Finding Noel

I had read a few positive reviews of the author, and decided to read one of his books. I was puzzled at first, thinking I must have misunderstood the reviews. The books should have been placed under Young Adult Fiction, as they are written on a level of sophistication for the young teen girl, not an adult. They are cliched, a Hallmark Card fantasy suitable for young girls exploring their young world. They certainly are not suitable for an adult with any ability to conceptualize the real world and life experiences. Save this book for your tween daughter, otherwise pass it by.

The irony of fictional writing is that it works best when it comes from a real place. According to author Richard Paul Evans, the background story of his novel "Finding Noel," is drawn from the real-life story of Celeste Edmunds, a woman with whom he used to work. As with his previous books, this is a personal work for Evans; he uses family names, origins, religion, illness and little slice-of-life things like recipes, traditions and tips to give a homey feel to his characters and story. "Finding Noel" is also the first book of fiction that features a character diagnosed with eye cancer. Through the character Joette, Evans exposes millions of readers to this rare disease - only 2,000 adults are diagnosed each year - in a way that mainstream media and the inaccessible medical literature have not. For that alone, Evans and his fictional work are the real deal.

"Usually, life's greatest gifts come wrapped in adversity." -from the book. As I began reading this book last night, I had planned to read a few pages and pick it up again later, the next day. Boy was I wrong! A little while later, I looked down at the page number and realized I was on page 76, by then I was too far gone to stop reading! This is a great story. It will tug at your heart. I am so impressed with how the author pulled off so much story in such a short book. (I say short as in it's probably a 5X7 in size, even though there are 300 pages. It really only takes a few hours to read.) Each chapter begins with a short entry or quote from Mark's Diary. The story goes along with what is going on, and then you'll hit a chapter that will take you back in one of the character's past. It's all woven together beautifully. I hope you'll read this book and after you do, I'm sure the story will stay with you.

"And perhaps after all the songs and poems and stories of the season, Christmas is really no more than that--humanity's search for the familiar. Every year we bring out the same songs, partake of the same foods and traditions, and share the things that make us feel that there's someplace we belong. And in the end all any of us are looking for is home." -- (My favorite passage) From the book I admit it--I'm a sucker for Christmas stories. Skpping Christmas (a delightful story), The Christmas Train (a forgettable tale), A Redbird Christmas (another wonderful story)--I've read them all. As Christmas draws near, I stay on the lookout for holiday heartwarmers found either at my local bookstores or at the library. I came across Finding Noel at the library, not realizing that it was a new release. (Admittedly, Richard Paul Evans was unknown to me up until this book.) Sadly, the author lost his mother on Valentine's Day 2006 and after weeks of struggling with his grief, he decided to write a story for her. I, for one, am glad he did. Although Macy and Mark are the central characters in this story, Finding Noel shares the universal struggles of *several* compelling characters, delving into areas such as emotionally detached parents, making ends meet, looking for meaning, surviving child abuse, terminal illness, sudden death of a loved one, and finding a soulmate who accepts and loves unconditionally. Once I began reading Finding Noel, I couldn't stop. Several times--including the last few chapters--I had to put the book down for a good cry. At first, my worried husband looked over at me and asked "Are you OK?" (My first husband died of leukemia and my present husband understands how tales about any kind of death can really rip me up.) I said "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a great book with some major heartwarming moments..." He smiled in that knowing way as I put down the book every so often to absorb what the author had written. While I tend to be a book critic--especially with non-fiction books--tales like Finding Noel totally bypass this analytical part of my personality and hit me right in the heart. One reason is because of the author's flawless prose, but another is because he gets the characters *so right*. Anyone who has experienced the shocking, sudden loss of a loved one due to accident or the stinging cruelty of verbal or physical abuse perpetuated by a parent will recognize the authenticity of the characters that grace this book. But don't think this book is a downer! Oh no--it's not. Yes, some difficult things happen therein and yes, we see humanity in naked, vulnerable states. But we also see the potential GO(O)D that humanity can do when they aspire to BE good--offering forgiveness, a smile, a helping hand, or seeing past appearances. In the book, Mark's character muses to himself "Man's extremities are God's opportunities" and "Be kind to everyone--you don't know what cross they're bearing and how sweet that kind word might ring." A hea

I've enjoyed all of RPE's books, but none as much as Finding Noel. I read it all in one day, putting off a long list of other things I had on plate. It's a captivating story and one that deserves a wide audience this Christmas. His descriptions are better than ever and his dialogue really pops. He took a risk with another Christmas novel (after the stunning, historic success of Christmas Box) but he's absolutely delivered with Finding Noel. Two thumbs and a toe way up, as Ebert would say.

Finding Noel has more of everything I have come to know and love about Richard Paul Evans' writing. It's seems as though he has taken even more time to develop and enrich his characters, which I love. He has taken me back to the snowy winters of my college days and made me feel those still tender, poignant feelings of being so far from home and family, of searching for something I could not find. And then he takes, once again, my heart in his hands and shows me the way to go home. I saw so much of my life in this book and that, to me, is what makes this writer golden. What a joy to have another tale from Richard, but especially, another tale of Christmas.