5-Star Review of "A Shenandoah Family Christmas"
Review of A Shenandoah Family Christmas
by Lisa Belcastro
Where is Christmas?
Disease, freezing temperatures, and the Revolutionary War bring bitter reality to the Reed home in December 1777. Captain Benjamin Reed is ordered to sail a supply shipment south to General George Washington. Days before Shenandoah’s scheduled departure, Ben’s first mate succumbs to smallpox.
Rebecca Reed had never feared the dreaded disease until her one-year-old daughter Felicity breaks out in the telltale rash. In the cold, dark days of Advent, Rebecca, Ben, and the Reed family wait in prayerful hope as Felicity fights for her life and they wonder who could be next.
With the rest of the family at risk, they decide to obtain the forbidden cowpox vaccine. Ben's brother Jonah, his uncle Isaiah, and Shenandoah’s cook Adam Greene venture off in search of the outlawed vaccine. A blizzard hits. A tree crashes. Jonah crumbles to the ground. A woman with the face of an angel aids Jonah, but is it too late? And where are Adam and Isaiah?
As the death toll rises throughout the Colonies, the Reed family prays for more than one Christmas miracle.
Disease, freezing temperatures, and the Revolutionary War bring bitter reality to the Reed home in December 1777. Captain Benjamin Reed is ordered to sail a supply shipment south to General George Washington. Days before Shenandoah’s scheduled departure, Ben’s first mate succumbs to smallpox.
Rebecca Reed had never feared the dreaded disease until her one-year-old daughter Felicity breaks out in the telltale rash. In the cold, dark days of Advent, Rebecca, Ben, and the Reed family wait in prayerful hope as Felicity fights for her life and they wonder who could be next.
With the rest of the family at risk, they decide to obtain the forbidden cowpox vaccine. Ben's brother Jonah, his uncle Isaiah, and Shenandoah’s cook Adam Greene venture off in search of the outlawed vaccine. A blizzard hits. A tree crashes. Jonah crumbles to the ground. A woman with the face of an angel aids Jonah, but is it too late? And where are Adam and Isaiah?
As the death toll rises throughout the Colonies, the Reed family prays for more than one Christmas miracle.
MY REVIEW: This novella is quite a different Christmas tale. Rebecca and Melissa have both traveled through time to find themselves of the Shenandoah, and smallpox hits. When it hits Rebecca's precious little toddler, Felicity, it becomes real and quite fearful. She wants to travel back to the present to cure her child and her family. But what would happen? Would it work? Would they be allowed to travel back if they attempted this rescue?
I love time travel stories and this one is such fun. Can you imagine leaving the present time and all its conveniences and living in 1777 at Christmas? I am not sure how I would fare in this position. To think of George Washington being alive and well ......wow! This is an amazing novella and is sure to fill readers with hope.
I rate this novella 5 stars and highly recommend it to readers.
I received an ebook of this novella from the author through Celebration Lit Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.
About the Author:
Lisa Belcastro lives with her family on Martha's Vineyard. She was inspired to write Shenandoah Nights, the first book in the Winds of Change trilogy, while chaperoning two Tisbury School summer sails with her daughter, Kayla, aboard the schooner Shenandoah. The weeklong adventure, sans electricity, Game Boys, iPods and modern conveniences, kindled her imagination to dream of an altogether different voyage.
In addition to writing Shenandoah Nights and the soon-to-be-released Shenandoah Crossings, Lisa currently pens the cuisine column for Vineyard Style magazine. She has worked as a staff and freelance reporter and photographer for The Chronicle of the Horse and as assistant editor at The Blue Ridge Leader. She has written articles for USA Today, Dressage (London), USA WEEKEND Magazine, The Blue Ridge Leader and Sidelines.
When she's not at her desk working on Shenandoah Dreams, Lisa is living in paradise, volunteering at her daughter's school, serving in her church community, planting and weeding her numerous gardens, trying to run a marathon a month, or walking the beach looking for sea glass.
In addition to writing Shenandoah Nights and the soon-to-be-released Shenandoah Crossings, Lisa currently pens the cuisine column for Vineyard Style magazine. She has worked as a staff and freelance reporter and photographer for The Chronicle of the Horse and as assistant editor at The Blue Ridge Leader. She has written articles for USA Today, Dressage (London), USA WEEKEND Magazine, The Blue Ridge Leader and Sidelines.
When she's not at her desk working on Shenandoah Dreams, Lisa is living in paradise, volunteering at her daughter's school, serving in her church community, planting and weeding her numerous gardens, trying to run a marathon a month, or walking the beach looking for sea glass.
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