Monday, September 29, 2014

Review - "Where Treetops Glisten" by Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, and Sarah Sundin

 
 
Where Treetops Glisten
by Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, and Sarah Sundin
 
Published by WaterBrook Press
368 Pages
Target Audience: Adults
Genres: Historical Fiction, Christion Fiction, Christian Romance, Holiday
 
About this book:
 
"The crunch of newly fallen snow, the weight of wartime

Siblings forging new paths and finding love in three stories,
filled with the wonder of Christmas.

Turn back the clock to a different time, listen to Bing Crosby sing of sleigh bells in the snow, as the realities of America’s involvement in the Second World War change the lives of the Turner family in Lafayette, Indiana.

In Cara Putman’s
"White Christmas", Abigail Turner is holding down the Home Front as a college student and a part-time employee at a one-of-a-kind candy shop. Loss of a beau to the war has Abigail skittish about romantic entanglements—until a hard-working young man with a serious problem needs her help.

Abigail’s brother Pete is a fighter pilot hero returned from the European Theater in Sarah Sundin’s "I’ll Be Home for Christmas", trying to recapture the hope and peace his time at war has eroded. But when he encounters a precocious little girl in need of Pete’s friendship, can he convince her widowed mother that he’s no longer the bully she once knew?

In Tricia Goyer’s "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", Meredith Turner, “Merry” to those who know her best, is using her skills as a combat nurse on the frontline in the Netherlands. Halfway around the world from home, Merry never expects to face her deepest betrayal head on, but that’s precisely what God has in mind to redeem her broken heart.

The Turner family believes in God’s providence during such a tumultuous time. Can they absorb the miracle of Christ’s birth and His plan for a future?"
 
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 I really enjoyed reading Where Treetops Glisten! I haven’t really read novellas, but was intrigued by this collection since the stories take place during World War II, my favorite time period to read about in historical fiction. I’m glad I picked it to read.

The book starts out with a prologue set in 1941 to give us a taste of what the Turner family is like before starting the novellas. Each of the three novellas is set nearly a year apart from each other and each centers around a different sibling in the Turner family. At the end of the book is an epilogue which nicely ties all three novellas together with a satisfying ending to the story of the Turner family. Also included are “Holiday Cookie Exchange” recipes and a readers guide.

It amazes me how well the authors wrote these stories to where they intertwine so well together. When previously mentioned characters where mentioned in a different novella they still felt like the same characters. The authors have done a wonderful job of tying the stories together.

I loved the historical part of this book and loved that each of the stories took place around Christmastime. I felt like I was in Lafayette, Indiana during the 1940’s with the Turners and could imagine visiting Glatz Candies and admiring all their delicious holiday treats. How I wish I could! I enjoyed reading about the three different siblings and their different personalities and stories. I liked how each story took place in a different setting: Abigail’s taking place at home during the war, Pete’s taking place at home during his furlough but with thoughts of his time serving in the war as a pilot, and Merry’s taking place overseas in the Netherlands. It gave each of the stories a different feel from the last and showed different sides of the war. It was also interesting to see that each novella is titled after a different Christmas song and how that song ends up being a part of the story. My only real complaint to this book is that the novellas sometimes felt a bit rushed in their endings.

I really did love the characters in this book, my favorite probably being Linnie, a sweet, energetic child who is seen as a handful by most, but made me smile.

Overall, a great collection of three heartwarming historical novellas that are sad, funny, and sweet at different times, but have a nice ending showing how God has led the Turner family through the war in ways they weren't expecting. I can see myself reading this book again in a different year around Christmas. I would recommend this book to those who like to read historical fiction books with romance in them. I look forward to reading more books by these authors.

*I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review.

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