The book is a collection of short stories by Montgomery published in magazines in the early 1900 s and two stories from the Anne of Green Gables series. If they know her well, the two Christmas stories will be remembered fondly and the others will be fresh fodder for the devotion that Montgomery inspires in her young readers. The message of advent and Christmas can get a little worn when the book box is brimming and they all begin to look the same. I read Papa s Angels by Collin Wilcox Paxton and Gray Carden in one sitting, with tears streaming down my face. It brought to mind a dear friend who has experienced the loss of both her parents this year and the hope and joy that I pray her children will bring her this Christmas.
Angels is a book for older children.
As Papa retreats more and more into his sorrow, the children become increasingly hopeless that they will ever again hear him sing or see him laugh. Their grandmother keeps alive the flickers of hope that seem to be every child s birthright and gently guides them to see how they can help their father stir from his misery. Interspersed throughout the book are lovely songs that Papa has composed in happier days to celebrate his family and express the sweet, pure, lasting love he has for his wife. In the end, it is music, the wisdom of children, and the spirit of love that triumphs over loss and brings the father back to his children. The st ory is very comp elling and my children frequently begged for more after one day s devotion was read.