Dealing With The Past
An Amish Family Christmas by Shelley Shepard Gray is a contemporary Amish romance. It is the fourth book in the Charmed Amish Life series but can be read as a stand-alone. It is a perfect read for any time of year and not just for Christmas.
The novel deals with the theme of running away. Julia and her six year old daughter Penny have been running away for six years. Julia is letting her past define her and have a hold on her life. “Running from problems didn’t solve anything.” She needs to face her demons and deal with them.
Tying into that theme of running away is the difficult topic of domestic abuse. It is the reason Julia is running and the reason she has trust issues. It is not always easy reading but Shelley Shepard Gray has sensitively portrayed it.