An excellent read about two girls that had been switched at birth. One was Amish and the other a typical American girl who both found out through a letter from a nurse that was getting old and couldn’t contain the truth about the switch any longer. An Amish family in the area of Lancaster, Pa. had raised Rachel Yoder and Ellie Shore grew up in the New York City area and had a lucrative job. When the letters arrived the girls didn’t know how to react or if the letters were truthful. They appeared believable but how could such a thing occur? They each pondered for some time before telling their parents about the letters, wondering what their reaction would be after raising each in their own way all their life. They each decided to try living with their rightful parents to see that life would be characterized since the difference was so great. An Amish girl living in New York city amidst the towering buildings having so much available of which she never knew the existence of, so never missed those fancy stores and crowded streets and sidewalks. And a New Yorker used to all the good as well as bad things that she was raised around, used to going anywhere or getting almost anything she wanted to leave and work on a farm with no modern amenities. This would be a real challenge but Rachel and Ellie were up to trying.
Rachel tried living in Ellie’s apartment in New York while Ellie went to the Amish farm to see how that would work out. The new and rightful families of each girl assisted each of them to try to adjust to their new style of living and existing. Ellie found it much easier to rent a small house not too far from the farm because she was having a hard time adjusting while Rachel didn’t know what to do with herself now in this jungle of a city! The families got to meet which was another strange meeting but they all tried hard to be friendly and make this a success. Some cash had been given to Rachel to pay her expenses while Ellie had money of her own for her living arrangements. The many culture differences were quite a challenge to both girls and their families. After many adjustments in their lives they each had situated in their new homes but many times not knowing if they were happy or not.
I could go on and tell some of the many interesting plots and subplots that exist in the story but they are what makes this story such a great read. Just purchase the book and start reading. You will laugh, you will cry, you will try to place yourself in the same position, and in the end you will have surprises not knowing if this is the life you would have chosen.
A Plain and Fancy Christmas Written By Cynthia Keller
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