Book Review: A Carol for Mrs. Dickens

Rebecca Connolly's A Carol for Mrs. Dickens provides a female protagonist for an additional consideration of Charles Dickens' famous novel, A Christmas Carol. This was an enjoyable, faith-filled jaunt into Victorian times featuring the Dickens family. It reflects several true historical aspects of this well-known family. In 1851, Catherine published a cookbook under a pen name. She and Charles also lost their 7-month-old daughter, Dora, in that year and Catherine struggled with this death. Charles often read from his own carol or from his family book, The Life of Our Lord, when celebrating the holidays. 

Historical details render a very human, conflicted image of this author (once my favorite author). On the one hand, he seemed determined to raise his children with an awareness of Jesus Christ. On the other hand, rumors say he was unfaithful to his wife. We cannot know if those rumors were true. Yet, he separated from Catherine in 1858, creating some division with other authors, including Thackeray and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. He even ignored her death with some sort of comment about where there once was writing, it was then blank. Poor Catherine! It must have been hard to be a spouse to a charismatic man much esteemed in the public eye.

Connolly's carol focuses on Catherine in her despair after losing her daughter. Catherine seeks a renewed vision of the true meaning of Christmas, not the one painted in her husband's well-received Christmas Carol. Through a series of three trips to forgotten memories, she finds her Christmas joy restored. These visions emphasize her husband's generosity and the joy of childhood wonder, the joy of new love relationships (especially hers with the younger Charles), and the joy of giving to those in need. Catherine grows and changes throughout the telling, as she leads the reader to prize the holiday and the various joys of the season.

Mid-month Mention #2: Christian Fiction Reading Challenge

I have never read a book by Robin Lee Hatcher, yet I love receiving her newsletters. One of these days (perhaps with this challenge), I will remedy that. Robin is the author of over 45 contemporary and historical novels. Her newsletters always share opportunities to explore other writers beyond her own works. She alerted me to a wonderful opportunity: a 2026 Christian Fiction Reading Challenge.

What great fun! A virtual book club with author visits! Who wouldn't want to read books, discuss with others, and interact with the authors? I'm not a big fan of Zoom, but I'd participate if it had something to do with books and authors. The Zoom calls are on the last Tuesday of each month and will be recorded, so you can watch later if you have to miss. I have signed up for this reading challenge. You only need to give an email address. This is free! Who can beat it? Won't you join me?

Mid-month Mention: Substack Fare

Since Just Between Us published my article, "When the Journey Becomes the Gift," on their Substack-based site, I have been frequenting Substack more than usual. It appears this is where all the creatives hang out. Although I don't like to be out of the loop, I'm not technologically savvy, so I feel mystified by some of what goes on. I gather writers post notes and articles and some people access this on a free basis, while others pay the writer to subscribe for more content. Personally, I cannot afford to subscribe to every writer I wish to read (thus, my great love of the library). 

I get it! As a writer, I want people to find my words. My main struggle has always been with that drive that seems imperative for writers, to establish "platform." Oh, how I hate that word. To me, it is like waving a flag that says, "Look at me! Look at me! Look at what I can do" (to quote a Saturday Night Live sketch with the obnoxious child who is always drawing attention to himself). When I put the Substack app on my phone, it began to offer up categories I might wish to explore. Through that, I have indeed found writers I enjoy.

I think I entered Substack Land originally to access the poetry of Randy Edwards, writings of Jeanine Joyner, and The Rabbit Room. Now, I have signed on for some Spurgeon. Spurgeon, in turn, recommended a new page with Advent content from one of my favorite prayer writers, J. C. Ryle (author of the outstanding pamphlet, Do You Pray?). This new Substack with J. C. Ryle content can be found here.

What blew me away, earlier this month, was finding a writer who understands and articulates the discomfort I feel with the marketing side of writing. Grant Herbel's Substack, called "The Writer's Calling," is another recommended site that I am so grateful to have found. He posted a two-part article on "How Christian Writers Can Use Substack Notes." In the first segment, he expressed my internal thoughts on how icky marketing makes me feel. 

He writes, "On the one hand, we feel the pressure of the internet age: the demand to be loud, to be everywhere, to build a platform, to 'stop the scroll.' Honestly, it feels exhausting. It often feels like the opposite of the quiet work we are called to do. On the other hand, we carry a fire.... You have been given a message that could help someone. And lighting a lamp just to hide it under a bowl doesn't feel right, either.... The answer lies in shifting our perspective from promotion to stewardship.... When we view visibility as stewardship--as faithfully carrying the bread to the hungry--all of that changes. We stop trying to be 'famous' and start trying to be findable."

