A Prairie Christmas Collection: 9 Historical Christmas Romances from America’s Great Plains

Tracie Peterson, Tracey Bateman, Deborah Raney, Pamela Griffin, JoAnn A. Grote, Maryn Langer, Darlene Mindrup, Janet Spaeth, Jill Stengl
Barbour Publishing (2010)
ISBN 9781616260040
Reviewed by Deb Shunamon for Reader Views (12/10)

 

This collection of short stories epitomizes the perfect gift book. Soft covers are rarely put together with as much obvious love and care as this one - it is beautiful. As for the words inside, each writer is very good at her craft and, despite my general cynicism regarding romance stories I found I enjoyed a great deal of the book which means that if readers enjoy a good love story, or have lived through or happen to like prairie and early settler settings, they will greatly enjoy these short stories.

Christmas romances feature, but all the tales are of gentle love. They take place in various places across the U.S.A. in the days of blacksmiths and flat irons. However, they are also still overly formulatic in the way that love stories always seem to be – one patient person falls for another who may, but mostly will not or cannot return the adoration, and after many trials and tribulations they usually end-up happily together. If this is what you expect and enjoy, you will not be disappointed. What was interesting for me, however, was experiencing the world of a new schoolmistress in an unfamiliar town; how dangerous weather required people working together if they wanted to survive; and experiencing the strict class divisions of America. Cultural and historical information was presented very nicely. Those of us from the prairies will feel like we have just spent a few lovely days with relatives back on the farm, while readers unfamiliar with this quiet but harsher time will clearly see why family and friends were so very important.
           
There is lots of the “ahhhh...” factor in these well-written stories. I cannot say that I have become a fan of this genre but “A Prairie Christmas Collection: 9 Historical Christmas Romances from America's Great Plains” reminded me of many things I had forgotten, and of others that I wish were still important today. It is a lovely book to hold, and read, and daydream with.

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