The Angel Doll: A Christmas Story

by Jerry Bledsoe

If even a small part of a child still lives within your heart, you can't help but be captivated by this deeply moving novella based on bestselling author Jerry Bledsoe's childhood memories. Set in a North Carolina manufacturing town during the 1950s, it is the poignant story of two ten-year-old boys and their search for an angel doll, a search that turned into a lesson of love. Every day Whitey Black reads The Littlest Angel to his sister Sandy, a four-year-old stricken with polio. Now she wants just one thing for an angel doll. Unfortunately, in this small North Carolina town, no one has ever heard of such a thing. Nevertheless, Whitey Black and his best friend set out to find her one, at great cost and for even greater reward. Along the way they learn much about sadness and heartbreak, but most important, they learn about the transformative power of love. The Angel Doll is about childhood reaching out in later life and grabbing hold-never to be forgotten or remembered exactly as it was. Timeless and touching, The Angel Doll is sure to become a family favorite and a tradition for years to come.

Genres: Christmas, Fiction, Holiday, Angels, Adult

103 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Jerry Bledsoe is the author of "The New York Times "#1 bestseller "Bitter Blood, "and others. He has written for "Esquire, The New York Times, "and many other publications. He lives in North Carolina and Virginia.

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended by a very good friend. It just goes to show you're never too old to read a heartwarming Christmas story anytime of the year.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jerry Bledsoe allows us to journey with him back into his childhood, to meet and enjoy those places, events and people that fill his memories. The story is not about Christmas but about the way in which the short encounters we have with others can last us a lifetime.

How lives can change in an instant without any sense of fairness and how, even in the happiest of times, the hardness of life can bring all joy to an abrupt end.

It is a story of hope and of the beautiful response some people find in dealing with life’s cruel twists and turns. It is a story that will bring to your mind a thought, “There but for the grace of God go I”.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from my Grandma, Christmas 1996 and have read it every single Christmas Eve since. I cry every time still. One of my favorite Christmas books, to remind you what Christmas really is about.

[Carly · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a book that I bought at a yard sale and the author had actually signed. It's a good short read and it brought me to tears.

[Angie Fehl · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Angel Doll, short story / novella length and set primarily in the 1950s, is the story of Jimmy "Whitey" Black, a ten year old boy whose four year old sister Sandy is battling polio. Every day, Sandy's favorite part of the day, Jimmy sits down to read the book The Littlest Angel to his sister. Knowing his sister loves anything to do with angels, Jimmy gets the idea to give his sister her own angel doll for Christmas. He searches high and low all over town, struggling to find something that fits what he has in mind. Just when he's about to give up hope, he spots a doll in a store window that just might work. He enlists the help of the mother of one of his friends to help him craft wings and a halo for this doll. Sadly, Sandy passes away before Jimmy can give her the gift. Many years later, the doll makes a reappearance in the life of Jimmy's childhood best friend (who narrates the story).

There's no huge "miracle" within the story, per say, but it's still a sweet holiday tale (inspired by true events within the author's life) that encourages doing kindnesses for others simply for the act of charity itself, the benefits it can offer the giver as well as the receiver. There's an enjoyable tie-back to many of the characters at the very end, as we see how one pivotal holiday season in a child's life changed so many others right into their adulthoods.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story takes place in the 1950’s in Thomasville, North Carolina. Jimmy “Whitey” Black and his best friend, both 10 yrs old, work together on delivering newspapers. Whitey’s 4 yr old sister Sandy is sick, a victim of the polio epidemic. Whitey and his mother are poor so when Sandy, who loves angels, asks for an angel doll Whitey saves his money and goes looking for one. He finds one at a store and asks Mrs Barnes to add wings and a halo and he’ll pick it up on Christmas. When Whitey doesn’t show up, his best friend goes to his house to find out Sandy died. Whitey and his mother move away and are not heard from again. As the best friend gets older and writes a book, Mrs Barnes shows up at his signing and gives him the angel doll. Every Christmas the best friend puts it out. One day in a restaurant he spots parents with a little girl who has leukemia and is holding a smaller version of an angel doll. He finds out from the children’s hospital that they get a delivery of angel dolls during Christmas but don’t know from who. The best friend knows it’s Whitey so he brings his angel doll to the hospital with a note leaving it for Whitey.
The Angel Doll was a beautiful heartwarming story that taught the lesson of love. It showed the love between brother and sister and between friends.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐ Rating: 5 / 5
😭 Tear Level: High (in the sweetest way)

This is a tiny Christmas novella (about 53 pages) that packs a surprising emotional punch. It follows two young boys in a 1950s North Carolina town as they search for an angel doll for one of their little sisters and somehow turns into a quiet story about love, sacrifice, and the kind of childhood moments that stick with you forever.

I’ll be honest this one hit differently for me. It was my great-aunt’s favorite, and my Aunt Nancy gifted it to me to read every Christmas in her memory. So maybe I was already soft going in… but yeah, I cried. And not in a dramatic way more like a quiet, nostalgic ache that sneaks up on you

What I loved:
• It captures the time period and innocence of childhood so beautifully
• Zero “bad” characters just real people trying their best
• The message about love lasting far beyond childhood 🥹

Would I recommend it?
Absolutely especially if you want a meaningful Christmas read that isn’t romance, but still radiates love. This one feels like a tradition book the kind you revisit every December, which is exactly what I will be doing.

[Wendy Fields · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my typical read, but it's quick and it's Christmas and that's what I have time for. The book was written by a man who wrote for one of our local papers where I grew up. It's a story of a brothers love for his sister and a special friendship between that boy and the author. Not many boys their age would go to the lengths these boys did to give a little girl the Christmas gift she wished for. Heartwarming. I bought the book at a used book store and thought I would return it, but I am going to keep it for my Christmas collection.

