A Carol for Christmas

Reviewed by Regan Windsor for Reader Views (10/07) Carol and Jonathon dropped out of college to marry, too eager in their newfound love to wait through the endless years of study. Jonathon had been attending business school in preparation for a partnership in his father's retail store; a store that was started and built to success by his grandfather. Unhappy with his son's hasty decision, Jonathon's father offered him no further financial assistance and the same opportunity as anyone else - he would have to work his way up the ranks. Carol's passion was music. If she wasn't going to Nashville, it would be to a school of music in preparation for Nashville. At least until she met Jonathon Burke. Not only had she left her dreams of a life of music behind, she also left her family. The realities of life very quickly set in for Carol and Jonathon. Jonathon finds himself putting in many long hours at the store to prove his commitment and his ability to take on more responsibility. Carol begins to spend more and more time by herself and when Jonathon accidentally runs over Carol's guitar she was left without even her own music to comfort her. With very little money left over after the rent and groceries is paid she can only dream of a replacement at the music shop window. With Christmas around the corner and Jonathon putting in longer hours at the store, Carol begins to feel more and more alone. She begins to question her decision to leave her family and dreams of Nashville behind. Sensing her daughter-in-law's loneliness, Ruth drops by to ask her if she would be interested in being involved in a big Christmas benefit that is being planned. A singer from Nashville will be coming and he will need a couple of backup singers. Would she be interested in not only singing with him, but coordinate the rest of the singers? Carol quickly becomes wrapped up in the excitement of the benefit planning, rehearsals, and preparation for opening night. When Travis Thompson, the infamous Nashville singer, begins to talk to her of coming to Nashville and working with his agent, Carol is both excited and torn. She has had much excitement over the weeks leading up to the benefit, and a husband that has been unavailable to share it with. Is this what she wants for her life? As an opportunity that was once her sole dream stares her in the face she turns to God for answers. "A Carol for Christmas" is a heartwarming look at the struggles of finding ones place in life, keeping the faith when the road gets rough, and having the strength to stand up for what you truly believe in. Robin Lee Hatcher has packed amazing depth into this heartfelt novella. Truly a gift for the holidays.

In the prologue of A CAROL FOR CHRISTMAS, Carol and her husband Jonathan are celebrating eight months of marriage. But a phone call from Jonathan's father disrupts their afternoon together. Jonathan has to return to the family business, Burke Department Store, in order to handle another crisis. He forgot though that he had leaned Carol's guitar against the car bumper. So as he's backing out from the driveway, there is a loud crunch. Jonathan unintentionally crushes his wife's most precious possession. Carol and Jonathan meet as freshmen at the University of Colorado. After a few months in a whirlwind relationship and against the wishes of their parents, the couple decide to quit school and get married. Carol, a gifted music student, and Jonathan, a business major, return to Jonathan's home in Boise, Idaho, where he begins working as a manager at Burke Department Store instead of sticking to his original plan of graduating from college and starting out as a junior partner. This decision means spending long hours working at the store and time apart from Carol, which puts a strain on their relationship. One afternoon Carol's mother-in-law calls Carol and invites her to sing backup vocals at a Christmas benefit with country singer Travis Thompson. The idea of singing with such a well-known artist is exciting and renews her interest in music. She also is responsible for trying out and selecting two additional backup singers. Travis is impressed with Carol's talents and takes the rare step of giving her the name and business card of his agent and encouraging her to contact him. While Carol is gaining confidence in her musical abilities, her relationship with Jonathan continues to struggle. Jonathan's father, Arlen, has high expectations for his son and the family business. When father and son take a business trip together to visit another store, Jonathan fishtails in the snow and Arlen asks him where he learned to drive. Jonathan responds, "Driver's ed. West Junior High, summer of 1964. Perfect score on the exam." At first Arlen is silent, but then he laughs. Jonathan understands how rare it is to hear any sounds of joy from his father. The business and work consume the old man, and Jonathan is determined not to have the same experience with Carol. A strong story and depth of characters combine with a solid spiritual message from Robin Lee Hatcher. Readers can celebrate the love of Christmas with this novella, a perfect way to get into the spirit of the holidays. --- Reviewed by W. Terry Whalin

It's time to curl up by the fire with a cup of cocoa and enjoy some heart-warming romance. This beautiful novella can be read in one quiet evening, taking you to Boise, Idaho, set in the late 60s. Hatcher says she got the idea for the story based on her own difficulties in early marriage as a teenage bride. Going against their parents' wishes, Carol and Jonathan are newlyweds, struggling with too many bills to pay and not enough time to be together. Both have dreams: Carol is an accomplished singer and longs to make a debut in Nashville, and Jonathan is a rising manager in his family's retail business. Will their love withstand all the obstacles that threaten to tear them apart? Unlike our modern culture which encourages people to live together before marriage, A Carol for Christmas is a refreshing and powerful love story. -- Christian Women Online Book Buzz

Trust Robin Lee Hatcher to bring us an early Christmas present! At first, I thought perhaps this was a retelling of the old story of the wife who cuts her hair off to make a watch fob for her husband's pocket watch, and the husband sells his watch to buy his wife combs for her hair. Wrong. This is a new story of sacrificed dreams, of love, and one of faith and restoration. I'm in awe at how Hatcher can build such deep characterization into a short novella. In tune with Carol from the beginning, I hurt for her less-than-fulfilling marriage. Yet, who among us hasn't like Jonathan, desired the approval of their father? And when offered a chance to use the gift God bestowed upon her, shouldn't Carol leap at it? Methinks I would. A perfect ending, albeit not what I expected, rounds off this memorable tale. So when November 10th arrives, run--don't walk--to your nearest bookstore to buy A Carol for Christmas. And don't forget to purchase a couple of extras. They'll make wonderful Christmas gifts.

Robin Lee Hatcher has created a magical reading experience about Carol and Jonathan Burke. This young couple madly in love rushed into marriage and threw aside their goals of graduating from college to become a couple. They returned to Boise, Idaho and Jonathan began working for his father at the family business, Burke Department Stores. Yet instead of graduating from college with his business degree, Jonathan left college and married Carol then started in at Burke Department Stores as a manager instead of a junior partner. The long working hours put a strain on Carol and Jonathan's relationship. One afternoon Ruth Burke calls Carol and invites her to sing back-up vocals at a Christmas benefit with country singer Travis Thompson. Carol also assumes the responsibilities to try out and select two additional back-up singers. The experience gives Carol and emotional boost about her singing talent. Through several twists and turns Jonathan and Carol struggle in their relationship yet affirm their love and discover the gift of Christmas. This novella is the perfect size to read in an evening and capture the Spirit of Christmas.