The Christmas Angel

by Jane Maas, Tavia Gilbert (Narrator)

A charming, heartwarming Christmas tale about the power of family, tradition, and love — sure to delight fans of Debbie Macomber and Richard Paul Evans. In 1875, Owen Thomas, a poor Welsh coal miner, falls in love with a beautiful London actress, Jessica Lavery. He builds her a cottage in his village and enchants her with the promise of the holidays they’ll share after they marry. According to his special Thomas family tradition, the Christmas tree must always be outside, where it can look up to God. Owen carves her an angel to go on top of their tree, with lavender eyes like hers, a token more meaningful to her than any engagement ring. When Jessica breaks off their romance, Owen, brokenhearted, wraps the angel in his mother’s shawl and brings her to America. There, she looks down over five generations, witnessing peace and war, triumphs and tragedies, reminding all who see her that Christmas is the time when families and sweethearts can come together, laughter and goodwill can lighten even the heaviest burden, and magic fills the earth. This is a story of faith and love. And of the miracle that brought the angel home again.

Listening length: 3 hours, 45 minutes

Genres: Christmas, Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Adult Fiction, Holiday

4 pages, Audiobook

First published November 19, 2013

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet, heartwarming, lovely little Christmas book!

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a hidden gem! I’m grateful my friend Elizabeth gave it to me. I loved it and cried happy tears at the end. Highly recommended!

[Mayda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A carved wooden angel ties together four generations in this Christmas tale that begins in 1875. Welsh miner Owen falls in love with an English actress but she loves the theatre. In this multi-generational tale, Jane Maas has selected a main character in each generation to advance the story. We learn about their hopes and dreams, their struggles and accomplishments, their lives and their romances. Though not a lengthy book, Maas still manages to tell a fascinating tale with well-developed and delightful characters.

[Rainy Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOL I thought this story was based on true events until the end of the book. Haha. Nevertheless, it is still such a beautifully written book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute little Christmas story. I liked the ending 🎄😍

[Arnetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story about an angel that is handed down through 4 generations... each generation's story is worthy of a Hallmark movie all on it's own. Having 4 such stories in one book is quite a find. This is the 2nd time I've read this book.... I will re-read it each Christmas. It's a must!

[Hanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing I can say is that the movie definitely mauled this story. I saw the film last year in one of those Christmas movie-take-what-i-can-find hazes and it left a lot to be desired. That's why I hesitated when I found the book version this year. But the story in the book is much warmer. It actually is feel-good and rounded. It brings the history together and doesn't focus on sticky romance. Of course it grates me the way women had to live back then, but that's another story. I didn't expect to like this book so much because I was worried it was going to focus a lot on tragedy, but I'm very happy with it.

[Angel (Bookn.All.Night) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute read following the lives of a family, the angel made out of love, and the traditions spanning generations. While some parts were a little slow I did enjoy the story of how the angel made out of love found its way home.

[Nay Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received a copy for review.

I wasn't a big fan of this personally. I felt lost and disconnected from the story. I was turned off from Owen from the beginning of the story so I just didn't care. The story followed Owen's family and the angel he crafted. It was an okay historical fiction. Certain parts I enjoyed, but overall it was not my cup of tea.

I think if you love a good historical fiction that follows generations of a family, a harsh yet touching love story and such interesting facts about the Welsh this may be a good Christmas read for you.

Not mad that I read it, but I don't see me reading this again. May pass this book along.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very beautiful Christmas read. Jane Maas weaves several generations of one family into a magical Christmas surprise that will remain in your heart for Christmas's to come.

[Catherine Peel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not one for Christmas books but this was a sweet story

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet multi-generational Christmas story. Family history is so good to know.

Edit: I remembered while making Christmas cookies today, the line about “I have to make enough cookies to last until April.” That’s exactly how my guys think! 🥰

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful Christmas romance featuring a carved wooden Angel that was passed down through the family for over one hundred years.

[Laura Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a quick, easy read. It tells the stories of five generations of a family linked together by a very special heirloom. Part of my husband’s family came from Wales. I really enjoyed that the book featured characters from Llanelli, Wales, as well as the US and London and that it covers over 115 years of history. It’s a nice read for someone looking for a lighthearted holiday book featuring love and traditions.