[✯~IRENA~✯ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The nostalgia of old times. 2 young boys becoming friends in the 50s, sharing a paper route, one putting money away to get a special doll for his sister. The writing is superb. It's only 123 pages and I read it in one sitting. ❤️ It isn't a kids book. It is a man looking back on his youth. It has sad parts. But worth the read. Now I'm going to read the sequel.

[Gry · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this book were pure fiction, I might dismiss it as another schmaltzy holiday book, but the fact that this story is written from memories of actual events makes it something so much more. The fact that this happened in real life is what makes this story so captivating. It is a simple, heartwarming, and very moving tale from Christmas past.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very short story that takes place in Thomasville, NC in the 1950’s. The author tells of a true story of a friend from his childhood who wanted to buy his sick sister an angel doll for Christmas. Sweet story.

[Heather Frederick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone at the library brought this book for me to read. It is a very quick read and very sad, but good. I saw there is a sequel, so requested it through the library. I'm excited to see how the story ends.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Christmas story of friendship, love, and loss.

[Sue Criste · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read, but told of love of family and friends. The love of a big brother and little sister was so endearing. The love of a friendship that ended to soon. Never forgetting the old friend but knowing what was he was doing to help children.

[Jennifer Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

My father bought this book for me when I was a little girl and it was signed by the author. I loved reading it. I still have my copy.

[Jodi Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hreat Heart warming novella

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story to share at Christmas and a great reminder that Christmas means love!!

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story beloved by my mother. Decided to read in memory of her this holiday as she loved angels and dolls and grew up in the same time period as the narrator. A quick, sweet read.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another heartwarming Christmas read.

[Chelsea Wiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast Read! So sweet!

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Angel Doll by by Jerry Bledsoe is a Christmas story set in the early 1950s in Thomasville, North Carolina. Sandy Black is a four year old girl who is the victim of poverty in the small, furniture-manufacturing town...and a victim of the polio epidemic. She loves her older brother, Whitey, and all things angelic--especially a book called The Littlest Angel. Then, right before Christmas, she makes it known that she wants an angel doll for her present. Whitey and his best friend--both ten years old--set out on a mission to get Sandy her doll. The only problem? There are no angel dolls to be had in Thomasville. The boys find the perfect doll and ask the mother of one of their friends if she can help transform an ordinary doll into an angel for Sandy. Through their quest the boys learn the value of friendship and the power of love.

This is a moving story that not only tells of the love and sacrifices of two boys during one Christmas, but also shows how the events that year affected them and changed how they would live their lives. While the book is tinged with sadness, it is still a very touching and heartfelt Christmas story.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[Alleluialu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last Monday, I borrowed several Christmas books from my Library. This was one of them. It was short and sounded poignant. It was. It is the story of two little boys, age 10, who shared a paper route. One of the boys had a sister who had contracted polio and had an avid interest in angels. Most of all, she liked the story of "The Littlest Angel." Her brother and his friend looked all over their town for an angel doll for her for Christmas. Finally, her brother realized he could buy a regular doll and have it transformed into an angel doll by changing her dress and giving her wings and a halo. They asked one of their other friend's mother who had a sewing machine, if she could help them. Of course she said yes. I won't spoil the ending, but I will say that this book sends me back to a different time when life was simpler. There was real love in the boy for his sister and he just wanted to make her happy. The author never mentioned anything the boy wanted for Christmas, just that he wanted an angel doll for his sister. I also like the way all that happened affected the boys in their adult lives. This book does what you expect a Christmas book to do - it reminds you of love and the goodness of people. A nice start to my Christmas reading this year.

[Debbie Maskus · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short novel, based on an event in a small, rural NC town during Christmas decribes the wonders of Christmas. In this story, Whitey, a poor boy lives with his widowed mother and sick sister. Whitey saves his paper route money to buy his sister an angel doll, but the sister dies before Christmas. The doll ends up in the possession of Whitey's friend, the nameless narrator of the story, who years later discovers that a kindly benefactor donates angel dolls every Christmas to a local children's hospital. Good story to remind a person about what is important.

[Irlanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally loved this book. It was saddening to know that the little girl died. Everybody dies no matter if it’s a holiday or not that is why when we’re going through a holiday season we should pray for those that are suffering a loss of a loved one. This book was so awesome I just can’t explain how I feel about it because it was so great!! God bless each person that reads this review and may you all have a great and happy blessed holiday.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brother gave this book to me Christmas 1996 and every year around this time I read it. It's a tender, bittersweet story of friendship, loss, and giving. My copy is signed by the author Jerry Bledsoe, who is known for his true crime books. Just like his book Bitterblood, The Angel Doll was also made into a movie for television and sometimes airs during Christmas.

[Madeleine Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first time I read this book, I was in the third or fourth grade. I found it in my school library around Christmas and picked it up. I remember sitting on the top of my bunk bed with my little sister and reading it to her by the light of the Christmas lights outside our window. It made me cry back the, and still does today. This story is definitely one of my favorite Christmas tales.

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read but a beautiful story.

Back Cover Blurb:
In a novel set in a 1950's North Carolina town, two boys learn the true meaning of Christmas when they scour the town searching for a doll for a polio-stricken sister.

[Sarah Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nostalgic little Christmas story. It's sweet but sad. It did inspire me to read the children's book, The Littlest Angel, again. It's referenced in this book, and I fondly remember reading it as a child.

[Ronna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book but it left me feeling unfulfilled as to an impressionable Christmas story. Really not worth the thirty minutes to read this book.

[Helen Southall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspirational Christmas book about a doll that has become part of the Christmas tradition for a family.