Papa's Angels: A Christmas Story

by Collin Wilcox Paxton, Gary Carden

In a unique Appalachian Christmas story that includes music and lyrics, a thirteen-year-old girl recounts the efforts of her, her siblings, and her wise grandmother to bring the joy of Christmas to her father after her mother's death. Tour. IP.

Genres: Christmas, Fiction, Holiday

128 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1996

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sentimentally sweet story. Just right for the Christmas season. The most interesting thing about this book is that the author is best known for playing Mayella Violet Ewell in the film version of To Kill a Mockingbird.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Papa's Angels is the sort of book that I gravitate to when I'm trying to pick out a book to read to the girls--it's just the right size for a Christmas read aloud. Long enough to last a couple days, but short enough to give us time to fit in plenty of others during the Christmas season. I wanted to do a quick pre-read before reading it to the girls, and I'm glad I did. If a book makes me tear up in public, it's safe to say I would have a zero percent chance of getting through it with my kids without sobbing.

It's a sweet, if heartbreaking little story. Not my favorite of my Christmas books, but it certainly deserves its spot on that shelf, and will be one I will give to my girls in later years.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this Christmas book when it first came out in 1996 and remembered its uplifting story. Still loved it all these years later.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very touching story. The misspellings or jargon bothered me but this is purported to be written by a 13-year-old so story-wise it makes sense.

[Sarah Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet short story based on a stage play about loss and love at Christmas time.

[Tracie Sampson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet book, reminds me of my grandmas stories.

[┊ ♡ Cordelia ♡┊ · Rating 5 out of 5]

➳ This was a cozy Christmas read consumed in a couple days on my quilt by the winter window. It was written by the actress who played Mayella in the film adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird. She also played Miss Prism in the 1970s loveable mountain series The Waltons. Papa's Angels has a similar gentle, mountain, family goodness as The Waltons, although Papa's Angels is more sad: it begins (from the first page) with the mother's death.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about a book with a good ending! This is it! Papa is grief stricken after the death of his wife, and his five children are heartbroken to have lost their mom and their dad, too. Papa says they won't be celebrating Christmas this year. I loved how the story is told from the 13-year-old daughter's point of view. It's a short story worth reading.

[Alicia Crook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible. A quick read that embraced the spirit of the holiday and the strength of families. I loved it.

[Lugene Lancaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely Christmas story.

[Sharon Zink · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story about the tragedy of the death of the mother in the family and how the children brought their papa back from his depression.

[Alleluialu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A different little Christmas story. Heartbreaking, but with a happy ending. Just right for reading in front of the fire in December.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the book, nice charac, and setting.

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

A heartfelt story; worthy of any time of year. Told from the oldest child's viewpoint.