A Marriage Carol by Chris Fabry & Gary Chapman

A Marriage Carol

Chris Fabry & Gary Chapman

Christmas Fiction
5 out of 5

On Christmas Eve twenty years earlier, Marlee and Jacob were married in a snowstorm. This Christmas Eve, they are ready to quit, divorce is imminent. Their relationship is as icy as the road they’re traveling and as blocked with troubles as the piling snow. They take a shortcut to get to the lawyer’s office, on a slippery, no-fault path. She thinks they need to stay on the main road. He disagrees. They fight. Story of their lives and they slam into a bank of snow, spinning, drifting, falling, out of control. Just like their lives. Reluctantly, freezing cold, hungry, scared, she trudges up the hill. Paul is nowhere to be found. Her ears frozen, fingers and hands red, she comes to a house on the hillside, built like a Bed and Breakfast, a green wreath on the red door and the door-knocker is in the shape of a wedding ring.

The red door opens and the first thing she notices is the fire in the room, blazing hot, a warm, inviting, friendly place and the voice of an old man welcomes her in. There are three golden pots on the hearth, shining, glimmering things. The old man claims that they are used to restore marriages. She laughs—and begins a journey through her past, present, and future that will test how she views her lifelong love. There are two futures available. Which will she choose?

My thoughts…

Ahhh…my first Christmas read of the season. I always look forward to this time of year when all the new Christmas books come out and this one was a wonderful way to start the season.

The storyline is derived from the great Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol so you already know the structure of the story. It is the eternal story of what could have been, what is and what may come all wrapped up in the lyrical storytelling voice of Chris Fabry.

I very much enjoyed this retelling of a favorite Christmas story. It is a wonderful reminder of how important our marriage commitments are, not only to each other, but to those closest to us. In this aspect Gary Chapman’s voice shines thru.

This little novella would make a wonderful stocking stuffer for your favorite bibliophile along with some Christmas cookies. Ahhh books, Christmas, and cookies now that my kind of day!

*I received an E-pub from NetGalley for my honest review. I was not compensated in any way and my thoughts may differ from others.