I've read several of the author's older Amish works, enough to know that I like her writing style. Most of her newer books seem to have lost that quality, though, but not so with this one! It is definitely vintage quality for the author, and a great read overall!

While it is shorter than her normal novel length, it has a good "cast" of characters that you can easily connect with. Unfortunately, that shortened length makes the story feel rushed in places, and the readers don't get to see enough interaction between the couples that get paired up at the end of the book to make their love stories believable.

All things considered, I'd recommend this as a well written and quick Christmas read!

To help us enter into the spirit of the season, Wanda Brunstetter gives us the gift of a heart-warming Christmas story. Mrs. Brunstetter brings as much love and light to this story of the wagon train’s journey as she does to her Amish novels. Every character is interesting and fits their place well in the storyline. The travelers find themselves in very different circumstances than they had hoped for on Christmas Day, As they cling tightly to their faith during difficult days, they experience a real Christmas miracle. There’s also a couple of romances to add sweetness to the story. This book is now on my Christmas reading list to enjoy again each Christmas season.

This book is perfect if you need a shorter, inspiring story to read during the busy holiday season, The cover of this book is beautiful and would make a perfect book to give as a Christmas gift.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A different read from the author’s usual Amish stories, this one will keep your attention, and is more like a novella, as I read it in about an hour.
Can you imagine living like the pioneers of our country did, leaving what they had in the east to travel to the western part. This ends up being one small wagon train, with only three wagons, so we really do get to know each of the members of this small party.
At first you won’t see much in common between this group, but by the end, which sure ended differently that I saw coming, and I loved that there was an epilogue.
Although, parts of the story felt rushed, it is a feel-good Christmas read.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Shiloh Run, and was not required to give a positive review.

A special Christmas

With "the Christmas Prayer" New York Times best-selling and award-winning author and one of the founders of Amish fiction, Wanda E. Brunstetter presents a historical Novella which is an easy and quick read. It talks about the travel of a small group of people who are leaving Independence, Missouri, in April 1850 in order to travel to California for various reasons. Their goal is to catch up to and join a wagon train which had left earlier for the trip.
Walter , who has a good head for business, is desperate to make money and plans to open several stores in California. He is a moody and irritated individual and does not always pull his weight on the trail. Originally engaged to Cynthia, his interest turns to her mother during the trip.
Cynthia is engaged to Walter, not for love, but for security. She sees having to marry him as a plight, but wants to be a good wife to him. Cynthia's mother, Mabel, is a widow whose husband recently died and left her and Cynthia nearly penniless, but she has a determined spirit.
Cole and his sister, Virginia, are fellow travelers. He is in the search of wealth in the form of Gold because he is tired to work as a blacksmith. During the trip he becomes also interested in Cynthia. Virginia who has also a determined spirit, is a school teacher who plans to also teach in California. She and Cole are leaving against their parents wishes but she is ready for a change after having been jilted by her fiance.
Lastly there is Jack, a widower, and his two children, the often mischievous Alan and Amelia who has not spoken since witnessing her mother's accidental death. Jack's goal is to join his brother and help him on the cattle ranch.
Due to their leaving late and obstacles on the trip, the group gets stuck in the Sierra Mountains when they encounter a new obstacle in the form of the winter snow. Cole stumbles upon a seemingly abandoned cabin during one of his hunting trips which serves the group to hunker down when continuing the trip becomes impossible.
Brunstetter opens the novella with a Bible verse and the entry in Cynthia's diary. These entries can also be found at the beginning of every chapter and as epilogue. Furthermore, the novella is interspersed with thoughts of some of the travelers (Cynthia, Virginia, Mabel, and Cole).
The story can be recommended for those who look for a quick and easy read that takes place in this period of time.

