The Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carson

The epitome of Christmas’ true meaning

From the Publisher

The small town of Parrish Springs is not ready for Matilda Honeycutt. A strange older woman with scraggly gray hair and jewelry that jangles as she walks, Matilda is certainly not the most likely person to buy the old Barton Building on the town's quaint main street. When it becomes apparent that her new shop doesn't fit the expectations of Parrish Springs residents, a brouhaha erupts. After all, Christmas is approaching, and the last thing the town needs is a junky shop run by someone who looks and acts like a gypsy. But as townsfolk venture into the strange store, they discover that old memories can bring new life and healing. 

Once again, Melody Carlson delivers a Christmas story that will touch hearts and delight the senses. Sure to be a classic, The Christmas Shoppe is filled with the special magic the best Christmas stories share--that intangible mixture of nostalgia, joy, and a little bit of magic.

My Take

Just like the townspeople in The Christmas Shoppe, I thought the store was going to hold Christmas decorations and maybe even small gifts for children to give their parents. Silly me!!  I was sure surprised when the truth came out!

Loving Melody Carson books, I was surprised at the animosity of some characters. It just didn’t seem her style to have such bitter individuals in the story. I soon learned the necessity of those folks to make the story work. Even the nicer characters began to turn on Matilda when she opened her shoppe and it contained “junk”. 

I truly enjoyed seeing the characters soften and become believers after shopping at The Christmas Shoppe. Matilda is very intuitive when people come into her shoppe—she can bring out long forgotten memories and make people realize what’s important. The sayings and verses on her shoppe wall truly touched me and I am using them in my art and journaling. Thank you Ms. Carson for those.

The Christmas Shoppe gets 4 stars in my book. The character building and finally, togetherness, is the epitome of Christmas’ true meaning.   It’s a true “feel good” book to get you in the Christmas spirit.

I received this book free from Revell  as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

 

About the Author

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with sales of more than five million. She is the author of several Christmas books from Revell, including the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, and Christmas at Harrington's, which is being considered for a TV movie. She is also the author of many teen books, including Just Another Girl, Anything but Normal, Double Take, and the Diary of a Teenage Girl series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books in 2010 and 2011. She and her husband live in central Oregon. For more information about Melody visit her website at www.melodycarlson.com.