His words articulate the internal struggle I have battled. His advice rings true. I hope to glean encouragement from his writing, so that my writing doesn't remain hidden under a bushel. I want to shine whatever light God has placed within me into a dying world, desperate for His light, and witness to His transforming power.

Of course, I don't even fully understand how all of this works, but am eager to learn. I really wanted to pay for a full subscription to Herbel's writing, but with lots of money going out for our prodigal and his needs, I will hold off on that for now. Still, I wanted to provide a link for my readers. If you follow this link to The Writer's Calling, I will receive a free month subscription for every 3 individuals who subscribe (paid or free). Win for you! Win for me! 

After so many months without writing, I am back to caring about where my words (the words God plants in me to bloom for others) land and grow. I am back to praying about my calling to write. If you are a regular reader, you know that I dedicated 2025 to fasting and prayer for my prodigal and other needs of friends and family. It has been rough going. Often, the extra time spent focused on the many impossibilities we face stirs exhaustion and defeat. Throwing a spotlight on the challenge, in spite of full belief that God's got this, tends to make me introspective and low.

This morning, I found a small note on Substack from Chloe Elizabeth. It is a Corrie ten Boom quote. She writes, "If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at Christ, you'll be at rest." Words to live by, indeed! And a fine example of how these notes/words on Substack provide something of value to the reader.

Book Review: Heaven and Nature Sing - Highly Recommend

Heaven and Nature Sing: 25 Advent Reflections to Bring Joy to the World, by Hannah Anderson, is a book I wanted to place on my Christmas list. The writing is beautiful, and the insights fresh and deep. I wish I had read this earlier in the year so I could recommend it in time for Advent use. Since I listened to this in audio form, I struggled with two prevailing desires. I wanted to savor the words and take notes from the reflections. Plus, I hungered to see the illustrations provided by Hannah's husband Nathan. I'm so grateful someone recommended it in The Rabbit Room Chinwag group on Facebook and also grateful to find it available in audio form through Hoopla. Still, I think this is a book better consumed in hard form, and I would love to own a copy.

Heaven and Nature Sing contemplates various natural aspects of the Christmas story, exploring minor details like snowflakes, snakes, and swaddling clothes. It looks at Christ's birth through a new lens. It certainly earned its selection as an ECPA Christian Nonfiction Bestseller for Christmas 2023. I wish I had known about it in 2022, when first published.

Several points stood out. When feeling common and even sometimes worthless, we must remember that we have been sanctified and made holy by the Holy One. "When you feel common, remember that the holiness of God never runs out and His grace is as limitless as He is." I loved the Day 5 reflection on silence. Considering the silence between the Old and New Testaments, and the silence of Zachariah from his doubt (after years of pleading with God), was a great reminder for times when we feel we cannot hear God or He cannot hear us. She writes, "Our inability to hear God's words is no measure of His ability to hear ours."

Discussing family land, she remarks that inheritance is more about stewardship than about possession. She talks about our "kinsman redeemer," who takes responsibility for His offspring and calls us His own. How important it is to give our children a sense of the habits of faith! We long for peace in this chaotic world. She notes that in tolerance, we often ignore wrongdoing in order to avoid conflict. But, "the peace of God does not acquiesce." The habits and traditions of Advent rehearse the truth that, with heaven and nature, we sing, looking to the One who will crush the deceiver.

This is perhaps one of my favorite Advent books. I have been mentioning it to others. I also think this would make an excellent selection for a Christian book club in November or December. So much to contemplate and discuss. The thoughts are enlightening, personal, and universal.

Book Review: Abba's Child

I had forgotten I also own this Brennan Manning book, Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging. Manning's call for authenticity is so important in a world marred by sin. The consequences of sin make it hard to remember that God dearly loves us. He wants us to bask in that love. God wants our full trust, and that trust only comes when we recognize a love that desires our very best, even when that best appears as trial or restriction. God's commandments stem from deep love. Our obedience comes from acceptance and faith in that love.

