Review: Heartwarming Christmas Story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 8, 2012
I'm not sure how Joyce DiPastena manages to tell such a complete and moving story in 23 pages, but she does! The entire story takes place on one night... Christmas Eve.Meg, who prefers to be known as Christina, has had one dream her whole life. The only way she can accomplish this dream is by going to Wilton Abbey with her uncle. She has denied herself all the luxuries of life and spends her life repenting of her weaknesses so that her uncle will see her dedication and take her to the abbey.Burthred has been Meg's betrothed since she was a baby, but she has never met him until this night. Her father drags Burthred into Meg's darkened room (she has refused herself light and warmth to further prove to her uncle downstairs of her faithfulness). Because of the dark, Meg can't see the deformity in Burthred that has kept any woman from wanting him... in spite of his strength and wealth. But even in the dark she can see his compassion and kindness.Even though Burthred could easily overpower her with his strength, and force her to become his wife, he takes an oath to behave and respect her. Burthred does not need brute force because he has greater tools at his disposal: love, gentleness, compassion, honesty, unselfishness, and even a dose of logic.As Meg gets to know Burthred, she is torn between being Meg - who would love to be honored and cherished by a man like this - and Christina - who has lived her whole life to accomplish this one dream, and the only way she knows that she can accomplish this dream is by going to the abbey. Falling in love with Burthred will NOT help her reach this goal.When Burthred discovers what her dream is, he offers a way for her to become his wife AND fulfill her biggest dream. One of the last lines of the story sums it up best: "How could she have guessed before this night that she would find her own light, not in an abbey's walls of learning, but in Burthred's love?"