4.12

5

Dec 11, 2015

Very well-written! A touching and memorable Christmas story that doesn't shy away from addressing painful subjects or hide the fact that Christmas can be a difficult time for some. A different Amish story that makes you smile and tear up.

5

Oct 22, 2017

True Love that Lasts A Lifetime and Beyond

My full attention was captured from the first page of the prologue. Grace Beiler carries a tray with green meadow iced tea and two drinking glasses out to the front porch where her husband of fifty years sits in the cool of the evening. He is not the man he used to be years ago when they first met. Aged from years of hard work, terminal cancer and a recent stroke has left him weakened and dependent on Graces care.
Menno makes a comment that no one can True Love that Lasts A Lifetime and Beyond

My full attention was captured from the first page of the prologue. Grace Beiler carries a tray with green meadow iced tea and two drinking glasses out to the front porch where her husband of fifty years sits in the cool of the evening. He is not the man he used to be years ago when they first met. Aged from years of hard work, terminal cancer and a recent stroke has left him weakened and dependent on Graces care.
Menno makes a comment that no one can make green meadow tea as good as Grace can. After all these years together he still loves her special tea that years ago he taught her to make. Sharing the tea with Menno, Grace makes conversation with him about the upcoming wedding season and the approaching holidays. Finally he looks at her and simply says "it's time to go". Grace thinks he is tired and ready to sleep. That isn't what Menno meant. It broke my heart.
Sarah Price has masterfully penned a great story about the life of a young Amish girl who meets the love of her life. Against her parents best wishes they marry. They spent fifty years together sharing the good times and the bad times. Death separates them and Grace is left by herself to mourn his loss. She starts receiving gifts and notes from a secret sister. Each gift takes Grace back in time to a special memory she remembers from the past. Who is sending her these gifts? They never come to her mail box but always through a neighbor.
The story has the most beautiful ending. I though that it was very tender and it touched me in a special way. I want to thank the author for this beautiful account of the Beilers' life together and the months following Menno' s death. Very well written. ...more

5

Oct 08, 2015

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

In Secret Sister, author Sarah Price has written a heartwarming Amish yuletide tale of bewildering secrets and love lost—set amongst the fragrant scent of pine, the soft glow of candles, and crystalline snowflakes ushering in the Christmas season.

Feeling so very alone and heartbroken from recently losing Menno – the love of her life – not to mention her children growing up and moving into different communities, Grace Beiler is truly suffering in silence. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

In Secret Sister, author Sarah Price has written a heartwarming Amish yuletide tale of bewildering secrets and love lost—set amongst the fragrant scent of pine, the soft glow of candles, and crystalline snowflakes ushering in the Christmas season.

Feeling so very alone and heartbroken from recently losing Menno – the love of her life – not to mention her children growing up and moving into different communities, Grace Beiler is truly suffering in silence. It is the Amish way to accept God's will in all things and not to question or complain about one's lot in life. Although her Amish community is kind to her, Grace feels like a fifth wheel when they offer to give her rides or invite her places with their families. Soon strange events begin to take place when Grace starts receiving notes and gifts that cause her to reflect on meaningful incidents in her past—when she and Menno were young and courting, and their subsequent life with their children. Apparently Grace has a "secret sister" who is seeking to encourage her, but who is she?...and how is she aware of these things that are only significant to Grace? As she attends her favorite event of the year which happens to be the Christmas program, Grace receives another gift—one that will change the course of her life forever.

In Secret Sister masterful storyteller, Sarah Price, has written an exquisite novel destined to become a Christmas classic! What an intricate, unpredictable plot! In one evening I literally read half of this book trying to figure out who the "secret sister" was and I never did. Being an empty nester myself, I could truly identify with Grace's inability to know just where she belonged after devoting her whole life to raising her children. I didn't just have tears in my eyes at the wonderful conclusion—they were literally streaming down my cheeks—I was that moved. For those of you who don't want to read a story about a more "mature" woman (lol)...have no fear. The book goes back and forth between past and present and there is plenty of blushing romance and drama, too! Highly recommended read for any time of the year! ...more

1

Mar 06, 2015

This was nothing like I had hoped it would be. Pages of sad and daunting memories that just made my whole day gloomy. Just not what I want to read at Christmas time. Grace was a good idea; just not the story I had hoped for her!

4

Jan 06, 2018

An enjoyable read, An Amish tale with a bit of mystery surrounding it.

