Christmas Fiction Review: An Amish Christmas by Cynthia Keller - "To Be, Rather Than To Seem"

If your spouse was downsized from a high-paying job and didn't tell you for three months, could you forgive him or her? If they also secretly gambled away the family fortune, forcing the sale of your house, withdrawal of your children from private schools and moving in with your parents in another state, could and would you forgive them? That's the premise of Cynthia Keller's new book, An Amish Christmas.The Hobarts - James, Meg, Lizzie, Will and Sam, reside in a five thousand square foot home in an upscale Charlotte, North Carolina neighborhood. James and Meg have been married 18 years. James is well-paid legal counsel for a software company and his family wants for nothing. Meg, primarily rears their three children, and, while more of a saver, still enjoys her materialistic perks.The Hobart offspring espouse a sense of entitlement, attending private schools and enjoying modern-day technologies, including laptops and iPods. Fifteen-year-old Lizzie chastises Meg for not spend
ing five hundred dollars on a dress for her upcoming Holiday Dance; and thirteen-year-old Will, repeatedly and carelessly loses his dental retainer at four hundred dollars a pop.As Thanksgiving approaches, Meg prepares to engage in her favorite holiday. Each year she cooks for eighteen neighbors, using her impressive, laborious entertaining skills, including a time-consuming menu.For months, Meg has sensed something isn't right with James, now regularly complaining of "too many bills," and the need to "batten down the hatches." She decides to give him until New Year's to explain.While dressing for her Thanksgiving feast, James reveals that in August he was downsized at work. Too proud to confess, he secretly invested in a real estate deal sure to double his money. The transaction backfired, leaving the Hobarts virtually penniless, since James used their house as collateral.Naturally, Meg is dumbfounded. How could James be so selfish by not consulting her and jeopardizing th
e future of their children? Their short-term solution is to regretfully move in with Meg's parents in Homer, New York. Her parents are stark, emotionless people. When Meg tells her mother she'll be able to spend more time with her grandchildren, she replies, "Just remember, Margaret, I brought up one child and I'm not bringing up any more. Once was enough."The Hobarts pare down their possessions and prepare to travel in James's 1969 vintage Mustang. During Meg's last moments in the house, she retrieves a North Carolina state magnet on the refrigerator, which reads, "Esse quam videri," meaning "To be, rather than to seem."En route to New York, on a cold, dark, icy evening, the Hobarts swerve to avoid an Amish buggy in Pennsylvania. They hit a tree, causing extensive damage to their car.Buggy driver, and Amish man, David Lutz, invites the Hobarts home, pending car repairs. Their intended day or two stay brings news of a necessary two-week car restoration.Will's comment "Can yo
u believe this place?" and Lizzie's "Kill me now" lament, exemplify James' and Meg's challenge to make their spoiled adolescents appreciate David and Catherine Lutz's generosity. The couple has nine children, some close in age to the Hobart trio.Keller imparts a cross-section of Amish cultural knowledge into the storyline. Sam excitedly experiences a school day with Eli Lutz. He learns that Amish children are formally educated only through the Eighth grade in a one-room schoolhouse. Once graduated, boys work in the fields full-time and girls contribute domestically.Meg is aware how little the Amish display affection, except towards babies and toddlers: "But she couldn't recall seeing the adults exchange a hug or a kiss or even an unnecessary touch."The Lutz's eldest son, Benjamin is away. At age 16, Amish children are free to leave home and explore other lifestyles before deciding to be baptized. This period is known as rumspringa.Resolution finds the Hobarts beginning a pro
mising new life, clearly influenced by their brief Amish encounter. As they prepare to leave the Lutz's, Meg rediscovers the North Carolina state magnet in her pants pocket. The short time with the Lutz's allowed her and her family to live that motto.It's easy to dismiss An Amish Christmas as another feel-good story about simple living, based on the book's cover art depicting a bucolic setting and silhouette of an Amish woman in a white bonnet. Don't.Read An Amish Christmas and find yourself evaluating your stance on issues, including forgiveness, marriage vows, and materialism. Keller's message is especially timely during this era of economic challenges, foreclosures and high unemployment.In addition to being an entertaining, informative read, An Amish Christmas is well-written literature. To learn more about Amish culture, visit .

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