Naomi’s Christmas
Authors: Marta Perry
PRAISE FOR THE PLEASANT VALLEY NOVELS
Hannah’s Joy
“[A] warm tale of love and belonging.”
—
Genre Go Round Reviews
“Amish book lovers…you are
ferhoodled
if you don’t go out and pick up a copy of
Hannah’s Joy
RIGHT NOW!”
—
The Mary Reader
“Refreshing.”
—
Romance Novel News
Katie’s Way
“Superb…Magnificent Marta Perry provides another engaging Pleasant Valley tale.”
—
Genre Go Round Reviews
“
Katie’s Way
stands alone, but readers will love…all of the novels in the order they were published…great
characters and a bit of mystery…a delightful novel!”
—
Romance Reviews Today
“A great story of friendship, second chances, and faith…wonderful.”
—
Reviews from the Heart
“While this is a love story, it’s also a very complex story…I highly recommend this
book and this series to anyone who loves Amish romances.”
—
Night Owl Reviews
Sarah’s Gift
“Perry’s fourth Pleasant Valley book places her well-rounded characters in a sweet,
entertaining romance.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“Perry’s narrative keeps a nice pace as things develop credibly…between Aaron and
Sarah; the legal challenge makes for more than merely romantic tension. Minor characters
are also clearly sketched and differentiated.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“The latest Pleasant Valley inspirational Amish romance is a superb contemporary that
focuses on the role of a midwife in modern America…another powerful Pleasant Valley
tale.”
—
Genre Go Round Reviews
Anna’s Return
“Those who enjoyed the first two series titles will eagerly await this third entry,
which does not disappoint. It will also appeal to fans of Amy Clipston and Shelley
Shepard Gray.”
—
Library Journal
“Perry crafts characters with compassion yet with insecurities that make them relatable.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“A story of forgiveness, redemption, and mistaken ideas…full of wonderful characters…a
wonderful book!”
—
Romance Reviews Today
“In today’s fast-paced society, it’s a joy to sit back and enjoy a book that can combine
romance, faith, and a bit of a thriller…I look forward to reading more of Ms. Perry’s
books.”
—
Night Owl Reviews
Rachel’s Garden
“Sure to appeal to fans of Beverly Lewis.”
—
Library Journal
“A large part of the pleasure of this book is in watching Rachel be Amish, as she
sells snapdragons and pansies to both Amish and ‘English’ at an outdoor market, taking
in snatches of Pennsylvania Dutch.”
—
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Leah’s Choice
“What a joy it is to read Marta Perry’s novels!
Leah’s Choice
has everything a reader could want—strong, well-defined characters; beautiful, realistic
settings; and a thought-provoking plot. Readers of Amish fiction will surely be waiting
anxiously for her next book.”
—Shelley Shepard Gray, author of the Sisters of the Heart series
“A knowing, careful look into Amish culture and faith. A truly enjoyable reading experience.”
—Angela Hunt, author of
Five Miles South of Peculiar
“Marta Perry has done an exceptional job describing the tradition of the Amish community…a
wonderful start to what is sure to be a very memorable series.”
—
Romance Junkies
“I loved
Leah’s Choice
by Marta Perry! More than just a sweet Amish love story, it is a complex mix of volatile
relationships and hard choices. I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend it!”
—Colleen Coble, author of
Tidewater Inn
Other Pleasant Valley novels by Marta Perry
LEAH’S CHOICE
RACHEL’S GARDEN
ANNA’S RETURN
SARAH’S GIFT
KATIE’S WAY
HANNAH’S JOY
N
AOMI’S
C
HRISTMAS
Pleasant Valley
BOOK SEVEN
M
ARTA
P
ERRY
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
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This is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as
written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs
that may require medical supervision.
The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained
in this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the
product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance
to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is
entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume
any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Copyright © 2012 by Martha Johnson.
Excerpt from
Lydia’s Hope
by Marta Perry copyright © 2012 by Martha Johnson.
Paper-star pattern © Tammy Seidick Graphic Design.
Cover art by Shane Rebenschied.
Cover design by Annette Fiore DeFex.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or
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editions.
BERKLEY
®
is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley trade paperback edition / October 2012
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Perry, Marta.
Naomi’s Christmas / Marta Perry.
p. cm. — (Pleasant Valley ; bk. 7)
ISBN: 978-1-101-61169-2
1. Amish—Fiction. 2. Lancaster County (Pa.)—Fiction. 3. Christmas stories. I. Title.
PS3616.E7933N36 2012
813’.6—dc23 2012018779
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ALWAYS LEARNING
PEARSON
This story is dedicated
to my children and grandchildren,
with much love.
And, as always, to Brian.
IST OF
C
HARACTERS
Naomi Esch,
a beekeeper, eldest child of Sam Esch
Nathan King,
widower, a dairy farmer; Ada, his late wife; his children: Joshua, six, and Sadie,
almost five
Ezra King,
Nathan’s father
Sarah Schultz,
Nathan’s sister
Emma Miller,
mother of Nathan’s late wife, mother of Elizabeth, Jessie, and Seth
Elizabeth Miller,
middle sister of Nathan’s late wife
Jessie Miller,
youngest sister of Nathan’s late wife
Seth Miller,
brother of Nathan’s late wife, Englisch
Elijah Esch,
Naomi’s oldest brother; Lovina, his wife
Isaiah Esch,
Naomi’s youngest brother; Libby, his wife
Sam Esch,
Naomi’s father
Betty Shutz,
Sam Esch’s new wife
Anna and Sara,
Naomi’s sisters
Paula Schatz,
Mennonite, runs Pleasant Valley’s bakery
Hannah Brand,
protagonist of
Hannah’s Joy
, Paula’s niece, partner in the bakery; William Brand, her husband
Leah Glick,
protagonist of
Leah’s Choice
; Daniel Glick, her husband; their children: Matthew, Elizabeth, Jonah, and Rachel
Anna
Katie Miller Brand,
protagonist of
Katie’s Way
, quilt shop owner; Caleb Brand, her husband, furniture shop owner
Rhoda Miller,
Katie’s sixteen-year-old sister
Rachel Zook,
protagonist of
Rachel’s Garden
; Gideon Zook, her husband; their children: Becky, Joseph, Mary, and Josiah
Joseph and Myra Beiler,
Leah’s brother and sister-in-law
Anna Beiler Fisher,
protagonist of
Anna’s Return
; Samuel Fisher, her husband; their children: adopted daughter Grace and baby David
Barbara Beiler,
Leah’s sister-in-law
Bishop Mose,
spiritual leader of the Pleasant Valley Amish
LOSSARY OF
P
ENNSYLVANIA
D
UTCH
W
ORDS AND
P
HRASES
ach.
oh; used as an exclamation
agasinish.
stubborn; self-willed
ain’t so.
A phrase commonly used at the end of a sentence to invite agreement.
alter.
old man
anymore.
Used as a substitute for “nowadays.”
Ausbund.
Amish hymnal. Used in the worship services, it contains traditional hymns, words
only, to be sung without accompaniment. Many of the hymns date from the sixteenth
century.
befuddled.
mixed up
blabbermaul.
talkative one
blaid.
bashful
boppli.
baby
bruder.
brother
bu.
boy
buwe.
boys
daadi.
daddy
Da Herr sei mit du.
The Lord be with you.