Hello, everyone! Sorry this post is coming to you a day late. Today, I am going to be reviewing a book I recently enjoyed, Fingerprints in Frost, an anthology from Wild Blue Wonder Press!

Buy on Amazon – Add on Goodreads

Book: Fingerprints in Frost by multiple authors

Genre: Anthology (contains Christian contemporary and historical fiction)

Blurb: Fingerprints in Frost is a Christian short story collection featuring nine cozy stories of seeking God in the messy joys of homemaking and family. This anthology contains touching stories from contemporary and historical fiction authors with a mix of different subgenres—all written to the glory of God! (from Goodreads.com)

My Rating: 4 stars

Recommended Age: 18+ (while most of the stories are appropriate for younger, they probably would not find it as interesting)

My Review:

I have enjoyed Wild Blue Wonder Press’ previous anthologies, and I was excited to finally read Fingerprints in Frost! This anthology did not disappoint. This was a sweet collection of nine short stories, all set in the wintertime and with themes of homemaking and family. I appreciated the variety of genres and themes, and how Christianity is strongly woven throughout all of the stories. Here are my ratings and short reviews of each of the stories:

‘Til Spring’s Coming by Jessica B. Brown ~ 3.5 stars

This story is a historical story about a young Norwegian immigrant family. I liked the main character and appreciated the theme of relying on others. The writing style was a bit simplistic, but overall, I enjoyed this story.

Like Honey of Bees by Bethany Willcock ~ 4.5 stars

This story is about a young lady staying at her brother’s inn and helping take care of his children while he’s in the hospital, along with trying to solve a mystery about a young woman who appears at the inn in the night. This was my favorite in the collection! I loved the 1940s setting and the mystery with the amnesia trope. The little kids were a lot of fun, too. I really enjoyed the writing style; it felt very appropriate for the setting.

Content notes: Flashbacks to war (not overly graphic, but there are some mentions of blood and death)

Keepsakes by Kellyn Roth ~ 4 stars

This is a short slice-of-life story about two grieving young boys around Christmastime and their families. I found this story a bit confusing at first, but after a bit, it started to make more sense, and I ended up enjoying it. I thought the late 1700s setting was interesting as I haven’t read many stories set in that time period. The young main characters were really sweet, and the themes of grief and memories were well-done.

Content notes: Grief

Back to the Trees by Amberly Kristen Clowe ~ 3 stars

This was a unique story as it is about a couple saving their failing marriage. I am not a big fan of the miscommunication trope, and this story largely centers around a big misunderstanding, so that definitely detracted from my enjoyment of the story. However, the writing was good, and there were some good messages about true love and commitment.

Content notes: The majority of the story is about a wife suspecting her husband has had an affair SPOILER ALERT though the wife does later find out that the rumors about her husband’s infidelity aren’t true END SPOILER ALERT

Winter’s Returning by Hosanna Emily & Chloe Field ~ 3.5 stars

This story is about two teenaged siblings and what they discover when the pastor of their church realizes Christianity isn’t about legalism but about grace. While some aspects of the story didn’t seem the most realistic to me, I enjoy reading stories about siblings, and I liked reading about them discovering the true meaning of the Gospel.

Embracing Joy by Heather Flynn ~ 4 stars

This short story is about a young lady struggling with infertility and a visit she receives from her young goddaughter that teaches her to find joy even in the midst of hard times. Joy seemed like such a sweet young girl, and I thought the message of finding joy in all of life’s circumstances was very encouraging.

Content notes: Infertility is a major plot point in the story.

A Brystel Family Christmas by Elyse Cotton ~ 4 stars

I enjoyed this story about a Deaf family and how they pull together to have a merry Christmas despite the financial struggles they are facing. It was fun reading a story with a large family and Deaf/ASL rep. I was confused about some things, though, such as if all of the members of the family were Deaf. Overall, though, it was a sweet story that showed that it’s not presents or material things that make the holiday season special.

His Everyday Fingerprints by Erika Mathews ~ 4 stars

This was a short slice-of-life story about a young mother’s day as she attempts to live by the fruit of the Spirit and seek God in the everyday. This story was an encouraging reminder to always look to God. I enjoyed the writing and the characters.

My Roots Shall Run Down by Katja H. Labonté ~ 4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this story about a young lady moving to the countryside with her young cousins and learning to wait on God. I thought Myriam was a relatable main character, and I appreciated reading about her journey as she learned to rely on God and trust His timing.

I hope you enjoyed this review of Fingerprints in Frost! What have you been reading lately? I would love to hear from you in the comments! I’ll be back on Saturday with another installment in my “Meet My Characters” series!