Christmas in July!!
Thought I would give everyone a Christmas review this month, as some of us love celebrating Christmas in July! 😊 A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs is a short story that takes place in a small town in Scotland in 1894, of course, at Christmastime. Margaret Campbell is on her way home from her job as a schoolteacher in a nearby town to spend the holidays with her family. She loves her family but after the accident which left her brother practically an invalid she has some hesitations about going home.
The train ride back to Edinburgh, her hometown, is full of unexpected events, the first being a snowstorm which causes ice on the tracks and a derailment of some of the train cars. The passengers are forced to leave the train and walk in the snowstorm the remaining few miles to safety. Among the passengers, Margaret meets Gordon Shaw, a handsome newspaper man from Glasgow who is struggling himself with remorse and shame from past wrongdoings. Together they help other passengers reach safety, forming a bond that may or may not be strong enough to survive the history they eventually find they share of difficult decisions made which caused heartache, pain and distrust.
The old-fashioned Scotland Christmas setting includes traditional values such as love, forgiveness, honesty, generosity, and family. A somewhat predictable ending to the story will still give you warm fuzzy feelings during a hot, sunny July. Have a sweet iced tea and hum a Christmas carol or two. Enjoy!
