A Simple Winter

A Seasons of Lancaster Novel

By: Rosalind Lauer

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

The promise of a home, the heartbreak of an impossible love.

As a budding journalist with a major newspaper, Remy McCallister is eager to prove herself. While investigating an unsolved crime, Remy winds up in the tightly woven Amish community of Lancaster County, the last place she would ever expect to find herself. The story leads her to Adam King and his 10 younger siblings, who are trying to sustain their warm, loving home in the wake of the murder of their parents. Although Remy tries to remain professional, she is captivated by the Kings. With her own mother gone and her father disengaged from their relationship, Remy longs for a home and a family just like that of these good, simple people.

Suddenly patriarch of his large family, Adam struggles to do the right thing for his siblings, his community, and his God. He neither wants nor needs the complications that spirited Remy brings. But as much as he tries to push her away, even as he counts all the ways this lovely outsider cannot possibly remain in his world - or in his heart - the wondrous light she shines upon his troubled soul cannot be denied. Adam can only pray for the strength and the faith to get this Englisher girl out of their lives for good.

Snowbound with the Kings, Remy experiences the wonder and the chores of a simple winter among the Plain People, as well as the friendship of their warm community. When her peaceful interlude ends, does she dare to reveal a killer in their midst, knowing that she may lose the love of this special family and this remarkable man?

©2011 Rosalind Lauer (P)2011 Random House Audio

I really like the story!

This is a very good story. Characters are developed well. The only problem was the narrator. While she has a lovely voice, I had a hard time distinguishing who the men were, and she sounded like she was trying to be sexy... which was NOT for this genre,

Wonderful good!!!!!

This was a wonderful book. It had everything you hope to find in a good book, love, rejection, surprise and suspense. Narrator had very soothing voice and easy to listen to.

A simple Winter

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book is pure pleasure. The way the Amish are portrayed is absolutely genius. It is like taking a vacation in your mind. I didn't want it to end so I went on and bought the next two in the series.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Simple Winter?

Remy was describing the home life of the family she was visiting and the feeling of love and warmth and how she wanted this life. I felt like I was in the room with her experiencing the companionship.

What about Cassandra Campbell’s performance did you like?

Cassandra does an absolutely superb job. Her voice adds to the whole experience of being around these very gentle people.

Any additional comments?

Please don't pass up the opportunity to enter into a gentler world.

Painful to listen to, many missed opportunities

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Who would enjoy this book? Someone who likes Amish fiction, regardless. Someone who enjoys gloomy, melodramatic plots.

Would you ever listen to anything by Rosalind Lauer again?

No, I would not listen to another Lauer book. It was a lesson in frustration. This novel sucked the joy out of listening to a book while I work. I am diehard about finishing a novel I have purchased, even if I do not enjoy it. This one, I almost put down unfinished.

Did Cassandra Campbell do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

I believe Cassandra Campbell was an okay narrator, but she was narrating a bad story. The result is that Campbell came across as a bit young for the characters' ages, and the characters sometimes sounded whiny. I believe the latter problem may or may not have been Campbell's fault. However, other narrators have managed to take characters that were weak or even slightly offensive and narrate them in such a way that they were better for it.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from A Simple Winter?

If I could play editor for this book, I would reduce the amount of redundant background information and subplot details. The author is bad about repeating information while not fleshing out other details. While the murder is an important aspect of the book, it is supposed to be the pivotal event that draws Remy and Adam together, but their relationship never developed to a believable level. Adam is crabby and dysfunctional throughout most of the story. I didn't like him. I could not figure out why Remy loved him unless it is because he is just as messed up as her father. Perhaps she is used to the emotional abuse. I liked Remy well enough, but the reader spends way too much time in her head, and the result is a lot of dithering. I can say the same for the many moments spent in Adam's head, too. There is a lot of TELLING me that Adam is a good man, but not enough SHOWING me. I certainly do not see it in his behavior. There are a lot of missed opportunities to see Remy interact with Adam and the other siblings, so that we could garner a feeling for warmth, tenderness and love. And, WHAT was that scene with Simon when he is first told much needed good news only to have Adam do a total about face and traumatize the kid further? I though Adam had the kid's best interests at heart? Could have fooled me! No, I did not believe in the characters, the plot line or the overall story.

Any additional comments?

I truly enjoy Amish fiction, and I have read many, many great Amish novels, but I truly did not enjoy this book.