Skip to main content

Christmas at Harrington's

One of the fun parts of Christmas to me has always been Christmas movies and Christmas stories.  What I love about them is the sense of hope that is present in each one of them.  I love what Gladys Hunt says in Honey For a Woman's Heart when she talks about why women read.  We often read to learn new things and see outside of our worlds, but we also read simply for enjoyment.  Christmas stories are simply enjoyment to me.

I've noticed that Melody Carlson has published a new Christmas fiction novel for the past few years.  Last year, she published The Christmas Dog.  I reviewed it and enjoyed it.  It was one of the rare books that was simply a good story but wasn't about romance the way many Christian fiction stories are.  This year, the Christmas novel she has published is titled Christmas at Harrington's. 

This story is of Lena.  She is released from prison and is starting over.  She finds herself seated next to Moira on the bus as she heads to New Haven, Minnesota.  Lena had served seven years and completed her sentence.  Christmas at Harringtons is her story of starting over.  Her past is ever present though and this story is one of grace and healing. 

The writing and plot are good and easy to read.  I lost myself in the book for two or three hours and emerged with a joyful sense of hope.  Wrongs can be righted sometimes. 

Amidst struggle and hardship, it is the hope of the Lord that gives me strength.  It is stories--even fictional ones that often remind me of the hope the Lord has for me.  I enjoy fun stories and the light of the Lord that often shines through them.  

One of my favorite verses is from I John 4:12  "No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." NIV 

Though the stories are fictional, there is a seed of truth in them and the reminder of things like those in the story that have happened.

Christmas at Harrington's is a fun Christmas story to curl up with on a cold winter night.  At the end, you'll probably close the book and smile.

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Revell Publishing.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ESV, NIV, or NASB and then there's the ICB, ESV or NIrV...which should we read?

I am so thankful for my friend's question about the ESV vs. NASB and NIV. I couldn't remember the difference so I went to look it up. I knew that John Piper and Tim Keller, both pastors and authors that I deeply respect have switched over to the ESV. All of the churches that we have attended over the past few years PCA or Reformed Baptist have also switched to the ESV. I did find a blog that explained the differences and that helped me ( http://thefoolishgalatian.wordpress.com/2007/10/22/niv-vs-esv-and-why-piper-switched/ ) I knew why I didn't like the KJV--it was written in the days when writers were paid by a patron and that often slanted the translation. The NKJV, from what I understand, is a revision of the KJV that uses more modern language. Most churches I have attended used the NIV until the ESV came out. The blog I found explained that the ESV is a more literal translation---like the NASB. The NASB is a very literal translation. The ESV has come to be consid...
Post a Comment
Read more

Missing Pieces

The other day I was discussing a book with my mom and explaining to her my concern about how "blame" is cast upon the child in the story.  My mom commented about how deeply I read and consider what is written. Sometimes I wonder if I go overboard.  Am I questioning too much?  Am I overreacting? Why am I reacting this way? I come back to knowing that God wired me this way.  But, I also reflect on how God has guided my path through the maze of books I've read over the past few years and what I've learned from the books themselves and from reading them.   Recently, I read a book that troubled me.  The book I finished reading was  Guiltless Living  by Ginger Hubbard.  When I began reading it, I found myself puzzled and then disconcerted. And in the end, I cried. But, I cried for a different reason than one might suspect. I'd like to explain. I did not read Ms. Hubbard's previous book “ Don't Make Me Count to Three ”, but I knew from f...
Post a Comment
Read more

listening or rather not listening to directions...

This week has been very eye opening. I am observing and noticing what I need to learn in order to be a better homeschooling mom and teacher and what my daughter needs to learn to be a good homeschooling student. My weakness when I was a teacher in a first grade classroom was not understanding how small concepts had to be broken down--and I lost my patience very quickly. This week, in particular today, I am seeing how detailed my directions need to be. I am going to be working very consciously and deliberately on this. On the other hand, I realized that my daughter does not listen! Wowsers! In a classroom, Autumn listens very well. She is a compliant child and very influenced by peer pressure and conformity. So, she listens along with everyone else and follows directions. But, at home, it's just Autumn and maybe Sami and Mommy. Very, very different! I had forgotten that most of kindergarten in the public schools is not focused on teaching students academic and learning co...
1 comment
Read more