Christmas Past: When the Power of Love Reaches Across Time

There is not much strikingly original here, but Robert Vaughan's "Christmas Past" certainly hits the right notes for a short Christmas story. T.J. Carmichael is a big-time agent in country music. His wife, Madison Bain, is the host of a popular television talk show. Both are successful, but the price of this success is their marriage. Shortly before Christmas, Madison tells T.J. she believes they should get a divorce. It does seem that their marriage is over, but they decide not to tell the children until after Christmas. That brings up the question of what to do for the holiday. Each has received a fancy brochure advertising Christmas the way it used to be, and they decide to try celebrating Christmas at what seems to be a bed and breakfast. As they drive to the site of their holiday, their car and all electronic equipment break down. Fortunately, a man happens by in a horse-drawn cart, and the lift he gives them turns out to be to their destination, where everyone seems to be in "period" dress, there is no television, and nobody seems to recognize Madison or have heard of T.J.'s biggest client. In this atmosphere, will T.J. and Madison rekindle their marriage? Will they renew their relationship with God? And will the children enjoy a Christmas without video games and all the other electronic conveniences of modern life? As is often the case in short Christmas novels, the answers to the foregoing questions are obvious, and the transformation seems somewhat abrupt. I don't think most readers will mind. The purpose of stories like this, after all, is to convey the magic of Christmas, sometimes without the religious theme and sometimes (as here) with. There is absolutely magic here, so a plot that races slightly fast probably won't matter too much to most people. (One final note. I used "Christmas in the Twilight Zone" as the title of this review. Don't read too much into that. There's nothing dark here. But the description is apt. See The Night of the Meek, for example.)

If you're looking for a reason (and a way!) to return to the simple Christmas of your childhood, you'll find several in Robert Vaughan's latest novel. Christmas Past is the story of two very successful people who have allowed their lives to get in the way of their love, threatening to destroy their marriage and their family. Vaughan weaves a tale of intrigue as he takes this couple out of their technologically-controlled world and transports them back to Christmas 1893, a world lacking the modern "conveniences" of cell phones, pagers, GPS, and GameBoy, but rich in neighbors who actually know each others names, children who can still experience mystery, and a pristine Winter Wonderland whose landscape is unscathed by the 20th Century's paved roads, interstates, and utility poles. Here they discover the true meaning of Christmas, of love, and family; and that the complexity of life very often robs us of the serenity that comes from simply stopping long enough to take in a view.Some will find the novel a little on the syrupy side. The rediscovered love of the main characters seems to reignite much too easily. But while the plot may seem far-fetched, the vision this novel offers of a simple life is very much within our grasp. Skip "Skipping Christmas" and make this your must read contemporary holiday classic.