Book Review: The Christmas Promise

By Sandy Amazeen Oct 15, 2007, 21:36 GMT

The fourth installment of the popular Christmas Hope series sees sixty-year-old Gloria Bailey, widowed seven years, hard at work assisting the needy in her small town community. Snooty next-door neighbor Miriam Lloyd Davies delights in putting down her efforts and now, thanks to a houseful of catastrophic water damage, finds herself bunking with Gloria during the reconstruction. The two widows couldn’t be more different and yet, they eventually discover friendship as Gloria continues working with a terrified young unwed mother-to-be, a domestic violence victim and her charming little boy. Mathew, her son is the main reason Gloria is so committed to her charity work, he disappeared at seventeen, a mere two weeks before his father succumbed to illness. Gloria holds out hope that one day, Mathew will return home. Chaz a twenty four year old drifter and alcoholic, takes a security job at the local department store and despite his best efforts to remain detached from the many people around him, finds a kernel of humanity longing to break free. The lives of these people intertwine and come full circle as each makes some life changing choices, rekindling their faith along the way.

Van Liere serves up another sweet story with this light, life-affirming if improbable tale where goodness and grace overcome some stiff odds, just the ticket to get into the holiday spirit.