[Alysia · Rating 1 out of 5]

boring.band I freaking stopped caring what happened

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful Christmas story that follows a family through 100 years and the carved angel that symbolizes Christmas and happiness to them. The story starts when a young man from Wales goes to London to see a play. He falls completely in love with a woman there and carves her an angel for the top of "their" Christmas tree. Eventually that angel travels to America and then many years later back to Wales. The family stories that relate to the beloved angel are sweet and sometimes sad but always amazing.

If you love Christmas stories you definitely need to read The Christmas Angel.

[M. Swanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet, quick read. There was an odd change in depth of characters as the story progressed. I found myself charmed and engaged with the characters more in the first half of the book. It seemed as if the second half of the book was written by someone else. I found myself annoyed by what I viewed of as shallowness of the characters toward the end of the story. There was a nice conclusion, but wish I liked the end story characters more.

[Jackie Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful story of love, hope and how life can come full circle.

This was a very uplifting Christmas book that began in 1875 with a coal miner named Owen Thomas and ends with two families that come to see that life can put someone in your path for a reason.

Very sweet holiday read. If you are a Debbie Macomber fan, you will definitely enjoy this book.

4 stars

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely story. Travel through one hundred years of family history beautifully told in letter, diary entry and 1st person narrative. A nice easy read that takes hold of you and keeps you reading until the end.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a special story about how an Angel Christmas Tree topper came full circle a century after she had been carved! WOW!

[Amiz Miz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful love Christmas stories

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! It was short and sweet, and full of family history and some romance. Twas a great read for the Christmas season!

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple yet beautifully written. Yes, it's easy to linger on the pages of this book because of the warmth it brings to one's heart while reading.

[Adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very short audio just under 4 hours. I agree with another review that the beginning of the story of Owen was more interesting than the parts about the later generations.

[Judy King · Rating 4 out of 5]

2016 Book Binge No. 4 The quarter of the book and the last quarter deserve a 4+star rating. The middle dips dreadfully close to silly sweet 2.5 levels.

The multi-generational tale begins with the love story of a Welch man enamored with a popular actress in the early 1800s. When she rejects him, he leaves home for America. there he married the "best woman in the world," and raises a family with the delightful Christmas custom of decorating a tree outside where it can reach for the heavens and the stars. At the top is the Angel her carved for the "most beautiful woman in the world," the actress.

it is his great great granddaughter who makes it back to wales and there meets a man and falls in love. That ending of the book generates a whisper of sighs.

[Nay Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received a copy for review.

I wasn't a big fan of this personally. I felt lost and disconnected from the story. I was turned off from Owen from the beginning of the story so I just didn't care. The story followed Owen's family and the angel he crafted. It was an okay historical fiction. Certain parts I enjoyed, but overall it was not my cup of tea.

I think if you love a good historical fiction that follows generations of a family, a harsh yet touching love story and such interesting facts about the Welsh this may be a good Christmas read for you.

Not mad that I read it, but I don't see me reading this again. May pass this book along.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely, short little holiday book about a family and the angel who graces their Christmas trees through the generations. The novel starts with a young Welsh miner and the beautiful actress with whom he falls in love. As it goes on, each chapter follows the miner and his descendants from the late 1800s through the 1980s, where it comes full-circle. I enjoyed it and read it in a few settings amid the holiday preparations.

[Nancy Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1875, Welsh coal miner Owen Thomas falls in love with an English actress. Convinced she will marry him, he builds a cottage and carves a beautiful angel for the top of their Christmas tree. Rejected by his love, Owen takes the angel with him to America, and we follow the stories of his descendants as they treasure the angel and eventually find their way back to Wales. A really sweet story!

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Christmas Angel is a sweet story that tells several individual tales surrounding a Christmas tradition across multiple generations of a family. This is a very short book that can be read in under an hour, so if you are busy during the holiday season and want a heartwarming read, this will do the trick!

[Rose Faour · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this cozy book. This book is divided into parts, rather than chapters,which was interesting. It is actually the story of a family and a wooden angel. It tells how she cones full circle by touching the lives of various people. I have not seen the Hallmark movie.
It's a nice short holiday read.