It is 1963 and Colleen Frederick's life is disintegrating. President John F. Kennedy has been assassinated, Hal, her husband of twenty-two years has died, and her relationship with her son, Jamie is deteriorating.
Jamie wants to join the Air Force, something given the escalation of what would become the Vietnam War, Colleen passionately does not want, and Jamie isn't interested in the shoe business Hal wanted him to take over. Moreover, Jamie's vagueness about his college education makes Colleen wonder if he's been completely truthful to her. But Colleen, who feels more than a little guilt at not having loved Hal as much as he cared for her, has a secret of her own, one she feels compelled to reveal to Jamie. A Christmas trip to Ireland seems the right place to do it.
An Irish Christmas is told in first person, in the viewpoints of Colleen and Jamie. Ms. Carlson pens a story of secrets, passions and a family coming to know and accept their differences as well as their similarities. While a bit slow-moving at first, I found myself staying up late to follow Colleen's and Jamie's journey to fulfillment through letting God be in control. At times, both Colleen's and Jamie's reactions seemed a bit over the top, but I cheered for each of them because I sensed real love just beneath the surface. The ending was entirely predictable, yet it grabbed my heart just the same.
The secondary characters supported the story and felt entirely Irish. Ms. Carlson made me feel I was there once again. Well-written and detailed, An Irish Christmas left a warm feeling in my heart. A lovely story for Christmas or any time.
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