#TheChristmasPrayer #NetGalley
This book was provided by the publisher through Netgalley free of charge. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

This historical romance, The Christmas Prayer by Wanda Brunstetter, is a very promising plot that fell short for me. I have read several of Brunstetter’s Amish books and really liked them. I have read at least one other historical romance she wrote that I thought was a true winner. This one, I believe, just was too short (it is a novella) and space ran out before the narrative could conclude smoothly. I think, had this book been a novel, things would have happened at what I would consider a good speed and it could have been a great book.

I felt for poor Cynthia stuck on the westward trail in 1850 with a much older, unkind, uncaring fiancé. Especially when there were two highly eligible other young men in their little wagon train. The children, Amelia and Alan, had very integral roles.

The portrayal of the characters was interesting, but at the end, I wanted to see more fleshing out. I realized many were more two-dimensional than I would have liked.

The journey was interesting, but it seemed to reach a climax, then abruptly loose ends were tied up and the novella ended. I felt like I was riding a horse at a good canter, but then the horse suddenly came to an abrupt stop at the edge of a bluff, and I got thrown.

Two songs characterized this book for me: in one spot, Keith Green’s early 80’s hit, “So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt?!”; and “You Can’t Hurry Love(You Just Gotta Wait).”

Quotable: “When our hope is lost, that’s when we need to rely fully on Him, for with God, all things are possible.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own, for which I am solely responsible. I was not required to write a positive review.

The Christmas Prayer is a very well written inspirational romance. I always enjoy this author’s books and this one did not disappoint. This book has a great plot and well developed characters. If you are a fan of historical romance I recommend this book.

If you enjoy reading Wanda Brunstetter's books you will also enjoy A Christmas Prayer. Many women kept diaries in covered wagons along the trail west. What a treasure if I found one among my grandparents things when I was young. I enjoyed reading Cynthia's accounts in this story while the characters came alive as they chopped wood, argued and learned to work and live together in order to survive under unimaginable circumstance.


Each person had a reason for their journey. After months of enduring hardships these reasons shifted. Certain plans were no longer concrete. I enjoyed the resiliency and strength of character as it emerged for Cynthia. She began as a young woman eager to find security with Walter to emerging into a strong woman ready to strike out on her own if need be.


We are so used to Wanda Brunstetter writing Amish fiction that this book is a wonderful surprise. I recommend A Christmas Prayer as a gift-worthy book for anyone on your gift list who loves historical fiction and a copy for yourself!

This was a very enjoyable novella, but not really a Christmas story. Rather the story ends at Christmas time.

Cynthia Cooper is an engaged woman in a marriage-to-be arranged by her mother. Her fiance, Walter, is much older than Cynthia. He is a business man who owns two stores in New York and now wants to take Cynthia and her mother to California where he wants to open another store. But Walter is hard headed, opinionated, and knows nothing about travel to California via wagon train. When they miss the wagon train, Walter joins with two other men to head to California. Jack Simpson has lost his wife and is heading to California with his two young children to join his brother on his cattle ranch. Cole and his sister, Virginia, are heading to California so Cole can seek gold and his sister can continue teaching. Cole and Jack are outdoors men and have some idea what they are getting into. Walter refuses to listen to any of their advice.

Water set my teeth on edge from the very beginning. I totally understood Cynthia's questioning herself as to whether this is the man she should really marry. Cynthia's mother wasn't much better as she constantly pushed Cynthia and Walter together. Jack and Cole carried the brunt of the load throughout the journey; and if it hadn't been for them, they would never have made it to California. Jack's children were adorable. Alan a typical little boy interested in everything and always getting into mischief. Amanda was such a sweetheart, and it was sad that she wouldn't talk after seeing her mother die.

I loved the ending and how everything was wrapped up at Christmas time especially with the appearance of a friendly "Santa Clause."

Enjoyable novella that was nice to spend an afternoon reading.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

Short but sweet book, I love wanda book she always holds me captive in her stories, why she's a very good story teller. She's one of my favorite authors I have to have all her new books. This is different story then what she normally writes but in my opinion it's very good story. I really like how detailed she gets in her books love the characters and the cover of the photo. Hope you'll get your copy....