4

Sep 25, 2015

I loved this story even though Grace's story with her family had me in a "Blue Christmas" mood. I had thought about putting it down until after Christmas but I'm so glad I didn't. What a wonderful tale of faith, commitment and love.

5

Oct 10, 2015

Really good storyline!!!

I love the idea of a secret sister. It was a surprise to find out who it was, but not in a disappointing way! I've had a secret sister, though I wouldn't have called it that at the time!

5

Dec 08, 2015

I read a lot of Amish books, but none has moved me as much as this one. A tale of a family torn apart by a shunning and deaths, it is yet a story of hope and forgiveness. Grace Beiler adheres to her husband's will to shun their daughter when she marries an Englisher. After Menno's death, mysteries gifts keeps showing up concerning Grace's life. Who is her Secret Sister that know so much about her? A very moving and emotional story of love, death, shunning and forgiveness.

5

Dec 30, 2018

A wonderful book of reflections and memories and in the end forgiveness showing how important family is and that is all that really matters .

5

Nov 06, 2015

I won this from Goodreads. This is such a charming book. Am Amish woman Grace is having having her first Christmas alone because her husband of 50 years has passed away. As Christmas gets closer she feels depressed at being alone and then little gifts are left on her doorstep and she does not know who her secret sister is.

5

Nov 14, 2015

A book encompassing a lifetime of love and heartbreak. Still love and God brings joy to Grace.

Loved the book. Although it seemed slow going at first. I found myself wanting more. Waiting to see if Grace would finally find the joy .. so happy that Menno's love brought her peace and home again. I do hope Sarah has another book to follow this one, I am anxious to know what happens to Susan.

5

Nov 08, 2015

The most precious and romantic book I have read. Sarah Price takes you through the ups and downs and the joys and heartaches of marriage as a wife, with the help of a secret sister, remembers the past fifty years of marriage after the passing of her beloved husband. Fix a mug of tea, curl up by the Christmas tree and settle in for an uninterrupted read (once you start you won't want to stop). Tissues are a must. I have found a new favorite Christmas story as well as a new favorite Amish novel. The most precious and romantic book I have read. Sarah Price takes you through the ups and downs and the joys and heartaches of marriage as a wife, with the help of a secret sister, remembers the past fifty years of marriage after the passing of her beloved husband. Fix a mug of tea, curl up by the Christmas tree and settle in for an uninterrupted read (once you start you won't want to stop). Tissues are a must. I have found a new favorite Christmas story as well as a new favorite Amish novel. This one is a keeper.

Excellent job Ms. Price! ...more

5

Jan 03, 2016

This book started off, where i could put it down. As i read more chapters little by little. Then it started, i hated that i had to put the book down to do things in my life. This book turned out to be amazing to read. Grace to honer her husband all their marriage life together. What she has gone through having children and to leave her children .Pain me because i am bless not have to do that like she did. I enjoyed Grace life told here. Her husband amaze me and what he knew he had to do for the This book started off, where i could put it down. As i read more chapters little by little. Then it started, i hated that i had to put the book down to do things in my life. This book turned out to be amazing to read. Grace to honer her husband all their marriage life together. What she has gone through having children and to leave her children .Pain me because i am bless not have to do that like she did. I enjoyed Grace life told here. Her husband amaze me and what he knew he had to do for the rest of her living years .You have to pick up this book and read. ...more

4

Nov 22, 2015

My fourth Christmas book of the season is Secret Sister by Sarah Price.

Grace spent 50 years loving Menno, a godly Amish man, until his recent death. She was alone, as all her children lived a distance away, or estranged. Pondering her future and dealing with loss, Grace begins receiving notes and gifts. Someone suggested it was from a secret sister, a tradition in the Amish community.
The gifts were thoughtful, and were clearly sent by someone who knew her, but she didn't recognize the My fourth Christmas book of the season is Secret Sister by Sarah Price.

Grace spent 50 years loving Menno, a godly Amish man, until his recent death. She was alone, as all her children lived a distance away, or estranged. Pondering her future and dealing with loss, Grace begins receiving notes and gifts. Someone suggested it was from a secret sister, a tradition in the Amish community.
The gifts were thoughtful, and were clearly sent by someone who knew her, but she didn't recognize the handwriting and all the way through this lovely story, Grace cannot figure out who these are coming from. (At one point I thought it might have been a secret admirer in the church.)
The gifts bring forth memories from Grace's past with Menno, and we get flashbacks from her life...a life full of love from the man of her dreams, and a life very hard at times.
Well written and creative book.
I do recommend it! Nice Christmas read.

