by Jason F. Wright
Published by Shadow Mountain
October 2005
Acquired through bookswap
From Goodreads:
Where had it come from? Whose money was it? Was I to spend it? Save it? Pass it on to someone more needy? Above all else, why was I chosen? Certainly there were others, countless others, more needy than me...
Her reporter's intuition insisted that a remarkable story was on the verge of the front page.
Newspaper reporter Hope Jensen uncovers the remarkable secret behind the "Christmas Jars", glass jars filled with coins and bills anonymously left for people in need. But along the way, Hope discovers much more than the origin of the jars. When some unexpected news sets off a chain reaction of kindness, Hope's greatest Christmas Eve wish comes true.
My Thoughts:
This was a really great Christmas read. I picked this book for our December Book Club party because it sounded like a nice story and it was pretty short. Everyone's busy and I wanted to pick something that would be easy to read. I sat down and read it in one night. I really enjoyed this story. The writing is more a storytelling style than what I am used to reading in fiction. There were a lot of narrative sections but it really played into the type of book it was.
This is the story of a young girl orphaned as an infant and taken in my a kind housekeeper who doted on her belated Christmas gift. Holly Jensen grows up to be an ambitious reporter for the local paper. When Hope receives an unexpected gift on the heels of an awful event she sets out to find her benefactor and write the best feature story yet. Through the course of her investigating she meets and falls in love with a wonderful family and finally discovers the origin of the Christmas Jars. The discovery throws Hope off balance and suddenly she longs for something other than an ambitious career.
Like most Christmas movies and stories this heart-warming tale is a little unbelievable, but that is what makes the Christmas season so magical. We have an opportunity to believe in the good of mankind and happy endings for people who truly deserve them. I cried like a baby when I finished this book. It's only 122 pages but it is a great read and a very inspiring story about the true spirit of Christmas.
You're right, the holiday season is all about believing in the unbelievable. Glad you know you enjoyed this one. Though I'm not usually a fan of storytelling types of narratives, but I do love books that make me cry. :)
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