In the popular imagination, Christmas is associated with magic and miracles — a time where our deepest wishes can come true, but also a time where we can be transformed into better people through the power of love, self-reflection and second chances.
It is this sense of redemption that runs through many Christmas narratives. We’ve gathered together several examples here. Some are classics; some are new. But what they all share in common is the idea that the “spirit of Christmas” — in whatever form that takes — can inspire us to see things in a much different light and change our lives for the better.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (Bantam Classics)
Here is the granddaddy of Christmas redemption stories. Dickens’ tale of a grumpy old miser who is taught the meaning of Christmas by three ghosts has been retold on film so many times and in so many versions that it’s difficult to keep count. While set in the Victorian era, the language and tone of this classic still resonate as beautifully as they did when the book was originally published 177 Christmases ago. Scrooge’s journey through the past, present and future gives him insight into how his actions not only affect others but bring about his own unhappiness. The experience transforms him into a kinder, gentler man. It’s hard not to be moved by his eventual epiphany.
The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern (Simon & Schuster)
You may never have heard of this short story, originally published in 1943. But every year, millions of people gather around the television to watch its film adaptation, It’s a Wonderful Life. Inspired by a dream, Stern finished the story in 1943. Unable to find a publisher, he had 200 copies printed privately and gave them away as Christmas gifts. Eventually, the story found its way to RKO pictures, and then to Frank Capra and his production company, Liberty Films. While the movie disappointed at the box office, today it is considered one of the greatest ever made, and sobbing one’s eyes out at the redemption of George Bailey is now an annual tradition. What would life be like if this story had never been written? I’m glad we don’t have to know. —Michael Ruscoe
A Season of Angels by Debbie Macomber (Avon)
Bestselling author Macomber has a trove of Christmas novels across her body of work — including this year’s Jingle All the Way. But the “Angels Series” is particularly apt for the theme of our list. In the series’ inaugural novel, delightfully ditsy yet well-meaning guardian angels Shirley, Goodness and Mercy (so-named after the line from Psalm 23) come to Earth to answer the prayers of three lovelorn souls. There’s nine-year-old Timmy Potter, who longs for a new father, despite the fact that his mother, Jody, has vowed never to trust any man again. There’s Monica Fischer, who longs for a husband and home of her own, but she’s practically given up on finding the right man. And finally, Leah Lundberg, a maternity nurse who desperately wants a child to fill up the home she’s made with her husband, Andrew. All three pray for what they so desperately need, and the angels have come to grant their deepest wishes … but there’s just one catch: they will each need to learn valuable lessons about love and giving in the process.
Write Christmas by Thommy Hutson (Rosewind Books)
Winter Glen was famous for two things: its annual Christmas celebration and the Nicholson family’s greeting card company. And Abby Nicholson isn’t much of a fan. When she returns to her hometown after the death of her father, she decides to sell the family business. Signing the paperwork with the very pen her father used to create it, she is shocked to discover that the town has become a whole new world — one where Christmas doesn’t exist. There’s no joy or hope, and the lives of Abby’s family and friends have been altered in the most terrible of ways. Determined to set things right, though unsure how, Abby takes out her father’s pen and begins to draw. When she realizes her art is coming to life, she sets out to recreate the holiday and bring back the most wonderful time of the year. But there are others in town that have humbuggery in their hearts and will do anything in their power to stop her.
Dreaming in Chocolate by Susan Bishop Crispell (Griffin)
This is a heartwarming story of love, hot chocolate and one little girl’s wish for her mother. With an endless supply of magical gifts and recipes from the hot chocolate café that Penelope Dalton runs alongside her mother, she is able to give her daughter almost everything she wants. The one sticking point is her daughter Ella’s latest request: She wants to reconnect with her biological father who’s back in town — years after breaking Penelope’s heart. Now, she wonders if she made the right decision to keep the truth of their daughter from him. The other, more practical part of her is determined to protect Ella from the same heartbreak. Now, as Christmas nears, Penelope must give in to her fate or face a future of regrets. —Kerstin March
Read our full review here.
The Christmas Joy Ride by Melody Carlson (Revell)
Joy is on a mission: to drive from Chicago to her new retirement community in Phoenix in an RV for Christmas. She asks the only person she knows who could possibly accompany her, her young neighbor Miranda. Miranda has no job and is in the process of losing her house, so when her 85-year-old neighbor suggests an adventure-filled road trip, she jumps on board. Is there more to this “joy ride” than meets the eye? Miranda is about to find out! Enchanting, lovely and full of friendship, this holiday tale is “the perfect choice for readers burned out by commercialism who want to embrace the spirit of giving” (RT Book Reviews). It’s also a great choice as a story of two lives that are forever changed for the better by the spirit of Christmas. —Beth Wasko
