An Unexpected Amish Christmas

Starred review from September 13, 2021
Good (An Unexpected Amish Courtship) returns with a jovial story about finding hope in the aftermath of tragedy. Jeremiah Zook can’t walk and struggles to use his hand as a result of the horse and buggy accident that also killed his mother. But after he reads an article about Ketubah Etsch, who lost both of her parents in a mysterious accident, he writes her an anonymous encouraging letter. In the ensuing correspondence, Ketubah opens up about the challenges of raising her three younger sisters and running her family’s pretzel stand business. But when Jeremiah ends up working at the stand as part of his rehab and becomes infatuated with Ketubah after meeting her in person, he struggles with how and whether to tell her about his secret identity as the letter-writer. While holiday trimmings are minimal, the message of God finding purpose within those who feel wounded at every turn comes through clearly. Good’s light touch keeps the story uplifting, and the author has a sure hand in depicting a young but mature couple interacting positively with the Englisch world. This is Good’s best work yet.