So many outstanding quotes:

- "God made man in His own image and man returned the compliment." - Blaise Pascal

- "Our courteous Lord does not want his servants to despair because they fall often and grievously; for our falling does not hinder him in loving us." - Julian of Norwich

- "Quit keeping score altogether and surrender yourself with all your sinfulness to God who sees neither the score nor the scorekeeper but only his child redeemed by Christ." - Thomas Merton

- "All things work together for those who love God, even our sins." - Augustine of Hippo

Manning articulates the very reasons that drive me to my a-political stance. I align with neither side. God's inerrant Word is my source for instruction, inspiration, and identity. Manning writes, "The anything-goes morality of the... Left is matched by the sanctimonious moralism of the... Right. Uncritical acceptance of any party line is an idolatrous abdication of one’s core identity as Abba’s child. Neither liberal fairy dust nor conservative hardball addresses human dignity, which is often dressed in rags. Abba’s children find a third option. They are guided by God’s Word and by it alone. All religious and political systems, Right and Left alike, are the work of human beings. Abba’s children will not sell their birthright for any mess of pottage, conservative or liberal. They hold fast to their freedom in Christ to live the gospel—uncontaminated by cultural dreck, political flotsam, and the filigreed hypocrisies of bullying religion.” (There is much truth here, but we must be careful not to throw away the transformation the gospel induces in a quest to take neither side.)

Finally, I basked in Manning's encouragement about Christian witnessing. Often, the perennial struggle over whether I am witnessing enough rears its ugly head. It is hard to share the gospel with caustic unbelievers. Manning admits, “To own my unique self in a world filled with voices contrary to the gospel requires enormous fortitude.” But God rewards obedience. "Perhaps when the final curtain falls, you will have told the story to only one person. God promises that one cup of living water drawn from the Fountain and passed on to another will not go unrewarded.” This sin-sick world desperately needs our Savior. They do not see their need. Indeed, they believe they have it under control. But God! May He open eyes and ears, soften hearts of stone, and send us to live authentic lives to impact others and win them for the Kingdom of God.

Book Review: Christmas With a Crank

Before I was one-third into this Christmas book, I recommended it to others. In part, because I like anything Courtney Walsh writes. But also, I was sure it would appeal to a group member in my Bible Study Fellowship group. Her family runs a tree farm, just like the setup in this book. Not only will she enjoy the story, she might even implement some of the marketing genius cooked up in Christmas With a Crank.

When Olive and Liam were twelve, they were next-door neighbors. They even shared a first kiss in a tree house. But their lives have veered away from that storybook beginning. Liam's family moved to live on the tree farm they run. Olive dated his friend, Travis. Now, almost two decades later, Liam's parents are looking to sell the farm. They hire Olive to run a final extravaganza to go out with a bang.

The problem? Liam is grumpy. What a Scrooge! Why can't he see the value of his family's beautiful property and business? He lives in Indianapolis, where he works for a gaming company. He assures Olive he is only back for the holiday and does not intend to stay. But the chemistry flares up again. Can Olive remind Liam of the olden days enough to lure him back again? Can she turn his frown upside down?

You can always count on a clean and delightful reading adventure with Courtney Walsh. Her books present flawed individuals seeking solutions to their problems and soulmates for their hearts. Olive and Liam are relatable and endearing. The hubbub of Christmas unfolds with magic and mystery. She doesn't tie up everything with a glittery bow, but the ending is happy and hopeful. Thanks, Courtney, for another holiday romance worth reading.

Book Review: A Cross-Country Christmas

A Cross-Country Christmas is a sweet holiday romance. Courtney Walsh creates believable characters with conflicted pasts. It was easy to put myself in the main character's shoes because many of her hang-ups felt familiar. I especially related to her efforts to safeguard her heart by only approaching men she'd never consider. Years of unrequited interest led to self-protection mode. So if you're in the mood for a forced proximity, love-hate-love progression, give this seasonal tale a try.

Lauren Richmond rarely goes home for the holidays. Her family of origin doesn't inspire warm fuzzies. When her brother, Spencer, begs her to come home for the birth of his first child, she cannot avoid accepting a ride home with Spencer's best friend, Will Sinclair. This is the same Will Sinclair she pined for endlessly until he broke her heart in college. Or is he the same Will Sinclair? For some reason, Will keeps drawing out the trip, and Lauren can't decide if he deserves a second chance or not.

I expect marvelous stories from Courtney Walsh. This book is well-written and expertly paced. Even though it is a romance, and the reader can bank on a happy ending, Lauren keeps you guessing which way she'll land. I noted, too, that the book has garnered over 23,000 ratings on Goodreads. Now, that's a popular Christmas story. Although I'm eager to read the sequel, A Cross-Country Wedding, I think I'll jump first to her other holiday tale, Christmas With a Crank, before the holidays evaporate. I'd say I'm having more luck than usual in finding worthwhile Christmas stories.