A Simply Enchanted Life

White Christmas Pie by Wanda E. Brunstetter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fall is in the air in my little spot in the world and I'm starting to dream of cooler weather and the wonderful festivities that follows soon after. It's with these feelings that I picked up "White Christmas Pie" by Wanda E. Brunstetter.

In this book we meet a young man by the name of Will. Hrmm, what can I say about Will...I guess foremost in my mind was how grumpy this poor boy is. He has good reasons, however. As a young boy of 6, Will was abandoned by his father during the Christmas season. Left with an Amish couple that he barely knew, Will was thrust into a new world. Having lost his mother earlier in his life, Mark and Regina are now his guardians and step into the role of mom and dad for young Will.

Now in his 20s, Will has committed to the Amish faith and is engaged to be married to Karen Yoder. However, Will is extremely jealous and possessive of his young fiance and his jealousy threatens their relationship. Of course, all of these negative feelings stem from his abandonment as a young child.

Mid story we are introduced to Will's biological father, Hank and find out the true reason why he abandoned his young son. He too is filled with bitterness and carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. Everywhere he goes he is always looking for the son that he lost and yet...still loves. Though he has a new wife and two precious daughters, he can't get over the loss of his son.

When Hank's wife places an ad in a local paper in search for Will, Regina responds. Eager to find out the reason that Hank left and she is eager for Will to talk to his dad to find out why he left so many years ago. But will a reunion and an explanation be enough for Will to forgive his dad? And will his inability to forgive and work out his problems destroy his relationships with his folks, and with Karen?

This book was a light and fast read. It lacked some depth in character development but I think that is somewhat due to this being a stand alone book meant for a light read. I missed the connection that I get with a lot of other of Brunstetter's characters. It was still an enjoyable read and the recipe in the back of the book looks delicious! I definitely look forward to trying it.



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