Today’s Christmas-themed book review covers the best Christmas book I read this year. If you enjoy historical fiction, clean romance, or Christmas stories, then Where Treetops Glisten is sure to be a hit!
About the Book
Title: Where Treetops Glisten
Author(s): Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, & Sarah Sundin
Publication Date: September 16, 2014
Genre: Christmas, Christian Historical Fiction (WW2), Clean Romance
Synopsis (from Goodreads): Three siblings forging new paths and finding love in three stories, filled with the wonder of Christmas
In White Christmas by Cara Putman, Abigail Turner is holding down the Home Front as a college student and a part-time employee at a one-of-a-kind candy shop. Loss of a beau to the war has Abigail skittish about romantic entanglements—until a hard-working young man with a serious problem needs her help.
Abigail’s brother Pete is a fighter pilot hero returned from the European Theatre in Sarah Sundin’s I’ll Be Home for Christmas, trying to recapture the hope and peace his time at war has eroded. But when he encounters a precocious little girl in need of Pete’s friendship, can he convince her widowed mother that he’s no longer the bully she once knew?
In Tricia Goyer’s Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Meredith Turner, “Merry” to those who know her best, is using her skills as a combat nurse on the frontline in the Netherlands. Halfway around the world from home, Merry never expects to face her deepest betrayal head on, but that’s precisely what God has in mind to redeem her broken heart.
The Turner family believes in God’s providence during such a tumultuous time. Can they absorb the miracle of Christ’s birth and God’s plan for a future?
My Thoughts
Read in: September
Where Treetops Glisten is, without doubt, one of my favorite books read in 2019. From an academic/literary criticism standpoint it may not be objectively the “best,” but I fell in love so many times while reading this book. This is what the best books do (and therefore what the best authors facilitate): when you fall in love with a story a piece at a time, and suddenly look back and realize that you love the entire thing; that it has had a positive impact on you, and your life seems a little bit brighter for having read it.
I fell in love with each of the family members, starting with the precious grandmother and following with each of her children and grandchildren.
I fell in love with the atmospheric setting: the excitement of Christmas permeates each story, but the dreary facts of WW2 linger as well. Not everyone is filled with Christmas joy all of the time, and there are shortages and other struggles the characters must deal with. There are also fun details about candymaking and other era-specific factoids. This side-by-side presentation of extreme positives and struggles
I loved the way the characters treated one another. Despite difficulties, the majority of characters remain at least respectful and often care honestly for one another. Of course, romance comes into play with several of the characters, and is the main storyline for each of the novellas.
I loved the predictability. I know, that sounds weird, but I really appreciated that all of my expectations were met in the stories. Sometimes it’s not a benefit to have a predictable story, but in a set of feel-good Christmas romances, it really worked.
The Verdict
There are so many good things about this collection. I have adored Sundin’s writing for years, and I have read and liked a few of Goyer’s books before, but Putman is a new-to-me author. Where Treetops Glisten is going on my list of feel-good winter stories to reread whenever I need a pick-me-up or just want to reread something reliable and heartwarming. If you still have room in your Christmas TBR, I strongly recommend Where Treetops Glisten. 5 stars!
I can’t believe how close we are to Christmas now! Every year it seems like Christmas is so far away for so long, that it’s something of a shock when it is finally right around the corner. The temperature certainly doesn’t feel very Christmas-y around here, but we’re still without an HVAC system at work, so I am very okay with the moderate temperatures.
I really hope that you will consider reading today’s book! I can’t recommend it highly enough, if you like anything about the genre.
Until the next chapter,
Jana
Bonus (because I want to do everything I can to convince as many people as possible to read this book): First Line of Each Novella:
Winter Wonderland (Prologue) by Sarah Sundin: “Even her morning rheumatism couldn’t stop Louise Turner from decorating for Christmas.” (1941)
White Christmas by Cara Putman: “Tackle your greatest fear? Professor Plante had smiled as he issued the challenge, as if the assignment was easy to achieve.” (1942)
I’ll be Home for Christmas by Sarah Sundin: “Grace Kessler poked harder at the typewriter keys, trying to drown out the song. Her fingers betrayed her and tapped to the rhythm.” (1943)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Tricia Goyer: “Gray. The color of the sky outside the makeshift hospital.” (1944)
Reviews From the Stacks 