Product Details:
- Title: The 13th Day of Christmas
- Author: Jason F. Wright
- Hardcover: 256 pages
- Publisher: Shadow Mountain (October 9, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1609071778
- ISBN-13: 978-1609071776
- FTC FYI: We were given a review copies in exchange for an honest review.
- Reviews by: Sheila and Mindy
Book Description:
that happens every December 26. As an aging widow, the tradition means
more to her now than it ever has. Her newest neighbor, nine-year-old
Charlee, loves Christmas too. But her family has fallen on hard times
and things get worse when Charlee becomes critically ill. Then, on
December 12, Charlee makes a wonderful discovery. A mysterious note is
delivered that promises twelve days of gifts and stories that will
reveal the truth behind the beloved Christmas carol The Twelve Days of
Christmas. As the days go by, the gifts hint at a possible lost lyric.
Was there once a 13th day of Christmas? And if so, could its magic
change or save a life? If Marva knows something about the letters from
the Elves, she s not telling. However, you don t live as long as Marva
Ferguson and not have a secret or two including a whole lot of faith in
your apron pocket. Filled with laughter, tenderness, and hope, The 13th
Day of Christmas invites us to see how an old Christmas favorite can
turn into a true Christmas miracle.
The 13th Day of Christmas has two of the most memorable characters that I have “met” in a long time. Miss Marva, the older lively widow, and sweet nine year old Charlee. These two unlikely friends soon become the world to each other.With Charlee’s family having fallen on hard times, Marva turns her loneliness into taking care of this family. When Charlee becomes ill, Marva is there to lift up Charlee’s family and give hope to Charlee. This novel is centered around the holidays and Miss Marva’s Christmas tradition of using her advent calendar through the 26th of December. With Charlee in the hospital, someone soon is sending her notes and presents doing The 12 Days of Christmas tradition. This story has so much reality interlaced in it’s pages your heart will hurt for the characters; job loss, death of a child, loss of a spouse, cancer and marital problems. With Jason’s unique writing style that brings his characters to life, you will be wrapped up in Charlee’s fight to live and Marva’s intensity to give of herself and her love for this young girl. Be prepared to shed a few tears before you read the last page of this book. The 13th Day of Christmas will become a new favorite classic read during the Christmas season and beyond. With the message that we should not only celebrate Jesus Christ’s life one day a year, but to celebrate his life by also living like him the other 364 days; this will stay in your heart for a long time. Thank you Jason for another heart warming book!
Mindy’s Review
Jason does such an amazing job of instantly pulling me into his books with his well-written plots and wonderful characters. I immediately loved Miss Marva and Charlee. Marva collects aprons, and she changes them a few times a day depending on her mood. Charlee’s family has come on hard times, and moves into the trailer park owned by Marva and her late husband. Charlee is out looking for a something to do, when she see Marva hanging clothes on the line. Marva calls Charlee over, and they become fast friends. There is a lot going on at Charlee’s house. Her father recently lost his business, and her brother Zack was kicked out of school. Life at their house is hard. The only ray of sunshine was Charlee. Miss Marva invites the family to Thanksgiving dinner. It is an all day event with all the trimmings. Then the worst happens, Charlee get dizzy, faints, and her loved ones rush to the hospital, only to hear the news no family wants to hear.
One warning, have a box of Kleenex handy when you are reading this book. As with all of Jason’s stories I’ve read, I cried. A lot. The 13th Day of Christmas is full strong characters, and lots of heart. I loved the message that this book sends, think of others before youself. Service is the way to bring you closer to Christ. When I was a kid, we would pick a family in our neighborhood to do the 12 Days of Christmas for. One year, my dad tried to disguise his voice and ended up scaring their young daughter. Luckily, he apologized and all was well. :)
5 out of 5 stars. I loved this book. So full of heart and love of two friends. It is a fast read, but I wanted to know what happens to these great characters, so I couldn’t put it down. Just remember what I said about the Kleenex, but also this book has a great ending that will leave you satisfied, but possibly crying happy tears.
Author Links
Website
Facebook Fan Page
Twitter
Purchase Links
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Deseret Book
About The Author:
He is the author of The James Miracle (2004); Christmas Jars (2005); The
Wednesday Letters (2007); Recovering Charles (2008), Christmas Jars
Reunion (2009); Penny’s Christmas Jar Miracle (2009); The Cross Gardener
(2010); The Seventeen Second Miracle (2010); The Wedding Letters
(2011); and The 13th Day of Christmas (2012).
Articles by Jason have appeared in over 50 newspapers and magazines across the United
States including The Washington Times, The Chicago Tribune, and Forbes.
He has been seen on FoxNews, CNN, CSPAN and on many local and national
radio shows.
Jason is also a popular speaker who speaks to over
100,000 annually on topics ranging from the value of service, the joy of
failure, the lost art of letter writing and many other topics.
He lives with his wife, Kodi, and their four children in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.