Review: A Delightful Christmas Read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 30, 2011
I was looking for a good Christmas read, something a little lighter than Dickens and with a more contemporary, grown-up, approach.  I stumbled onto this as a free Kindle download and am very glad I gave it a try. We always think of the 'magic' of Christmas as mysteries that we create for children to experience.  In this story, the magic lies not in the mysteries that we playact for the little ones, but is in the very core of us, that drive to weave beauty and mystery into our lives and in that impulse, create the mystery of love.  This story looks at the other side of this drive, too- the side that mourns when we lose that magic in our lives.  I loved this tale of the sad, bereft man who is drawn into the happiness, warmth and brightness of life, despite himself, and finds that he isn't as empty as he thought.  The author, Kathleen Valentine, crafts her story with beautiful simplicity, letting the tale tell itself and letting the characters speak for themselves in their own good time and way.  This was a pure delight to read, and I'd recommend it for anyone wanting to capture the joy of the season in a modern setting.