I know. I know. I should wait to read Christmas-themed books but I just can't help myself! When you go to stores and you're already seeing Christmas decor out it reminds you that the holiday season is just around the corner. Besides, who doesn't love being in the Christmas spirit!
The Christmas Prayer by Wanda E. Brunstetter is a heartwarming tale that take you back to 1850. Cynthia Cooper, her mother Mabel, and Cynthia's fiancée Walter Prentice missed the wagon train they had originally intended to join in Missouri and are instead having to travel with two other families that are also headed to California. Jack Simpson is traveling with his two young children, Alan and Amelia, and Cole Edwards is traveling with his sister, Virginia.
Cynthia is with Mr. Prentice, a much older man, not because she loves him but because he will be able to financially care for her and her mother. In all actuality Mr. Prentice is stuffy, pretentious and almost unbearable to be around. He is of no help to any of the other men during their trying journey and Cynthia finds herself fighting feelings for another man in the group and wondering how she will ever be able to share a life with Mr. Prentice.
When the team reaches the Sierra Nevada mountains bad weather, along with even more wagon issues, lead Jack and Cole to search for shelter, and they soon find a little log cabin in the middle of nowhere. The group is forced to stay in the cabin for months while winter rages on outside and patience and hope begins to wear thin as it nears Christmas. It is this, along with their dire situation, that Cynthia sends up a prayer on Christmas, and the group does what they can to make Christmas as special for the children as possible.
As you read you fall in love with the characters, with the exception of Mr. Prentice, who quickly gets on your nerves. You find yourself rooting for Cynthia and hoping that she ends up with anyone else but Mr. Prentice, as well as a happy ending for everyone in the group.
Wanda Brunstetter has a wonderful, fluid writing style that is easy to read and you find yourself getting lost in the story. It takes no time at all to read and it leaves you with a sweet smile on your face. It's the perfect story to kick off the holiday season.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Barbour Publishing in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
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