Liz Johnson
1864 Franklin TN
A tale where a southern gal and gramps nurse a wounded Civil War soldier--this one a Yank. A story of living through an unwanted conflict.

THE COURTING QUILT - Jane Kirkpatrick
1867 Oregon
Both farmer and a salesman are eager to "partner" with a widow selling thread. Who wins, after this guilt tale is pieced together?

UNDER HIS WINGS - Liz Tolsma
1875 Logging Camp 12, Wisconsin
Will a tragedy force an unwanted marriage for an orphan lumber camp gal? Will matrimony cancel seminary for lumberjack Preacher Man? Unusual Christmas gifts will decide all.

THE DOGTROT CHRISTMAS - Michelle Ule
1836 East TX
It's homesteading in Texas and families struggle with death. What will a TEX-MEX Christmas look like? Accomplish? Dogtrot is a type of duel log house.

A GRAND COUNTY CHRISTMAS - Debra Ullrick
Colorado
Irish lass meets Austrian widower in rocky Mountain snow and it takes only 5 pages to get hormones as hot as summer. But the bliss turns to Christmas Eve mystery--secrets--& fraud. Will Christmas be "gut"? Unique log house used here.

CHRISTMAS SERVICE - Erica Vetsch
1875 Minnesota
Called to be a preacher's wife, Beth scorns all other men, including a deacon blacksmith, of all things. Todd accepts the rebuke as challenge. Will a Christmas Eve pageant disaster enlighten any or all?

Others have described in excellent manner the themes of this collection. Quality of the individual stories runs from insipid to very well done. Don't let the poorer ones keep you from the gems. Of particular enjoyment is Michelle Ule's debut novella Dogtrot Christmas. Michelle has well researched the cultural of her setting, included well thought out intrigues, and writes in such a manner to hold your interest and leave you wanting more.

This book is filled with darling heartwarming Christian stories set during Christmastime ... I have found them all very entertaining and have truly enjoyed reading them. While I am an avid reader of Christian novels I found this a great book for many reasons one of which was a great way to visit some of authors I am very familiar with and enjoy such as Margaret Brownley, Kelley Eileen Hake, & Debra Ullrick ... and to get to know others such as Jane Kirkpatrick, Liz Johnson, Liz Tolsma, Michelle Ule, & Erica Vetsch are new to me. I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to passing it on to my daughter and reading some of the new (to me) author's other books in the near future.

I have only read the first story. I liked it a lot and I put it away with my Christmas decorations to read a section each year. It's fun to have something to look forward to.

Read from November 07, 2011 to January 02, 2012

I will be reviewing these stories individually. Hope you enjoy.

My Thoughts on the first story Snow Angel by Margaret Brownley

I loved this collection of stories. Each one of them are amazing by themselves, but by putting them all together in this way kept me reading from one to the next with ease.

So for the first story: Snow Angel by Margaret Brownley

This is an interesting read. Margaret Brownley writes this very serial story set in Maverick, Texas, of a young teacher that comes to teach in a town where there has been tragedy. In some instance's you feel for Miss Parker, then others you are laughing. The kids have and are going through things that you only find out at the end why and what.

Is the Sheriff, Brad Donavan, the teachers "White Knight". Or is he like all the others in town, skeptic about Miss Parker.You will enjoy reading about how the children react to the new teacher and the things that they go through.

Will not go any further than this due to not wanting to give away the story.

My Rating: Five Clocks!!!

My Thoughts

As I said in my review of the story Snow Angel, I loved this collection of stories. Each one of them are amazing by themselves, but by putting them all together in this way kept me reading from one to the next with ease.

So for the first story: The Christmas Secret:

As you start this story you find Elizabeth Canning needing fresh air as she is preparing for her and David's wedding on Christmas Eve. Helen Warner, a close friend of Elizabeth was helping with the preparations. But Helen has her rathers than to clean. You will understand that when you read the book.

Elizabeth is wanting to start her new life and family where her mother and father as well as her mothers family. But to do that she has to clean and prepare it. Helen is not to thrilled about this. David is one who is very family oriented. He helps his mother with his grandfather. Loves Elizabeth and can not wait till they are married.



In the process of cleaning the house Elizabeth starts dusting an old desk. She cleans all of it except one draw that is stuck. She pulls with all her might and it finally comes open. comes up on an old battered-looking leather journal. Recognizes her mothers sisters hand writing. What has Elizabeth found? Well you will need to read the book to find out.

Very intriguing story. Loved reading every bit of it. So my rating of this story is also Five Clock Rating.

