The Christmas Shoppe Book Review

SUMMARY:  

A small town.  

An eccentric newcomer.  

And an unusual store that is more than meets the eye.

     The small town of Parrish Springs is not quite ready for Matilda Honeycutt.  A strange woman with scraggly hair and jewelry that jangles as she walks, Matilda keeps busy stocking and arranging her new shop on the town's quaint and lovely Main Street.  When rumors start to fly about what might be going on behind the papered-up windows and the locked door, the image-conscious residents start looking for a way to get this woman and her wares out of their town before Christmas.

     But Matilda Honeycutt has a little something for each one of them sitting on those cluttered shelves, just waiting to be discovered.

REVIEW:  This is not your typical Christmas story.  Matilda looks like a throwback from the Sixty's.  Her shop looks like a thrift store instead of a Christmas shop.  The business owners in town are all up in arms: some afraid she is going to run them out of business; others afraid she will mar the quaintness and charm of their little Downtown area.  Matilda is only here to bring about healing.  The items on her shelves look like junk but there is one item for each person that speaks to that person's heart, hurts, and hang-ups.  This story teaches us that if we look beyond the outward appearance and peer into the heart and soul of a person, we can begin to understand them.  When we look at our own hurts and pain and recognize where they came from, we can bring about our own healing.  This is a great book.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Melody Carlson is the popular author of more than 200 books, including The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, and Christmas at Harrington's.  She was recently nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market.  She lives with her husband in Oregon.  More information about Melody and her books can be found on her website at www.MelodyCarlson.com.