Christmas is the biggest festival of the year in the USA. Here, the nativity scene play is enacted in schools. There are house decorating contests held where people keep life-size balloons of different cartoon shapes and sizes. Many people buy huge trees that stretch up to the ceiling. It is decked up with lights and ablaze with different ornaments collected over the years. Kids decorate gingerbread houses with great pleasure. Santas enthrall kids and adults with their ‘Ho ho ho’s and are ever ready to pose for snaps! Since he loves cookies, all families engage in a baking spree. It is not just a celebration, it is a season that starts off from the 1st of December each year! Many people strongly believe that this is the time of miracles.
Sheila Roberts’ book ‘Christmas at Icicle Falls’ talks about one such small town full of believing people, living away from the hustle of city life. There are an amiable lot, living their simple, but elegant lives. This book is the 11th and the last one in the series of ‘Icicle Falls’.
About the author Sheila Roberts: She is an American fiction author of light romance novels. As Sheila Rabe, she has written many Historical Romance novels. Primarily, her stories depict everyday life, neighborly affection, down to earth characters and lots of chocolate(with real recipes incorporated in for the culinary enthusiasts)!
It is not something I would have read and finished usually, but the season and festive preparation around me egged me on over this pleasant journey. Moreover, it is seldom that I get a chance to read the latest books.(This book has been published in October this year) I thoroughly enjoyed it in audio form. The narrator Amy McFadden managed to do many voiceovers and made the tale more special.
Plot: The story revolves around Muriel- the honored author of the town. She lives alone in Icicle Falls after the death of her husband. Sienna, her neighbor, and a single mom lives with her only son who is 7 years old and has issues with his brain development. Olivia, the elderly owner of a popular inn proudly manages all the operations of her motel alone
These women have their own peeves in life. Muriel, though a respected and well-known author, is a lonely widow. She has a secret wish to have a companion in life but feels too inhibited by society and by the wrong choices she has made over the years. Sienna has an irritable neighbor who has a rude word for her almost every day, even when she tries to help him. Olivia has become a mom-in-law overnight of an immature, very stylish young girl.
All of these women are trudging along on their weary paths to the month of Christmas. Snow, cold weather and brutal winds don’t ignite the spirit of the festival the right way. Moreover, Muriel has just landed herself in a soup. The Christmas tree she ordered online has turned out to be a droopy looking, withered and dull tree. However, she manages to deck up the tree with complete faith and vigor. Eventually, she makes the tree quite spectacular and remarkable. Suddenly, she gets an idea. Everyone has an ugly tree to deal with in their lives. It is up to us to deal with them and make them special. She hands over this project to her readers and neighbors: “Find the beauty in your ugly trees!”
Will Muriel manage to get a compadre for life? With Sienna manage to turn her bickering neighbor into a compassionate helper? Olivia manage to connect and bond with her new daughter-in-law? Will they all manage to see the beauty in their ugly trees?
My Opinion: This is a cheerful and inspiring read when one is taking a break from fast-paced fiction. All the characters(ample in number) were believable, charming and mostly pleasant. The pace was normal, and though this story had less matter of suspense, it goaded me along the path towards its conclusion which was a predictable, happy ending. The description of a small town holding its Christmas celebrations and the lighting of the Christmas tree event amidst white snow was especially enchanting. I could almost smell the cookies being baked! Do enjoy this one with a cup of hot coffee during the upcoming holidays!