Papa's Angels: A Christmas Story

Told through the journal of 12 yr. old Becca, the book is written in mountain jargon, warm, friendly, the kind that makes the reader want to drop in and sit a spell with them. After the loss of their MOm to consumption (probably TB), the children continue on living, attempting to make Papa laugh. This is what they feel their mother wants them to do. However, Papa is not in the mood for laughing, in fact, suicide is more on his mind. His fiddle has been silent, his social contacts nonexistent. The Christmas part is touching, when the children attempt to have a Christmas and papa rages that it will not happen. I was happy to see this made into a movie for TV as well, but of course, it is more touching to read the book.

It's hard to believe "Papa's Angels" wasn't written by Becca, the 13 year old girl who narrates the story. Becca, who can't speak, writes to tell the story of her 1930's Smoky Mountain family. With journal-like entries in "Becca's Book," she "says things with writin' that most of us can't say when we talk." She teaches us things that were never our own, without feeling we are being taught, and then they become ours. We learn that some people see nothing but their own misery and we learn about losing someone dear to us but being blessed with another. Gary Carden, authoring 70% of the story, skillfully weaves countless sayings and anecdotes into short narratives of interesting, entertaining and sometimes tear-evoking accounts of a family's struggle. He writes with such a smooth, natural mountain dialogue, the reader isn't offended. "Papa can't tell Santa Claus what to do." "His voice sounded like it had tears in it." and "Raise your head and open your heart." are memorable phrases made by Becca's brothers and sisters about their recently widowered father. "Papa's Angels" might be fiction, but it isn't make believe. You'll laugh in places and if you don't pause somewhere in this book because of the tears, you just ain't folk yet. A definite for children and adults.