The Christmas Bus | Melody Carlson | One of the true gifts of Christmas is reaching out to those...

The Christmas Bus | Melody Carlson | angel in disguise

books:

The Christmas Bus

	The Christmas Bus Melody Carlson Revell, 2006 - 176 pages average customer review:based on 10 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

The people of Christmas Valley always celebrate Christmas to the fullest extent. The mayor plays Santa, every business is holiday themed, and there's a nativity for the kids each Christmas Eve. This town knows Christmas. But this year nothing goes according to plan. Shepherd's Inn is full of strangers, Mad Myrtle is causing problems, and a young couple with a baby due any minute rolls in to the middle of town in their Partridge Family-style bus. It's hardly the holiday Christmas Valley wanted--but it may be just what they need. This charming novella is sure to become a new Christmas tradition for readers who love a great holiday story.

for more information click here

One of the true gifts of Christmas is reaching out to those in need, and perhaps entertaining angels unawares

THE CHRISTMAS BUS is a sweet tale by prolific author Melody Carlson that entertains while encouraging readers to embrace the true spirit of Christmas. Edith Ryan is the cheerful, glass-half-full owner of Shepherd's Inn in the quaint town of Christmas Valley (population 2,142). Her husband, Charles, is the local pastor of Christmas Valley's only remaining church. After 25 years, Christmas Valley has revitalized its economy by becoming the "Christmas capital of the world," complete with Mrs. Santa's Diner (don't miss the "Blitzen Burgers") and the North Pole Coffee Shop. Tourism rules.

So it's a problem when Collin and Amy, a young married couple expecting their first baby, roll into town in a psychedelic broken-down bus nicknamed "Queenie" and detract from the carefully-staged ambiance. With no money and the birth of the baby imminent, it's only the kind heart of Edith Ryan that turns the town's hostility toward the young couple around --- and changes Amy and Collin's view of Christianity.

But Edith has her own set of problems. For the first time, her adult children and young grandchildren won't be making the trip to the B&B to spend Christmas with them. In a fit of inspiration, she decides to offer a discounted Christmas package for those folks who need a place to stay --- and people to be with --- over the holidays. The inn soon fills up as it attracts a motley assortment of lodgers for the holidays. Lauren and Michael Thomas are a pleasant, 30-something couple who have problems that seem insurmountable. Jim Fields and his wife Carmen constantly squabble. Divorcée Leslie and her young daughter Megan are a pleasant addition to the cast of characters, giving Carlson a chance to throw in a little romantic intrigue. Albert Benson is an elderly widower who seems to have lost the joy of living.

Myrtle Pinkerton is a crotchety elderly woman who seems to promise nothing but trouble. But, as Edith reminds herself, "this Christmas was about being hospitable to strangers. And she'd certainly never had a guest who was any stranger than Myrtle Pinkerton!" Myrtle seems intent on disrupting the peace of Christmas Valley, from making a scene in the local coffee shop to getting involved with the Christmas pageant at the church. When she decides to add live animals to the program, things threaten to fall apart. Then, when Edith's heirloom porcelain angel disappears, it seems certain that one of the guests has broken or stolen it. Will suspicion ruin their Christmas together? Edith takes her problems to God in prayer, and all ends well, as readers will expect.

The story moves along smoothly, and although most of the characters are lightly sketched, readers will bond with the delightful Edith Ryan and roll their eyes over the cantankerous Myrtle. Yes, there are clichés here --- the Victorian B&B (a staple in faith fiction), the allegorical "no room in the inn" seen before in faith fiction, and the angel in disguise. But in Carlson's capable hands (she's a Gold Medallion and Rita Award winner), the plot line transcends the clichés and is warm and endearing. The pretty page designs and attractive cover make this a natural for gift-giving.

In a season that is too often rife with a preoccupation for material things, Carlson reminds us that one of the true gifts of Christmas is reaching out to those in need, and perhaps entertaining angels unawares.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.

for more information click here

angel in disguise

This is definitely a Hallmark movie to be made. The characters are so delightfully described that you immediately form an image of them in your mind. The slow conversion of the community is as magnetic as the coming together of the guests at the bed & breakfast. I am so glad I read this before Christmas because it opened up whole new feelings as well as observations of God working in my life and the lives of others. We all have poeple like these in our midst.

Christmas Bus

Great book to read for the holidays. Would recommend this to my girlfriends.

A GREAT Holiday book

I am so glad that I happend to come across this book on Amazon! This story is packed with memorable characters, interesting situations and plot twists.

The premise is interesting--a Christmas themed town--and the crisp writing keeps the plot action going at a quick pace.

If you collect Christmas books, as I do, this will be a GREAT addition to your collection.

Also recommended:

Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices--another GREAT holiday book about the impact of seemingly small acts of service.

for more information click here

CHARMING HOLIDAY READ......!!!

In a charming Christmas town, with a lovely elderly couple leading the way, the citizens of Christmas Valley are in for quite a treat. Rather than closing, the owners of the town's bed and breakfast have decided to open their doors to strangers...in keeping with the true spirit of Christmas. It is the cast of characters that perhaps they aren't prepared for. Perhaps most interesting of all is the arrival of a young couple in a colorful bus...bearing a striking resemblance to an ancient couple responsible for the very first Christmas.....
Heartwarming...if a tad bit overly so. Perfect, however, for the season.

DYB

for more information click here

reviews: page 1, 2

products you might be interested in