The plot was a little (okay, a lot) over the top and it was pretty repetitive. Some good editing of the inner thoughts of the two main characters would have shortened it by a couple of chapters at least. And I was a little disappointed that it wasn't really a "Christmas book" after all. The final scene does take place on Christmas, but that's about it. On the bright side, I found the characters pretty likable and it did make me think a bit about the joy of living a simple and frugal life. Overall, it was an enjoyable fluff read. Raised in a close-knit Amish family, Rachel Yoder did toy with the idea of not returning from her Rumspringa but she did, marrying Jacob. Jacob is dead now and Rachel and her daughter Katie have returned home to help her family. In New York, Ellie Shore is consumed with her public relations career to the point she ignores her love life and family at times. The two seemingly have little in common but when they discover they were switched shortly after birth and sent home with the wrong family, each decides to live with their biological families for a while to get a taste of what their life might have been like. Each of them will find themselves and their lives forever changed."A Plain and Fancy Christmas" is an interesting, at times thought provoking, novel about two women whose worlds unexpectedly collide. Author Cynthia Keller does lean a bit toward making the Amish lifestyle seem more appealing but she does do an excellent job of showing how such news can initially shatter each family yet ultimately pull them together and perhaps make them stronger. I thought the novel got off to a bit of a slow start as Keller built the characters of Rachel and Ellie, but once the switched at birth thing was brought into the book the pace picked up quickly and the book became quite interesting. Keller does an excellent job of showing how Rachel and Ellie cope in their new worlds (again since Keller seems to lean towards the Amish lifestyle, Ellie seems to adjust more easily than Rachel). The characters may handle the situation a bit too easily (Rachel and Ellie do seem to struggle with their changes - Rachel especially so - but their families accept things far too easily) but it is a Christmas novel after all. While Keller does guarantee a happy ending for all, she puts in an unexpected twist not seen in many Amish novels which is a very nice touch."A Plain and Fancy Christmas" is a nice holiday novel.
Do You like book A Plain And Fancy Christmas (2000)?
A nice easy read. Not much substance, and in spite of its name, not much Christmas!
—adam
I enjoyed this book. The characters felt real, but the story was a little far fetched.
—lizbiz
this was so good i had a hard time putting it down.
—Amber
