by
Andrea Renee Cox
The
last book I read in 2014 turned out to be one of my favorites for the year. Where
Treetops Glisten is a collaboration novel that features the Turner
family. The prologue introduces you to the family from the grandmother’s point
of view, which I found to be sweet and a wonderful way to begin the book.
The
storyline moves forward nearly a year to begin the first official story, White Christmas by Cara Putman. In it,
Christmas of 1942 certainly will be different for Abigail Turner. Her two
siblings, Pete and Merry, are off helping with the war effort, which leaves
Abigail to wonder how she may help others this holiday season. Jackson Lucas
faces dark times for the holiday. On the brink of losing his family’s farm, he’s
desperate to find answers and a way to assist his mother and sisters back home,
while working hard in Lafayette, Indiana. When Abigail and Jackson meet, the
question will be: Will they be able to open up to each other enough to help
solve one another's problems?
After
that, we step into I’ll Be Home for Christmas
by Sarah Sundin. This story sees Pete Turner return home on furlough, and he
struggles to find feeling again after the difficult things he’s seen and done
in the war. Can healing come to him in the form of a little girl, who searches
for her daddy? Or will little Linnie’s mother, Grace Kessler, discourage any
further contact with Pete when she realizes he’s her childhood bully? When
their separate lives have no other option but to collide, both Grace and Pete
must compromise and learn to adjust their perspectives if they’re ever to find
the doses of healing they yearn for.
The
third full tale in this compilation, Have
Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Tricia Goyer, travels overseas with Meredith “Merry”
Turner. She works as a nurse on the front lines of the war,
but the toughest battle she’ll face is the betrayal that broke her heart. It
becomes impossible to shove aside thoughts of her lost love when she thinks she
sees him in the midst of the Netherlands where she’s posted. Will her heart
ever find solace so far from home?
Lastly,
there is an epilogue, which is, again, in the point of view of the grandmother.
These bookends (prologue and epilogue in the grandmother's POV) were such a
darling touch to frame the features in that I was blown away by the beauty of
the entire setup.
 |
| Cara Putman |
Earlier
in 2014, I discovered Cara Putman when I read Shadowed by Grace. As you may remember, I absolutely loved that
book. Well, when I found out she’d teamed up with Tricia Goyer, I knew I couldn’t
resist such a treat. Cara immediately brought to life the time period that
served as a backdrop for World War II in Where
Treetops Glisten. Her research must have been quite thorough, for I felt
completely immersed into the lives of Abigail and Jackson, and sometimes
tripped my way back to reality when real life called for my attention. If Shadowed by Grace made me an instant fan
of hers, her novella, White Christmas,
ensured I’ll be a lifetime cardholder (a nod to former times when members of
clubs held cards stating their membership).
 |
| Sarah Sundin |
I’ll Be Home for Christmas was my first
sampling of Sarah Sundin, and I’ve got to tell you, it took my breath away. The
character journeys all wove together perfectly, making me laugh and bringing
tears to my eyes. There’s an innocent quality to her work that is
difficult to bring across in novels and even harder to describe. This woman had
a challenge ahead of her with Pete’s journey, but she pulled it off with grace,
talent, and a big dose of faith, which I love seeing in books. She’s definitely
on my list of authors to keep my eyes out for.
 |
| Tricia Goyer |
Tricia Goyer has yet to disappoint me with her historical fiction novels, and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
is no exception. The thing I find most satisfying about her books is how she seamlessly
knits God and faith into her characters’ lives. Even when they struggle to find
the footing of their faith, her characters seem to emanate whatever scrap of it
they’re clinging to. The journey to strengthen their faith often helps me to
bolster my own faith, as well, which is something I greatly appreciate in
Christian fiction novels. When fiction meets reality … that’s where I feel most
at home.
If
you haven’t yet read Where Treetops Glisten, now would be
the time to spend that gift card money you got for Christmas. This book
deserves five stars for certain, and that’s what it’s getting from me. This
book easily hit my top five favorites list for last year, and I’m hoping it
will hit your top ten for this year too.
What do you think of collaboration or
compilation books (books with more than one story in them, often written by more than one author)? Are you a fan or
not? What is it about them that you do or don’t like? If you haven’t given them
a try before now, what’s holding you back?
Thanks for stopping by today! I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section below. And don’t forget to drop by next Monday for my latest article.
Would you like to be my guest? Here's how to submit an article.
Do you need a proofreader? Here are the services I offer.
No comments:
Post a Comment