Review: A Sharecropper Christmas by Carlene Havel
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 19, 2014
A Sharecropper Christmas by Carlene Havel is an inspiring story that leaves you with a good feeling in spite of the sadness of the story. Alice and Herbert Shoemaker have two sons and a baby on the way. The Great Depression has hit the family hard and they are hungry and homeless. They are living in a tent when Herbert comes home and has great news, he has gotten a job as a sharecropper. They will now have a house but in reality it is little more than a ramshackle shack. But as bad as it is, it is better than a tent. Alice works tirelessly to make the best of the hard times. She covered the walls with newspapers to help keep out the cold and has to cook in a Dutch oven in the fireplace. Now that they have chickens, Alice is saving money from selling eggs to hopefully realize her dream to have a special Christmas for her sons. In spite of the despair and loss of hope during the Great Depression, Alice and Herbert continue to love each other and the boys and trust God to help them through the tough times.The characters in the story were very well developed and I felt as if I knew each of the family as a close friend and I kept rooting for them to have a better life. Even though the story was somewhat depressing, the plot was able to hold my attention and was very well written. There were many disappointments for the family, but with love and trust in God, things worked out for the better. It was evident that the author did her research of the Great Depression. As I was reading all the action that was taking place, in my mind I was working right along with the characters and trying to help them find even a little bit of happiness.I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read an inspiring and uplifting Christmas story.Prism Book Group provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.