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Don't wait until Christmas to read Debbie Macomber's WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES. This heartwarming little book will get even the Scrooge in you ready to welcome the holiday season! It's a delightful story, complete with lessons about love, friendship and the spirit of Christmas, but is never preachy. This is just the book to curl up with before the season spins out of control.
Emily Springer is a widowed mother, whose daughter is attending Harvard and has declined to come home for Christmas. The very traditional Emily is unable to accept that decision and makes arrangements to surprise her daughter by flying across the country to Boston. On the Internet she finds a Christmasphobic professor, Charles Brewster, who wants to escape the holidays and thinks that a prison town like Leavenworth would be ideal to meet his gloomy needs. So they decide to swap homes for Christmas week. Unfortunately, Emily's daughter, Heather, is heading for Florida on the back of Elijah's motorcycle and Charles mistook Leavenworth, Washington for Leavenworth, Kansas. Leavenworth, Washington, much to his dismay, is like the Christmas village of the Northwest --- complete with horsedrawn sleighs, Christmas tree lightings, and ceaseless good will. Humbug.
Adding to the merry mix-ups are Charles's brother, Ray, and Emily's friend, Faith. Bernice Brewster, the meddling mom of the two men, has convinced herself that some hussy is taking advantage of her unworldly son Charles. She cajoles her worldly son Ray into driving up to Boston to find out what's going on and why some woman is answering the phone in Charles's condo. Meanwhile, Emily's friend Faith has decided to surprise her by flying up from San Francisco to help assuage the pain of daughter Heather's absence. The ensuing comic confusions won't necessarily make you laugh out loud, but your cheeks will definitely know that you've been smiling a lot.
No murder, no mayhem, no gratuitous sex --- just a great little story about people you would love to spend time with around the holidays. What a concept! Be sure to open WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES before December 25th.
--- Reviewed by Maggie Harding, a substance abuse counselor in Phoenix, AZ who wanted to be Brenda Starr before life intervened. She also reviews for www.faithfulreader.com and www.womenonwriting.com. To contact Maggie, e-mail Magster2@cox.net.
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