The crunch of newly fallen snow, the weight of wartime
Siblings forging new paths and finding love in three stories, filled with the wonder of Christmas
Turn back the clock to a different time, listen to Bing Crosby sing of sleigh bells in the snow, as the realities of America’s involvement in the Second World War change the lives of the Turner family in Lafayette, Indiana.
In Cara Putman’s White Christmas, Abigail Turner is holding down the Home Front as a college student and a part-time employee at a one-of-a-kind candy shop. Loss of a beau to the war has Abigail skittish about romantic entanglements—until a hard-working young man with a serious problem needs her help.
Abigail’s brother Pete is a fighter pilot hero returned from the European Theater in Sarah Sundin’s I’ll Be Home for Christmas, trying to recapture the hope and peace his time at war has eroded. But when he encounters a precocious little girl in need of Pete’s friendship, can he convince her widowed mother that he’s no longer the bully she once knew?
In Tricia Goyer’s Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Meredith Turner, “Merry” to those who know her best, is using her skills as a combat nurse on the frontline in the Netherlands. Halfway around the world from home, Merry never expects to face her deepest betrayal head on, but that’s precisely what God has in mind to redeem her broken heart.
The Turner family believes in God’s providence during such a tumultuous time. Can they absorb the miracle of Christ’s birth and His plan for a future?
My Rating
Spring
My Review
Where Treetops Glisten is a really sweet and well-integrated collection of stories about one family's experiences throughout WWII. The way the collection is structured is really clever, and the novellas definitely put me in the Christmas spirit. Now that November is here, I'm feeling ready for some more Christmas music, movies, and books!
The collection begins on a gentle note. White Christmas is more of a quiet story about coming together to solve a mystery and find hope during the holidays. The romance didn't completely sweep me off my feet, but I appreciated the tenderness of it, and I especially enjoyed the details about Abigail's workplace (Glatz Candies) and the fact that Jackson works at a puzzle factory. How fun is that?
The second story, I'll Be Home for Christmas, was my favorite of the three. I love Sarah Sundin's writing - the way she so poignantly depicts themes and sketches details about the era and the characters' personalities. She even does a magnificent job of portraying the secondary characters! But the romance between Pete and Grace especially shines with sweet moments and second chances. Not to mention Pete's interactions with Linnie (Grace's daughter). Cuteness all around! And the message of the story really resonates, especially in a season where we tend to lean on others the most.
As for Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, I liked the change of pace. The hints of suspense kept the story moving along, despite a good dose of introspection. It's a story about making a difference and having the courage to do what's right...even when that means accepting something good you'd never thought you'd be able to have.
All in all, the war-time setting of these novellas really brings out the hope of Christmas. The family connections are wonderful, and even though the stories don't bring a lot of unexpected plot twists or engaging action, they're still sweet and enjoyable reads for the holidays. And the additions of the prologue and epilogue tie the collection together in a satisfying way.
*With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion, to be shared during the Litfuse Publicity blog tour.*
Tricia Goyer is a prolific author of nearly forty books, including Chasing Mona Lisa, and a speaker and blogger. Cara Putman is the author of twenty books including Shadowed by Grace. She is the winner of the 2008 Carol Award for historical fiction. Sarah Sundin is the critically-acclaimed author of the Wings of the Nightingale series, the Wings of Glory series, and the forthcoming Waves of Freedom novels.
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Blog Tour: Check out the reviews from other blog tour participants HERE.
6 comments:
Thank you for the lovely review, Amber! I'm so glad you enjoyed the stories!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the collection. It was a lot of fun to write!
Sounds like the perfect holiday read. Enjoyed your review, Amber!
Sarah,
You're very welcome! It's definitely an enjoyable collection - you all collaborated so well together. :)
~Amber
Cara,
I imagine it would be a really fun project to work on! Especially with three awesome people such as yourselves. :) Thank you for checking out my review and sharing a quote from it on that neat graphic!
~Amber
Sybil,
It is, especially for those who love the WWII era and/or who enjoy the sweet simplicity of Christmases past (even if the surrounding circumstances are far from simple). :) Thank you for stopping by and reading my review!
~Amber
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