Does anyone not love those short Christmas novels that show up on the shelves this time of year? You know the type - for the two hours it takes to read these little tales, you can escape the bustle of Christmas and get carried away into the emotional dilemma of fictional characters. Eventually you can watch the movie version on the Hallmark Channel and shed a few more tears.
This year, popular author Debbie Macomber has recently published her version of the Christmas novelette.
This sweet and gentle story involves Jake Finley, son of the owner of a large department store, and Holly Larson, who has custody of her young nephew while his father serves in the military in Afghanistan.
Both are in need of a Christmas miracle.
Jake had made an executive decision to order 500 high dollar robot toys, and his future with the family business depends on his ability to get them sold before Christmas.
Holly must figure out how to come up with the money to make Christmas special for little Gabe, while adjusting to the role of caregiver.
Enter Mrs. Miracle, who mysteriously shows up to work in the toy department of Finley Department Store. Initially Jake is dubious about her ability to identify with the patrons and sell the products. But when she seems to have a talent for customer service, including selling the $250 robots, Jake is thrilled to have her on board.
Holly and Jake meet in line at the local Starbucks, and predictably a romance blossoms. Holly learns that Jake and his father haven't celebrated Christmas since a Christmas Eve tragedy claimed the lives of Jake's mother and young sister. Holly makes it her goal to help them put the past behind them and enjoy the season once again.
Mrs. Miracle becomes entangled in all their lives, plus a few others, and everything comes to an emotional climax on (of course) Christmas day.
This is a great book to relax with during the busy season. The characters are lovable and the plot fast moving enough to keep you fascinated throughout. So treat yourself to a little quiet time, and read yourself into the spirit of the holidays.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
The Confession by John Grisham
Who can resist a new John Grisham novel, and with his latest "The Confession" he is back in his element with a new legal thriller.
The book opens in Topeka, Kansas where Keith Schroeder, pastor of St. Johns Lutheran Church is visited by Travis Boyette. Boyette, a recently released prison parolee, has a confession to make and a amazing story to tell. He admits to killing a young women nine years earlier in Sloane, Texas, and has learned a another man is soon to be executed for the crime. He has been diagonosed with a terminal brain tumor and wants Keith to help him right this terrible wrong.
Keith and his wife quickly do some online research and learn Boyette has a history of sexual crime, and was in Sloane around the time of the murder. They also discover the evidence was sketchy in the conviction of Donte Dunne, a black high school football star.
Eventually Boyette convinces Keith to drive him to Texas to tell his story to authorities and hopefully postpone the execution. The next few chapters are a frenzied race to beat the clock ticking against Donte.
This horrible miscarriage of justice is emotionally seen through the eyes of the families of both the murdered young women, and the falsely accused young man.
At the center of the matter is defense attorney Robbie Flak, a brash ,driven defender of lost causes. He has worked feverishly for nine years on Donte's case and continues to fight for him up to the day of his execution.
This is not Grisham's first venture into the issue of the death penalty. "The Chamber", "The Innocent Man" and a short story included in "Ford Country", all deal with the controversary surrounding execution of criminals for their crimes. However this extremely well written novel is a blatant tool for Grisham to expound on his opposition to sentencing citizens to death. If you are offended by this viewpoint, it might be well to skip this book. However you would be missing what some might consider Grisham's greatest work. Expect to shed a few tears, and experience some disturbing thoughts for those wrongly accused of crimes. It's impossible to put this one down once started, so allow yourself a cold winter week-end, and enjoy.
The book opens in Topeka, Kansas where Keith Schroeder, pastor of St. Johns Lutheran Church is visited by Travis Boyette. Boyette, a recently released prison parolee, has a confession to make and a amazing story to tell. He admits to killing a young women nine years earlier in Sloane, Texas, and has learned a another man is soon to be executed for the crime. He has been diagonosed with a terminal brain tumor and wants Keith to help him right this terrible wrong.
Keith and his wife quickly do some online research and learn Boyette has a history of sexual crime, and was in Sloane around the time of the murder. They also discover the evidence was sketchy in the conviction of Donte Dunne, a black high school football star.
Eventually Boyette convinces Keith to drive him to Texas to tell his story to authorities and hopefully postpone the execution. The next few chapters are a frenzied race to beat the clock ticking against Donte.
This horrible miscarriage of justice is emotionally seen through the eyes of the families of both the murdered young women, and the falsely accused young man.
At the center of the matter is defense attorney Robbie Flak, a brash ,driven defender of lost causes. He has worked feverishly for nine years on Donte's case and continues to fight for him up to the day of his execution.
This is not Grisham's first venture into the issue of the death penalty. "The Chamber", "The Innocent Man" and a short story included in "Ford Country", all deal with the controversary surrounding execution of criminals for their crimes. However this extremely well written novel is a blatant tool for Grisham to expound on his opposition to sentencing citizens to death. If you are offended by this viewpoint, it might be well to skip this book. However you would be missing what some might consider Grisham's greatest work. Expect to shed a few tears, and experience some disturbing thoughts for those wrongly accused of crimes. It's impossible to put this one down once started, so allow yourself a cold winter week-end, and enjoy.
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