Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Lynn Austin: The Wish Book Christmas

 By Kelly Bridgewater

From the bestselling author of If I Were You comes a nostalgic and endearing holiday story that reminds us that sometimes the most meaningful gifts are the ones we least expect and don't deserve.

Best friends Audrey Barrett and Eve Dawson are looking forward to celebrating Christmas in postwar America, thrilled at the prospect of starting new traditions with their five-year-old sons. But when the 1951 Sears Christmas Wish Book arrives and the boys start obsessing over every toy in it, Audrey and Eve realize they must first teach them the true significance of the holiday. They begin by helping Bobby and Harry plan gifts of encouragement and service for those in their community, starting by walking an elderly neighbor's yellow Lab--since a dog topped the boys' wish list for Santa. In the charming tale that follows, Audrey and Eve are surprised to find their own hearts healing from the tragedies of war and opening to the possibility of forgiveness and new love.
 


 

My Thoughts:

The Wish Book Christmas by Lynn Austin welcomes readers back to the familiar characters of If I Were You. Even if you had not read that story, you will still enjoy this novel, but I think to understand and fully embrace the forgiveness story, you need to read If I Were You.  I love reading Christmas stories when it is 93 degrees outside. It makes me smile and bring a warmth to Christmas. Austin crafted a story that a lot of children need to read and understand. Our family does not spend a lot on our boys for Christmas. We plan a trip with each individual child during the year instead. Much better than gifts. I do like the idea of giving three gifts to help others like the Wise Men did to Jesus. I love the Happy Birthday Jesus Party too. We do that in our house too. I love the snow. It was everywhere. Something I want more of. I really enjoyed this story. It shares a wonderful Christmas and life lessons about gifts. Plus, it was a delight to spend time with. I definitely want a paperback copy of this novel to put on my shelf. I highly recommend this book to others.

I received a complimentary copy of The Wish Book Christmas by Lynn Austin from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Wish Book Christmas

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