GRACE BY SHELLEY SHEPARD GRAY 

 A Christmas Sisters of the Heart novel, Grace by Shelly Shepard Gray brings back the beloved characters from her popular series of inspirational novels set in a tightly knit Amish community. A touching, provocative, and uplifting tale in the bestselling vein of Beverly Lewis, Wanda Brunstetter, and Cindy Woodsmall, Grace is Christian fiction at its very finest—a heartwarming examination of selfless giving and the true meaning of Christmas from the acclaimed author of  the Seasons of Sugarcreek  series.

REVIEW

What a beautiful story that reflects God’s love and grace. Two people lost in the world looking for a place to stay for Christmas find themselves at the quaint Bed and  Breakfast. They were not expected as the family usually don’t have guests during the holidays. I loved how the family welcomed these two strangers and gave them a loving place to stay. At first not everyone is happy they have guests, but the author shows how important it is to not judge others. 

Melody is about to deliver a baby and needed to get away from her parents. She isn’t well received in her community and thought it was sad to see how she was treated. Her experience is one she doesn’t want anyone to know about and I think she blames herself for the attack another had because she didn’t step forward. Out of this event a child is soon to be born. Oh how I loved that Melody never once thought of giving this child away. Now she needs to figure out how she will support herself and her baby. 

Levi is hoping that he will be able to have a quiet holiday at the B&B but he soon realizes that it is not going to happen. He is still grieving the loss of his wife and child and the last thing he wants is to celebrate Christmas. His emotions are felt as he blames himself for their deaths. Guilt is eating him up and he needs to learn to let go. 

I liked how Melody and Levi slowly begin a friendship and start to share their past with each other. Melody worries that Levi will be a little afraid to be around her because she feels danger. Levi is very gentle with Melody and I liked how protective he felt when he hears her story. Melody soon learns about Levi’s past and at first acted a little upset. With emotions running high in this story we witness a miracle that mirrors another very special birth. I loved how the author tied these two stories together. This is a nice book to read to learn about grace and how it heals the broken-hearted.