...more

3

May 20, 2016

BACK OF THE BOOK BLURB
(taken from Amazon.com)
After years of giving of herself to her family and community, Grace Beiler, an elderly Amish woman, is facing her first Christmas since losing her husband of fifty years to his battle with cancer. As she begins to reflect upon her own life, she wonders if she has properly fulfilled her promise to be a servant of God.

With Christmas drawing near, her depression becomes stronger until she starts receiving ittle gifts in the mail and left on her doorstep.
BACK OF THE BOOK BLURB
(taken from Amazon.com)
After years of giving of herself to her family and community, Grace Beiler, an elderly Amish woman, is facing her first Christmas since losing her husband of fifty years to his battle with cancer. As she begins to reflect upon her own life, she wonders if she has properly fulfilled her promise to be a servant of God.

With Christmas drawing near, her depression becomes stronger until she starts receiving ittle gifts in the mail and left on her doorstep. She realizes that she has a "secret sister," but has no idea who it might be, for each gift seems to relate to different, important events in her life. Just when she thinks she might have figured out who the secret sister is, a new gift arrives with a different meaning.

Who is making this Christmas one Grace will never forget?


MY REVIEW
I am going back and forth between three and four out of five stars for this book. For me the story was kind of slow but Sarah puts a lot of emotion in it. I understand the back and forth in time, I think it was needed for this story, but sometimes I get lost in that. I will say Sarah did a great job of writing and had a fantastic ending. I can recommend this as a good read and I have read, and will read more of, Sarah's books. ...more

0

Dec 08, 2015

Book Description

After years of giving of herself to her family and community, Grace Beiler, an elderly Amish woman, is facing her first Christmas since losing her husband of fifty years to his battle with cancer. As she begins to reflect upon her own life, she wonders if she has properly fulfilled her promise to be a servant of God.

With Christmas drawing near, her depression becomes stronger until she starts receiving little gifts in the mail and left on her doorstep. She realizes that she has
Book Description

After years of giving of herself to her family and community, Grace Beiler, an elderly Amish woman, is facing her first Christmas since losing her husband of fifty years to his battle with cancer. As she begins to reflect upon her own life, she wonders if she has properly fulfilled her promise to be a servant of God.

With Christmas drawing near, her depression becomes stronger until she starts receiving little gifts in the mail and left on her doorstep. She realizes that she has a “secret sister,” but has no idea who it might be, for each gift seems to relate to different, important events in her life. Just when she thinks she might have figured out who the secret sister is, a new gift arrives with a different meaning.

Who is making this Christmas one Grace will never forget?

My Review

This is a GREAT Christmas Book by Sarah Price. This book kept my interest from the start of the book to the end. In fact, I didn’t want it to end. This book is about Menno and Grace Beiler and my heart just went all out to Grace what she has to go through. First off, she loses her love, Menno Beiler. In the meantime, Grace receives letters and gifts from a “Secret Sister”. But the only thing is she doesn’t know who did it. As the book goes on, she thinks she knows who it is but she is wrong.

I don’t think I had better say anything else or I will ruin the book for you. It is such a GREAT book, I know that you will want to read this. This is the first book by Sarah Price I have read and will definitely read more of her work. She is GREAT.

Thank you Sarah for giving us this Christmas story.
...more

5

Dec 27, 2015

I was so disappointed in the last “Amish Genre” book that I read, I decided to take a break from all books Amish for a while, then my daughter gave me the book Secret Sister – An Amish Christmas Tale as a Christmas gift. Since it was a Christmas book, and since I opened it early by mistake (it came to me straight from Amazon and I thought it was something I had ordered as a gift), I decided to begin reading it right away. I am glad I did! I enjoyed this book immensely. Although it is the first I was so disappointed in the last “Amish Genre” book that I read, I decided to take a break from all books Amish for a while, then my daughter gave me the book Secret Sister – An Amish Christmas Tale as a Christmas gift. Since it was a Christmas book, and since I opened it early by mistake (it came to me straight from Amazon and I thought it was something I had ordered as a gift), I decided to begin reading it right away. I am glad I did! I enjoyed this book immensely. Although it is the first book I have read by author Sarah Price, it is probably my favorite Amish book to date.

