Five strangers from various walks of life booked travel passages from Jackson Hole to Cody. Marilyn, Derek, Cassie, Fran, and Oscar planned to spend their Christmas in Cody, but fate had other plans. The group’s helicopter crashed in the middle of nowhere because a horrible blizzard affected the weather. They sustained varying degrees of injuries and found themselves in a quaint community called Christmas Carol Village. Each of the five passengers had personal challenges that put them on the helicopter. However, their presence in the village forced them into one space, away from the fast life and noise of the big city. Would they take stock of their lives and face the demons that haunt them? Discovering the Christmas Spirit by Stephen Murray has the details.
Call this story Serendipity or Crashed in Wonderland, and you wouldn’t be more correct. Discovering the Christmas Spirit by Stephen Murray is a lighthearted novel that teaches lessons. The hospitality, love, restitution, kindness, selflessness, new beginnings, gratitude, community spirit, and dedication to people warmed my heart. We often focus on the fast lifestyle and daily bustle so that we forget to pause and look around us. We lose our gratitude, skip those deep and defining conversations, and fail in minor acts of service to others. However, every day was Christmas in Christmas Carol Village. We could choose kindness every day, instead of only on special occasions. I lived vicariously through the characters and had a good, joyous cry, especially for Noel. Stephen is a talented storyteller, and this book went by in a flash. The plot, character development, storyline, and editing were brilliant. I couldn’t put down this novel. Thank you, Stephen!
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