I bought this as a gift for my mom, and she told me that the stories were heartwarming and quite enjoyable. I'm glad I was able to find something she enjoyed, and I would look for other titles by this author.

I have a copy of this book for myself and I also purchased for a close friend and for our church Christmas party.. Can not go wrong on an Historical Christian Romance for the Christmas season.. Great book and great price. As with any short story collection you have strong writers and some that are not that great.. overall good read.

Love is the best Christmas Gift for the American Pioneer. This book is a collection of several stories but I am going to be featuring a two stories in this review to give you a taste of the book.

Snow Angel by Margaret Browning -- Maddie Parker is a school teacher in Texas. During this particular winter day, she decides to keep three students over at school to practice their lines for the Christmas play. While they are at the secluded school house, a blizzard blows in leaving them unable to get home. Sheriff Brad Donovan goes out into the woods during the blizzard to rescue the children, but he ends up getting stranded there as well. The five people are left in the drafty cabin with little food and no hopes of getting home for Christmas. Can God provide a Christmas miracle?

Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma - Adie O'Connell has imagined her perfect farm home in her mind a thousand times. It would have a log cabin and a big stone fireplace and it would be a far cry from the small lumber camp cottage she shared with her pa. But when her pa died, Adie has no one to protect her from the uncouth lumberjacks she cooked for. No one, that is, except Noah Mitchell, a man who only worked at the camp to save enough money to go to seminary in order to train to be a preacher. Noah offers to marry her for protection, in name only, and Adie agrees only after it becomes clear that she can't care for herself. Will Noah and Adie get their wish for Christmas?

These are just two of the nine stories in this best selling collection of stories by nine different authors. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these stories and know that this book will become a treasured Christmas reading tradition for me and many other people for years to come.

If you are looking for a great Christmas book for a gift or for yourself, then you can't go wrong with A LOG CABIN CHRISTMAS. A fantastic book.

A Great COllection of Chritmas Stories a wonderful gift for CHristmas that would be treasured year after year. Curl up under your quilt and enjoy a wonderful read!

A Log Cabin Christmas is a collection of stories that are about 50 pages long. It is hard to believe that so much could be told with such a short length of story. All of the stories are centered around the 1800s, in a log cabin and Christmastime.

A Log Cabin Christmas includes:

Snow Angel by Margaret Brownley

An unexpected snowstorm traps a new school teacher, the town sheriff and three school children in a make-shift school house. All five people emerge from the storm and the school house changed after their interactions with each other.

The Christmas Secret by Wanda E. Brunstetter

A young woman can't wait to get married on Christmas Eve. When she discovers an old journal that carries an family secret she needs to break off her engagement. Her fiance is determined to discover the truth of the journal, if only he could find her.

Christmas Traps and Trimmings by Kelly Eileen Hake

A young woman from England is unhappily engaged to be married to her cousin. Her father has died and she goes to America in search of her guardian and survives an earthquake.

A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson

In Confederate territory, a young woman finds a Union soldier. She and her grandfather nurse him back to health. After he is better, the soldier returns to Washington leaving his heart behind and taking the young woman's heart with him.

The Courting Quilt by Jane Kirkpatrick

A widowed female mercantile owner teams up with a charming salesman to get sales up. Soon several woman are speaking of getting married to the charmer.

Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma

A young woman marries a man out of convenience. Her father died and she needs protection from the men at a mining camp.

The Dogtrot Christmas by Michelle Ule

A man returns home from war only to find his land sold to someone else. He's determined to get it back. A young woman plans to marry out of pity, not love.

Grand County Christmas by Debra Ullrick

A young woman gets lost in a snow storm desperately looking for food. She is found by a man that takes her to his home, where he lives with his mother and three children. The woman is stranded there until the storm lets up.

Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch

A young woman feels she was born to be serve God by being a pastor's wife. A young man wants to court her but he is a blacksmith. The woman plans to pass up love to be true to her calling.

This collection of stories, apart from Christmas Traps and Trimmings, were all very heart warming at one point or another. I tried to read Christmas Traps and Trimmings but I could barely get through the first chapter. All of the stories are predictable. How could they not be with their length? I still liked them a lot. There is also sadness with the death of loved ones in every story. But love always wins in the end. All of the stories have a different writing style. I actually got teary eyed at the end of Grand County Christmas. I knew what was coming but the tears still came. I would recommend A Log Cabin Christmas to anyone who likes romance stories with some inspiration added to them.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.