This was a different type of book for Wanda, but I must say I really enjoyed it. It was about 3 families traveling to California but wagon train. They are behind by a couple months, and when they get to the Sierra Nevada's they run into a blizzard. Cole, the wagon train leader found a small cabin and they moved in to wait out the storm. There's a lot that goes on in this story, but I don't want to give the story away. I give this book 5 stars. Keep up the good Wanda.

Great descriptions in A Christmas Prayer took me on a trip with Cynthia and her Mother has they endure a long hard wagon trip across country. They learn to live with each other as they endure hardships and dangers on the trail.

There were some great character descriptions and Cynthia learned that not everyone is as they seem up front. I personally loved the story about the old man with the cabin in the woods. It was a great reminder to care for others as much as we can.

A Christmas Prayer has a great Christian story and lesson. We might not always know why things happen but God helps understand it's for the better.

A great read!

This Christmas book written by Wanda E. Brunstetter regarding a small band of western pioneers warms the heart. It's a sweet story with some real sweet Christmas feelings happening here. As the little wagon group has delays and some difficulties underway they find themselves in a desperate situation and find refuge in the mountains. As they find themselves together for much longer than expected, feelings and plans change.

I really enjoyed the storyline and it a really enjoyable read. It is probably more of a novella length, but seems to develop the characters well.

I received an ebook copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

The Christmas Prayer is a quick, clean and sweet historical read. I loved main character Cynthia Cooper from the start. I loved seeing through her eyes what life was like in 1850 going on the California Trail at Christmas time. I could not imagine what they would have endured during those times.
I give The Christmas Prayer 5 plus stars. I would highly recommend it to readers who love a great, inspiring faith filled Christmas stories.
I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

A sweet Christmas story! This is very quick read, perfect for the busy holiday season. Traveling by wagon across the plains and Sierra Mountains to start a new life in California, this group of people have to band together to survive. Cynthia's diary adds to the story with her most personal thoughts. Cynthia's faith and determination shone throughout the story. Recommended!

The Christmas Prayer by Wanda Brunstetter is a beautiful story of relying on God’s grace and keeping hope alive through prayer. It is set in 1850 as a group of travelers set out from Independence MO for California. There are only three wagons in the group as they missed joining up with the larger wagon train that recently left. The wagons are occupied by Walter, his fiancé Cynthia and her mother; widower Jack and his two children- Alan and Amelia; and Cole and his sister Virginia. Walter is a business owner from New York and plans to open several businesses when they arrive in California, Jack is joining his brother in his cattle ranching and Cole plans to search for gold. If the gold venture doesn’t pan out Cole can fall back on his training as a blacksmith. Not unexpectedly they meet up with several delays and find themselves caught in a snowstorm in the mountains as Christmas approaches. Can their reliance on God and working as team save all of their lives? Will they make to California or be forced to settle somewhere else?
This is a short book and I was able to read it in one sitting. The characters are so real to life that I didn’t want to put it down. I wanted to know if and how they would manage. The characters have their differences and nerves must be short at times though the focus is on working as a team to try to survive. As with many of Wanda Brunstetter’s stories there is a surprise twist at the end. I loved this story and give it 5 of 5 stars. It will make a lovely Christmas gift.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Christmas Prayer is a charming, historical novella that focuses around twenty year old Cynthia Cooper who's family has recently fallen on hard times. After her father's passing, Cynthia and her mother are left in poor financial shape, and her mother especially, had grown accustomed to the finer things in life. As a means of providing for herself and her mother, Cynthia accepts a marriage proposal from a successful businessman named Walter. However, accepting the marriage proposal means uprooting her life from New York, and traveling cross country in a covered wagon to begin a new life in California. Their journey will place them in close contact with two other families along the way. Jack is heading west to help his brother out on his cattle ranch, and to give his two children a better life after the death of his wife and their mother. Cole, a blacksmith by trade, is headed west at the prospect of gold, and is bringing his sister, Virginia a schoolteacher, along with him.

