Enjoyable read that reminded me somewhat of "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse". Two 30-year-old women: one Amish, the other an upper middle class New Yorker, find out they were accidentally switched at birth; they switch places and learn about their new families and culture. Not really a Christmas story per se (except for the last chapter), but I enjoyed this in a "warm and fuzzy" kind of way. I can see this one being adapted as one of those Hallmark or Lifetime movies (if it hasn't been already). Rachel King and Rachel Lawrence were born in the same hospital in Lancaster, Pennsylvania 2 days apart, both were raised in loving families, one was raised Amish and one was raised in the English world. Elle, Rachel Lawrence's nickname, was raised in Manhattan in an affluent family, she is single and has a good job. She has one brother and one sister and is very successful in her career. Rachel Yoder (King) was raised in Lancaster and has several brothers and sisters. She is a widow of three years and has a daughter Katie, 11 years old.Rachel and Katie have moved back home with Rachel's parents since her husband passed because she couldn't handle the farm on her own. She isn't real happy living there, but life is good and she is Amish through and through. Elle is settled in her own apartment in Manhattan but gets stressed with her job, otherwise life is good for her too.Things change drastically when both women receive a letter from a nurse who worked at the hospital they were born in. It seems she was married to a doctor who was an alcoholic and he got so he was going to work drunk, that's when the mix-up happened, he sent Rachel King home with the Lawrence's! She covered it up for her husband so he wouldn't lose his job and be ridiculed, he would never be able to get another job anyplace, and she loved him deeply. She is dying when she decides it's time the girls know the truth. Now the two have to deal with this 'mix-up' for the rest of their lives.Just imagine how you would feel if this happened to you, not only are they raised in different areas of the country, but completely different lifestyles. How would you deal with this, would you immediately want to meet your biological parents, how would you explain this to your children if you have any (like Rachel does)? How would you feel if the other woman came to meet her parents and you felt she was treated better than you had been your whole life? Do you think you would consider the other woman and what she was feeling or just think about yourself, would you want to talk to her or would you just try to bury the whole thing and live the life you were put into?A VERY interesting book, I like the way Cynthia tells the feelings of the two women and how they dealt with what happened. I know this has happened and I don't know how I would deal with it. Wonderful look into a difficult situation. I would suggest this book as I found it very good. I think this is the first book I've read by Cynthia and I will be looking for more.
Do You like book A Plain & Fancy Christmas (2011)?
This was soooo good! Very different than all of the other Amish stories I've read.
—Ashbash623
