Carol Johnson believes her husband is keeping a deep dark secret from her, but Carol also has a secret which could destroy their marriage. A few days before Christmas, both of their secrets collide with each other along with the forces of nature and fate following a Christmas party and the worst snowstorm in decades.
Carol Johnson believes her husband is keeping a deep dark secret from her, but Carol also has a secret which could destroy their marriage.
A few days before Christmas, both of their secrets collide with each other along with the forces of nature and fate following a Christmas party and the worst snowstorm in decades.
Professional Reviews
Writing Home at Heart
Jeffrey Miller is a true writer of the human hearts and destinies. He entangles them gently and at times ruthlessly, but only to reveal the deep empathy that connect humans in dire situations. I have been a big fan of his writing that never fails to weave the parallel narratives into one big flowing thread. While reading this book, I found myself floating in and out of the characters' psyche and was nostalgically transported into a time and place in America that I wished I experienced myself. I love his characters and his storytelling so much. If you haven't yet, Jeffrey Miller's work is a must read for those who seek simply great storytelling.
A Story With a Heart
One thing a reader can always expect from Jeffrey Miller is a well written story with believable characters. This novella is no exception. Miller knows that the human heart is fragile and may sometimes lead us astray. But he also knows that redemption is always close at hand, whether it be through tragedy, or through love, pure and everlasting.
And he knows that sometimes you must take the back roads to find your way home.
Engaging Story and Characters
Another great examination of character from Jeffrey Miller, [book:I'll Be Home For Christmas|19034359] is a novella that although short in size, packs in plenty to entertain and is well worth the admission fee.
Having read a number of Miller's works now, it is a pleasure to be able to see the improvement in the author's writing with each book he writes. IBHFC is one of Miller's later works, though not his most recent, and it shows in the high quality of writing and polish that has clearly been given to each sentence. Miller possesses a writing style that is fairly economical, getting straight to the point and avoiding any flowery diversions. In this way, the author brings to mind Hemmingway more than Dickens, a strength Miller uses well in fitting in many different characters and situations, even in a smaller novel.
IBHFC follows several different characters on one wintery night in a small town in America. Though most of the action follows one couple, and the wife of that couple in particular, the narrative frequently moves to other characters for their viewpoint on the situation as it develops. This helps to give the story shape and background as we see how the events impact those both close to the couple and those affected just by being nearby.
This is one of Miller's great strengths as he presents us with a number of completely believable characters who possess depth and background. You will never find any cardboard cut-outs, caricatures or cartoonish sorts in Miller's works; they always seem very real and Miller has an eye for detail that makes the characters much deeper with little need for side-tracking. One scene, in which the aforementioned wife meets an older couple, is particularly impressive with the older couple and their home described so perfectly that even though you never meet them aside from this one scene, it is so easy to picture exactly what Miller intends.
The only reason I have not given this five stars is that having read a lot of Miller's works, I know that he gets even better in his later works. The narrative is a little too unfocused in IBHFC for my liking, and as with so many things, Miller's strength in characters can also lead to a weakness, in that sometimes the narrative moves to characters who, despite being real and believable, seem a little unnecessary to advance the main story. In Miller's most recent work, [book:When A Hard Rain Falls|20421515], the narrative is considerably more focused and I think it plays to the author's strength in being able to examine the characters in much more detail.
Nonetheless, this is a small (and perhaps personal) criticism and doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the story. I'll Be Home For Christmas is a highly entertaining story with plenty of drama, regret and nostalgia in equal portions that despite its short size, keeps a high pace and level of detail. This is a book I'd recommend to anyone at any time, and as I enjoyed it in the sweltering heat of summer it is clearly not a book just for Christmas, but also for anyone who dreams of Christmas and the happy memories it holds.
For the past two years (2006-2008) The Bridge of Silver Wings has earned a name for itself both as a series of poems published in different e-zines and as a book first published in 2007.
What makes this 2009 edition a special one is th
What began as Songs of the Angelic Gaze in the summer of 2006 continued the following year as The Bridge of Silver Wings, and developed even further two years after that into The Bridge of Silver Wings 2009. Whether readers describe it as a conversa
