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Inspirational Fiction November 2025 |
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B is for bonnet
by Shelley Shepard Gray
Raised by their divorced, lapsed-Amish father and English mother, siblings Jonny, Martin, Kelsey, and Beth can't wait to reinvent their lives. The four don't have much in common, but they long for the stable sense of family they felt when visiting their New Order grandparents, Josiah and Sylvia Schrock, in peaceful Holmes County, Ohio. And the Schrocks couldn't be more surprised when the grandkids want to try living with them and joining their faith. When Jonny hears startling news about his health, he knows it's past time to change his life. Quitting college, he unexpectedly finds the fulfilling job of his dreams. And he's instantly smitten with cafe owner Treva Kramer, whose baked goods are as warm and delicious as her lively personality. But no matter how hard Jonny tries, he can't seem to get past her secret sadness and distrust. Can he prove that his feelings for her are for real and forever in time? A bad breakup left Treva heartbroken and resolved to be independent without relying on anyone ever again. Exhausted from pouring everything she's got into her cafe, she's stunned by Jonny's easygoing ways and drawn to his optimistic nature. But when she thinks his real interest is in becoming Amish, she's even more determined to stay focused and keep her heart safe. Soon, deep secrets and hidden family truths will test Jonny and Treva in unexpected ways. And with help from his warm-hearted grandparents, he and Treva might gain the happiness they secretly long for with each other.
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| The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda CoxAfter a traumatic year, kindergarten teacher Ana Leigh Watkins escapes for the summer to Bitter End, Tennessee. There, she helps get her great-aunt’s house ready to sell, becomes part of a ragtag group of amateur bird watchers, and discovers long-buried family history and her place in it. For fans of: faith-filled stories with endearing characters. |
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My beloved
by Jan Karon
When Father Tim's wife, Cynthia, asks what he wants for Christmas, he pens the answer in a love letter that bares his most private feelings. Then the letter goes missing and circulates among his astonished neighbors. So much for private. Can a letter change a life? Ask Helene, the piano teacher who has avoided her feelings for a lifetime. Ask Hope, the village bookseller who desperately needs something that's impossibly out of reach. Or, if you'd like to know how a brush with death can be the portal to a happy marriage, Cynthia will tell you all about it. In My Beloved, Harley gets an important letter of his own; a broken heart teaches the Old Mayor, Esther Cunningham, a lesson long in coming; and thanks to Lace and Dooley, readers get what they've been waiting for: Sadie. Poignant, hilarious, and life-affirming, My Beloved sets a generous table for millions of readers who love these characters like family. With Karon's signature humanity shining through on every page, this is a season of life in Mitford you won't want to miss.
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| Last Light Over Galveston by Jennifer L. WrightIn 1900, 18-year-old Kathleen McDaniel, who’s just returned to New York State after two years in a Swiss finishing school, runs away from home after shocking news. She makes it to Galveston, Texas, where she uses a new name and helps at a convent’s orphanage, making connections with kind people, including a young man. But a brewing hurricane upsets it all in this gripping, atmospheric novel. Try this next: Kimberley Woodhouse’s A Mark of Grace. |
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Focus on: Christmas Stories
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| A Royal Christmas by Melody CarlsonBarista Adelaide Smith is working her way through law school when she learns she’s the daughter of the king of Montovia, a small European country. With her mother dead, Adelaide travels alone during Christmas break to meet her father and is drawn into family mysteries, royal jealousies, and a chance at her own happily ever after. For fans of: sweet rags-to-riches romances; Hallmark Christmas movies. |
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| The Christmas Gathering by Shelley Shepard Gray, Lenora Worth, and Rachel J. GoodThese three heartwarming novellas feature Amish people navigating faith and love during the holidays. In “A Christmas Reunion,” Tricia falls for her cousin's Englisch friend. Then, a decades-old family feud can’t stop the connection between a couple in “We Gather Together.” Finally, “Hitting All the Right Notes” sees a young Amish man start a rock band during his Rumspringa and fall for a young Amish woman. Try this next: A Lancaster Amish Christmas: 4 Romance Novellas by Anne Blackburne, Amy Clipston, Mindy Steele, Amy Lillard. |
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| An Ivy Hill Christmas by Julie KlassenBachelor Richard Brockwell happily lives in his family's London townhouse in 1822, but needs to attend his mother's Christmas country house party or be cut off financially. With the stray dog he's recently adopted in tow, he goes home and finds himself charmed by houseguest Arabella Awdry, who’s planning to devote her life to charity work in this standalone Tales from Ivy Hill novel. For fans of: Christmas romances with themes of redemption. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Plainfield Area Public Library
15025 S. Illinois St.
Plainfield, Illinois 60544
815.436.6639papl.info |
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