Without giving away the much of the story line, I will say that this is a romance book, but it is also much more. It is not just a book about the excitement of young love, but of a life-long romance – fed by the joys, but enduring all of the heartbreaks that marriage and raising a family can bring with it. I loved by the author told the story of main character's Grace and Menno’s life together through flashbacks. Some less skillful authors using this technique can leave the reader confused about when the action is taking place, but Sarah Price makes clear when and why everything is taking place. The reader feels the happiness and heartbreak of the characters and yet is left feeling hopeful and uplifted that there is a God in Heaven and a purpose to our lives. I loved that this is a book that respectfully pays tribute to lives lived in faith and devotion, instead of seeming to take a criticize as old-school and out-dated, those who make and keep life-long vows to God, faith and family. In short, there was not anything that I didn’t like about this book. It was a great book for Christmas with a faith-filled and hopeful message for the new year! I easily gave it five out of five stars. *****
...more

4

Jan 09, 2018

I really enjoyed this book. It was a nice story, had some good characters and put me in the Christmas spirit ( even though it's January). I enjoyed it and will search out more books by this author.

4

Jan 11, 2019

Very good! Touching heart warming story that slowly draws you in. a little mystery involving forgiveness and a loving family.

5

Nov 29, 2019

A sweet story

This is a delightful story of a timeless love that continues even when one of the couple passes. Loved this book.

2

Dec 09, 2018

Loved all the Amish history and traditions. The storyline was not very exciting. Caught myself smiling each time the author included Amish says like, "ain't so" and "for sure and for certain".

3

Dec 18, 2019

Relatively quick read with a hidden story. A secret sister is what one may recognize as a secret Santa. But the secret sister in this story sent gifts that were meaningful to the recently widowed main character. The secret sister seemed to know so many elements of her life. Walk with Grace as she makes a wonderful Christmas discovery.

5

Dec 15, 2019

This is the first book I have read by this author. I definitely hope it is not the last!! I enjoy Amish stories and truly liked this one. It was presented in a different way than most of the Amish stories I have read. It is from the point of view of a Widow Amish lady and it goes back in time to cover the most critical times in her life. I definitely recommend this book to lovers of Amish country tales and those who are interested in learning more about the Amish. I will be looking for more This is the first book I have read by this author. I definitely hope it is not the last!! I enjoy Amish stories and truly liked this one. It was presented in a different way than most of the Amish stories I have read. It is from the point of view of a Widow Amish lady and it goes back in time to cover the most critical times in her life. I definitely recommend this book to lovers of Amish country tales and those who are interested in learning more about the Amish. I will be looking for more books by this author. ...more

3

Jan 09, 2019

I found this book to be very long and not as interesting as I had hoped. Not that it was a bad book. It is about an Amish widow Grace that loses her husband of fifty years due to cancer. This is her first Christmas without him. She had lost a son who was young when he died and lost a daughter due to be shunned as she married an Englisher after being confirmed into the church. She is estranged with another son due to the relationship he has with the shunned daughter and her oldest daughter she is I found this book to be very long and not as interesting as I had hoped. Not that it was a bad book. It is about an Amish widow Grace that loses her husband of fifty years due to cancer. This is her first Christmas without him. She had lost a son who was young when he died and lost a daughter due to be shunned as she married an Englisher after being confirmed into the church. She is estranged with another son due to the relationship he has with the shunned daughter and her oldest daughter she is not close with. The book goes back and forth from present to past reliving the story on how the relationships have be strained. She then starts receiving mysterious gifts that remind her of the good memories in her life. The ending reveals who her secret sister is and is a huge surprise to her. ...more

4

Mar 22, 2019

I read this book for fun and because I enjoy learning about the Amish Culture. The book is about a recently widowed woman named Grace Beiler who is spending her first Christmas without her husband. A lot of the book is set up with flashbacks and journal/diary writings. Grace is missing her husband, as well as one of her daughters, who was shunned from Grace's home several years prior by her late husband. The shunning also has caused Grace to have a strained relationship with her son who feels I read this book for fun and because I enjoy learning about the Amish Culture. The book is about a recently widowed woman named Grace Beiler who is spending her first Christmas without her husband. A lot of the book is set up with flashbacks and journal/diary writings. Grace is missing her husband, as well as one of her daughters, who was shunned from Grace's home several years prior by her late husband. The shunning also has caused Grace to have a strained relationship with her son who feels that she should have stood up to her husband to stop the shunning. The book has some mystery in it because someone keeps secretly sending Grace gifts and she has no idea who it is. The gifts are significant because they are reminders of things from her and her husband's relationship. No one would understand the significance behind them except for Grace and her now deceased husband. What I like about the book is that is shows that even the Amish have struggles within their communities, families, and relationships. Sometimes these struggles can pull them apart. Overall, the book was realistic, and I was able to learn more about the Amish Culture and their language. ...more