Struggles and trials abound the travelers as they continue to try and make their way to California, and soon Cynthia discovers the biggest challenge of all is dealing with Walter's attitude to everything happening along their journey. Cynthia begins to question whether or not a marriage to Walter is truly what God could have planned for her, especially when she sees the kindness that abounds in both Cole and Jack on their travels. Their journey reaches a dangerous point when the weather turns bad, and they are forced to hunker down and spend Christmas in a small, abandoned cabin they discover in the woods. It's here in the cabin however, that they truly discover the real meaning of Christmas, and learn that God has a plan for each and every one of them if they'll only be willing to follow it.

All in all, this sweet novella really emphasized the importance of faith, and kept me intrigued right from the opening lines. I really enjoyed all the characters, with the exception of Walter, and I appreciated the maturity shown by Cynthia in the choices she makes to try and help her family. The writing style and the well developed characters will leave the reader feeling like they're experiencing everything right along with Cynthia, and I definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a sweet historical read this holiday season.


Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐


Thanks so much to NetGalley, Barbour and Shiloh Run Press for the opportunity to advance read this.


I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Barbour and Shiloh) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.

I was so excited to get a copy of this!. Wanda Brunstetter is an automatic read author for me! Note: this is a short novella, not a full length novel, but still a good read.

Cynthia is traveling with her mother and the man she's engaged to marry across the country back in 1850 to start a new life in California. Along for the journey in other covered wagons are Cole and his sister, Ginny and Jack and his two children.

The journey gives Cynthia plenty of time to think about what she really wants for her future. But when the journey gets harder than anyone could imagine, can faith in God pull them through?

I really enjoyed this story. It was a light read due to the length, but I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen to the characters. I was also genuinely surprised at one of the events. You can't go wrong in this day and age with a story based in faith by Ms. Brunstetter. Her stories always lift my spirits.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy. All opinions are my own. This book goes on sale on or around September 1st, 2018.

This is a great addtion to the collection of Christian fiction that Wanda Brunstetter writes. She has taken a break from Amish fiction to take her readers back to the westward movement. This book is an exciting adventure of a small wagon train heading to California. The setting is perfectly depicted and each character is well described-most you love, some will ruffle your feathers and make the story very interesting. It was a terrific book and I loved the fact that Wanda choose another subject and era to write about. She is a very talented writer and this book showcases her ability to change genres.

The Christmas Prayer follows Cynthia and her mama Mabel along with her fiancé Walter as they travel with a small wagon train to California. There are only three wagons in their group and they are hoping to catch the other wagons that went ahead of them. When a storm catches them in the mountains though, they are forced to take refuge in an abandoned cabin. As the three families spend time together tying to survive, Cynthia struggles with her feelings for Walter. She knows she needs to marry him for her and her mothers financial sake but she finds the idea more repressive all the time. She finds she is also drawn to another on the wagon train. Will God answer her prayers and show her the way?
I enjoyed this story. It was very easy reading and went quickly. It has a sweet ending and is fun to read. It was very different than Wanda Brunstetter usually writes and I prefer the Amish fiction genre. But this story was cute in its own right and I’d recommend it to anyone who likes happy stories. I received a free copy of this story for my honest review from net galley and all thoughts are my own.

This book takes place in 1850 along the California Trail. After Cynthia Cooper’s father died, she and her mother join Cynthia’s fiancé, Walter, to travel cross-country to start a new life.

They face trials along the way and as Cynthia observes how Walter faces the hardships, compared to the other men in the wagon train, she begins to question her plans to marry Walter.

Being faced with having to stop along the way for a long time, due to winter weather, and all the members having to live together in a small cabin, we see how each character develops and how love and friendships develop among the group.

This was a very quick, enjoyable read that I highly recommend to others.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from Netgalley and Barbour Publishing in return for my honest opinion.