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The holiday season is a time for happiness and cheer—and for heartwarming stories about good people who make a difference in the lives of those around them. Author Anne Marie Ryan’s Christmas by the Book tells the story of a couple of lovable booksellers who reach out to their community—even when they could use some help themselves.
The story prepares for Christmas in a small village in the Cotswolds, where booksellers Nora and Simon find themselves in a heartbreaking position. Though their small bookstore has been an important part of the community since Nora’s late mother opened it 30 years ago, the store has been struggling—and Nora is forced to face the fact that it’s time to move on. One evening, a special customer inspires them to reach out to the community one last time, to give books to those in need of some extra Christmas cheer—and their gifts touch the lives of six members of their community.
Even though Nora and Simon are struggling, knowing that they have no choice left but to sell their beloved store after a lifetime of book club meetings and storytimes and connecting with the community, they still decide to do what they can to try to bring cheer to neighbors in need—and that’s just the beginning of the heartwarming storylines in this novel. It’s not just about the struggling booksellers trying to enjoy their last holiday in their shop. It’s also about a retired teacher who misses her kids, a single dad who’s just lost his job, and a lonely politician who can’t seem to face his job anymore.
Though Christmas is marketed as a time of joy and love and giving, it can be a painful time for so many people—and, admittedly, the struggles in this beautiful community in the Cotswolds sometimes make the novel feel somewhat melancholy. It’s hard to follow Nora and Simon as they resign themselves to the store’s fate while trying to keep smiles on their faces for their holiday customers. But more than just a story about sadness and loss, it’s about neighbors helping neighbors. And as the booksellers’ small acts of kindness touch the lives of those in the community, it brings with it that heart-swelling joy that readers so often look for in their holiday entertainment.
If you could use a little Christmas cheer after another challenging year, you’re sure to find it in the pages of Christmas by the Book. It may not be uplifting from start to finish, but it has a beautiful story to tell about the kindness of strangers.
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