Title: The Christmas Angel
Author: Jane Maas
Genre: Genre fiction
How I got the book: Borrowed from my mom
Summary (from Amazon):
In 1875, Owen Thomas, a poor Welsh coal miner, falls in love with a beautiful London actress, Jessica Lavery. He builds her a cottage in his village, and enchants her with the promise of the holidays they’ll share after they marry. According to his special Thomas family tradition, the Christmas tree must always be outside, where it can look up to God. Owen carves her an angel to go on top of their tree, with lavender eyes like hers, a token more meaningful to her than any engagement ring. When Jessica breaks off their romance, Owen, broken-hearted, wraps the angel in his mother’s shawl and brings her to America. There, she looks down over five generations, witnessing peace and war, triumphs and tragedies, reminding all who see her that Christmas is the time when families and sweethearts can come together, laughter and goodwill can lighten even the heaviest burden, and magic fills the earth. This is a story of faith and love. And of the miracle that brought the angel home again.
My Review:
I read this 172-page book in one sitting. It’s a tale based on true events about a Christmas angel that was passed down from one generation to another in one family.
An angel to top the Christmas tree each year was handmade by Owen Thomas as a gift to a woman he loved. When she turned him down, he kept it in his family as the angel was special to him in more ways than one.
The writing style is fun to read as its told mostly through letters and diary entries of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of Owen Thomas. The story is told from 1875 to 1990. I’m sure the angel is still in their family to this day.
The ending was a bit of a surprise as well. It was a happy ending, a satisfying ending. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it just goes to show that we’re all connected and everything comes full circle.
The Christmas Angel by Jane Maas gets 5 out of 5 stars.
Favorite Quote:
“He said: ‘I am proud to say I never read a poem in my life, and I don’t plan to spoil the record now.’ And then he couldn’t understand why I turned him down.” –Jane Maas, The Christmas Angel
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