I confess. I'm a sucker for a good Christmas story. There's nothing like curling up on the couch with the tree twinkling away and something seasonal to read to complete the mood. The Christmas Note (#132) by Donna VanLiere fits that bill admirably.
The story is told from two viewpoints; Melissa, a young woman who lives on her own and seems to have no life; and Gretchen, a woman with two young children who has just moved into the condo next door to be near her mother in town. Their lives intersect when a man comes looking for Melissa. He's her mother's landlord and he wants her apartment cleaned out within the next week, or he'll dump the contents of Ramona's apartment. He sticks Gretchen with the task of telling Melissa that her mother has died, something that she at first refuses to do. But her Army Ranger husband Kyle's voice in her head is her conscience, telling Gretchen that she needs to do this. Gretchen surprises both of them when she offers to help Melissa with the cleanup, but when they find an unfinished note by the side of Ramona's bed, neither woman can guess how that note will affect their lives.
I found this a very satisfying Christmas read. It is sentimental, but it also illustrates the power of doing good and the unexpected and wide-reaching consequences a small act of generosity can have. If that's not the basic message of Christmas, I don't know what is. I didn't see the plots twists of this story coming, but it did bring a lump to my throat, and that's also in the best tradition of Christmas!
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