Christmas In Winter Hill, Melody Carson's Annual Christmas Book Is Delightful!

...from the publisher...
Krista Galloway is not a fan of Christmas. After her rough childhood in multiple foster homes, the holiday season just brings too many bad memories to the surface. But when she accepts a job as a city manager in the mountain town of Winter Hill, Washington, Christmas is part of the deal. The small town is famous for its Christmasville celebration, something that the city manager . . . well, manages.

As she tries to make her tiny new apartment feel like home for her and her eight-year-old daughter, Emily, Krista begins to wonder if this move was a mistake. She doesn't always feel welcomed in the close-knit town, and Emily continually wonders, "Where's the snow?" Can a friendly stranger and his family help restore Krista's Christmas spirit before the big day?

Bestselling author Melody Carlson invites you to spend this holiday season in a town you'll never forget--and never want to leave.
...my thoughts...
 Every year I look forward to Melody Carlson's annual Christmas book, wondering if she will be able to top the previous year and that in itself is a good recommendation.  However, the one reason her annual books are so memorable is that they are all different.  If she has a cookie cutter format like you see in those made for television Christmas movies, I have not seen it.  From The Christmas Joy Ride to the Christmas Angel Project, her stories are fresh and evoke fond feelings for the Christmas spirit.  Perhaps, because they nudge us to think of those caring feelings we have for others. Perhaps because she can touch the heart of the human spirit.

If ever one wanted a new start, moving from sunny Phoenix to Winter Hill, in Eastern Washington is about as fresh as you can get considering the weather, culture and small town life. For someone with an aversion to Christmas, the town's preoccupation with Christmasville had Kristen wondering if she rushed into accepting this new job. To make it more difficult, her daughter found everything about Winter Hill delightful.  I found the story entertaining and easy to read.  I am certain that this little town is thinly disguised as Leavenworth Washington, a delightful little town where Christmas is their middle name.  The fact that my hometown is mentioned a couple of times in passing didn't hurt either. All that aside, I believe the message within the covers of this quick read is simple: honesty and integrity are never out of date.  If you enjoy good-hearted stories, this one is for you. I highly recommend it.



 

Add A Song of Joy by Lauraine Snelling to Your Reading List

...from the publisher...
In Minnesota in 1911, Nilda Carlson is torn between society life in the city of Blackduck and spending time with her family back home on the farm. Her employer, Mrs. Schoenleber, gives her more and more responsibility and experience, including recommending new opportunities for her philanthropy. Still new to America herself, Nilda focuses on the area's immigrant

community, but she'll have to fight to get her ideas accepted by the locals and donors alike.

...my thoughts...
  A Song of Joy by Lauraine Snelling is a delightful story.  Nilda Carlson, an immigrant from Norway, has for some months, worked as personal assistant to the wealthy Mrs. Schoenleber.  She is grateful for all that she has learned and accomplished since being mentored by her generous employer.  She has mastered English is learning the ropes in a large family corporation and fits in whether it is in the boardroom or on the family's farm.  She is remarkably bright and it is her wish to give back so others who are new to the country can have some of the opportunities she has had.  When she shares her ideas to her philanthropic boss, she is met with surprising enthusiasm that eventually leads to a whole community's involvement to help the newcomers. 

I liked this book not just for the good story, but because it reminds me of how many of my ancestors came to America.  Someone came first, checked out the opportunity and sent tickets home for others to follow either one by one or in a group.  Some traveled by steerage and once they got to Minnesota, they settled together and worked hard.  My father's family spoke mostly German at home.  He went to school until the eighth grade, like Nilda's nephews did in A Song of Joy.  I admire how hard these immigrants worked the land or in other industries to support their families while building a new life in our country.  Their resilience, similar to the Carlson family, is what settled the midwest, and eventually, the western states.  I wasn't aware this was the fourth book in the Under the Northern Skies series but A Song of Joy can be read as a standalone.  I recommend this book as the story is engaging with good old fashioned characters!