Beverly Lewis | Exclusive Excerpt: THE CHRISTMAS HOUSE

Exclusive Excerpt of THE CHRISTMAS HOUSE by Beverly Lewis

Liz’s mind was going a mile a minute as she considered the news Dat had given her last evening. Adam seemed to be taking the sudden change of plans in stride, however, as King pulled the tour carriage at an unhurried trot this morning.

When she’d asked him earlier if he was acquainted at all with Matt Yoder, Adam had admitted he was not. “But I wouldn’t fret about it, Lizzy. Dat wouldn’t’ve picked him to fill in if he had any concerns.”

Liz figured that, but she also knew she would miss the comfortable back-and-forth she and Adam shared during the tours. With her brother, she really only had to think about the customers—something she’d been hard-pressed to do this morning, and he wasn’t even gone yet. How would it be with a new guy at her side?

But there was no time to ponder that now. Liz turned toward the passengers seated behind her and put on a smile as she shared a bit of the history of Hickory Hollow. “Back in the 1730s, this plentiful land drew Amish settlers to farm here. My ancestors considered farming a sacred duty. In fact, we still think of plowing and planting the soil as God-given responsibilities—one of the reasons there are so many Amish farmers. My grandfather Dawdi Lantz has always said farmin’ is the best kind of work.”

Adam took over then to talk about the various types of farms found in the community, and it wasn’t long before Ella Mae Zook’s Dawdi Haus came into view. Liz could just imagine the dear woman either brewing peppermint tea or sitting across the table in her home from a friend in need as they sipped tea together. That was her calling, she’d often said—listening to folks as they opened their hearts for her guidance or prayer, or both.

Adam slowed King’s trot, and Liz resumed her commentary. “Accordin’ to the local grapevine, the delightful woman who lives in that addition might be over one hundred years old, but no one knows for sure. Folks wonder if her family is sworn to secrecy, since none of them has fessed up to the actual number. And whenever the woman is asked, she simply beams and says that one’s age really ain’t as important as showin’ kindness to one’s neighbor and followin’ the Good Book. Oh, and drinkin’ at least one cup of peppermint tea with honey daily.”

There was a round of laughter, and even Adam grinned despite having heard this many times before.

A young teen on board raised her hand. “Does her family live in the larger attached house, then?”

“Jah, and a short hallway connects her home to her daughter’s family, so she has the freedom to live in her own space. But if she needs help or wants to go next door for a meal or a visit, it’s convenient.”

“We call her the Wise Woman,” Adam added, “partly because of her longevity and life experiences, and partly because she gives godly advice when asked for it.”

“Sounds like you might know firsthand,” an older passenger observed.

“Puh! Did I just tell on myself?” Adam chuckled, and a couple of the adults on board muffled a laugh.

Curious, Liz glanced at her brother. She’d never known he’d visited Ella Mae. Why would he?

THE CHRISTMAS HOUSE by Beverly Lewis

An Amish Christmas Novella

Beverly Lewis, the number-one bestselling author of Amish fiction, delivers a delightful Christmas novella of faith, romance, and heartwarming holiday traditions.

With the holidays approaching, Liz Lantz is dedicated to using her Hickory Hollow buggy tour business to share God’s love with the Englisher tourists who visit her Lancaster County community. But when her father and brother are called away for a while, Dat finds a young Amishman to assist her on the tours in her brother’s place, much to Liz’s dismay. Regardless, the popularity of her Christmas House Buggy Tour means she could use the help, so as the countdown to Christmas begins, she works alongside Matthew Yoder, who quickly takes a genuine interest in the tour customers–and Liz.

As an Englisher family in Hickory Hollow expresses their festive spirit with a lavishly decorated house for the second year running, Liz’s Amish community becomes increasingly concerned about attracting unwanted traffic and attention, and Liz wonders if there is any way to bridge the gap to help the new neighbors feel welcome. At the same time, she grapples with her growing feelings for Matt, whose position with her is only temporary. Can she find a way to bring harmony to Hickory Hollow in time for Christmas?

Beverly Lewis’s homespun Amish romance will draw in readers who love family, small towns, and Christmas festivities. This charming holiday novella brings cheer and faith for the winter season.

Amish | Romance [Bethany House Publishers, On Sale: September 2, 2025, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9780764244681 / eISBN: 9781493451272]

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About Beverly Lewis

Beverly Marie Jones (Lewis) was born in the heart of Amish country—Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Not until her own children were well into middle school did Bev seek to publish her work, first in magazines such as Highlights for Children, Dolphin Log, and Guideposts for Kids. Her first book followed in 1993—MOUNTAIN BIKES AND GARBANZO BEANS—presently retitled BIG BAD BEANS (book #22 in the popular Cul-de-Sac Kids series of chapter books—see list of Bev’s children’s books). Beverly’s first venture into adult fiction is the best-selling trilogy, The Heritage of Lancaster County, including The Shunning, a suspenseful saga of Katie Lapp, a young Amish woman drawn to the modern world by secrets from her past. The book is loosely based on the author’s maternal grandmother, Ada Ranck Buchwalter, who left her Old Order Mennonite upbringing to marry a Bible College student. One Amish-country newspaper claimed Beverly’s work to be “a primer on Lancaster County folklore” and offers “an insider’s view of Amish life.” Asked if she is surprised by the popularity of her work, Lewis says, “The sales response for my work is astonishing, but even more heartwarming are thousands of letters a year pouring in from readers.” Fans describe how her books have “touched a nerve, creating a curiosity about the Old Ways of the Amish… a yearning for a simpler life and return to traditional values in the mainstream society, where an impersonal, high-tech lifestyle reigns paramount,” she explains. Bev still takes time out of her busy schedule to answer her readers’ letters. Booksellers across the country, and around the world, have spread the word of Bev’s tender tales of Plain country life. A clerk in a Virginia bookstore wrote, “Beverly’s books have a compelling freshness and spark. You just don’t run across writing like that every day. I hope she’ll keep writing stories about the Plain people for a long, long time.” A member of the National League of American Pen Women, as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of Evangel University, Lewis has written over 80 books for children, youth, and adults, many of them award-winning. She and her husband, David, make their home in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking, biking, and spending time with their family. They are also avid musicians and fiction “book worms.”