The Christmas Blessing

by Melody Carlson

When she receives the news in late 1944 that her baby's father was shot down in the South Pacific, Amelia Richards loses hope. Jobless and broke, she has nowhere to turn for help but her infant's paternal grandparents. The only problem is, they don't know that she--or their grandson--exists. When Amelia discovers that the family is wealthy and influential, dare she disclose the truth of her relationship with their son? Or could the celebration of the arrival of another unexpected baby nearly two thousand years ago be the answer to her dilemma?
Beloved author Melody Carlson pens a story of love, hardship, and reconciliation that will leave readers filled with Christmas joy.

Genres: Christmas, Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Christian, World War II

167 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2003

About the author

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus.

She also writes many teen books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series.

Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a delightful read!

Carlson is a tricky author for me; I've enjoyed her work, but I've also run across several real duds. I'm glad to say that this book is the best yet that I have read...I knew when I read the synopsis and a review that it sounded like exactly my sort of story, and it went beyond even what I'd hoped. You come to care for all parties in the story—Amelia, baby Jimmie, Helene, George—and you want them to all have a happy ending. It's hard when they end up at cross purposes and begin to drift even further apart...seems there's going to be only one decent solution for all of them.

Be prepared to cry over this one, to hug it, to reread the ending at least once. It's that excellent! But I can't say why because of spoilers, you know...so you will just have to read it for yourself!

Thanks to NetGalley for a free review copy. Positive review not required.

[Taury · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Christmas Blessing by Melody Carlson is kind of a cheesy predictable Christmas romance. The story line was not too bad. But the narration was all the reasons people do not like audio books. Squeaky cartoon voices. One narrator to multiple voices. They sounded fake. Honestly, it ruined the book for me.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I enjoyed this Christmas novella by Melody Carlson set during World War 2. It was a bit predictable, sure, but sweet. I was rooting for the heroine and hoping she and her son would get a happy ending.

Audio book source: Hoopla
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Cecily White
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 4h 24m

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grabbed up a chance to read this as soon as I read the synopsis. I love any story set during World War 2, and this one was really sweet! I really sympathized with Amelia and James story, and it's the perfect Christmas story!

I really enjoyed seeing Helene's perspective throughout the story. At first I thought she would be painted in a bad light, but it was nice to see that even though she had her issues, there was a warmness about her.

The baby being born out of wedlock seemed to be condoned. I understand, yes, that once a baby is conceived we should love that child and that the child is never to blame, but the reasoning behind it didn't seem a problem to Amelia (the fact that James was going overseas, hence the time together).

I thought the last couple chapters fell a little flat. Not because of how everything turned out (because that was great!!), but of how they were presented. Maybe moved a tad too fast to settle everything! But besides that and the occasional cliche terms, I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

I'm looking forward to reading more by this author!

*I received this from Revell in exchange for an honest review*

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite having several of Carlson's novellas on Kindle, I've only read two others so far. This is definitely one of the better ones, in my opinion. Sometimes her book summaries remind me of a Hallmark movie story line, only not quite as cheesy as those can be. I'm not a fan of Hallmark Christmas movies, so I'm always a bit hesitant to pick up one of novellas because of that reminder, but this one was a pleasant surprise.

The Christmas Blessing turned out to be sweet without being cheesy. While there were times I wished for a bit more depth to the main character, Amelia, I empathized with her plight and her situation feels realistic, especially given the time period of the story. She's also incredibly brave to leave all that is familiar to her to find her intended's family, then toward the end, displays extreme sacrifice despite the toll it takes on her heart.

I spread out the reading of this over a few days but it would be a good one to pick up to read straight through in a day or an evening, as it's so nice and luxurious to do sometimes.

[Staci · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet Christmas novella! I've read several Melody Carlson Christmas novellas and this may be my favorite.

While living in her home state of California, Amelia Richards finds that she and her young son are barely getting by. She takes a risk and uses her meager funds to travel by train to Montana to the hometown of her son's paternal grandparents.

I loved the pure love of a mother shown by Amelia as well as the time period references such as Lindbergh's stolen child and the introduction of penicillin.

Another well done Christmas story by author Melody Carlson.

My gratitude to publisher Revell for a complimentary NetGalley copy of the novel. I was not required to post a review and the opinions expressed are my own.

[Mary Jackson _TheMaryReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every year I wait for Carlson's Christmas book. Never know what to expect, but always loving the book. This year she did not disappoint me at all. This book was so worth the wait.

I cried, I got so upset and then I was so happy and excited. This is a must read book. If you enjoy a good book filled with tons of emotions then you are in for a real treat with this book!

I gave this book 5 stars to times and I can't wait to read it again next year. This book will be staying on my personal book shelf.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

[Kellyn Roth · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

A cute little novella, but I felt like the writing was a bit childish and the protagonist never really seems to be like, "Hey, this is a problem" in regards to sleeping with a guy she wasn't married to ... even though yeah it was. That said, it was mostly quite well handled.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set during WWII when too many families are experiencing the loss of a son, husband, fiancee, brother or friend. Amelia, rather young and naive falls deeply in love with James, a navy pilot ready to ship out to the Pacific. They planned to marry before James leaves, but his orders come early, and Amelia is left with only the paperwork for the marriage certificate. When Amelia discovers she is pregnant, she is lost and alone, with her only support that of a friend who takes her and baby Jimmy in. Believing James is dead, she goes to his hometown hoping to connect with Jame's parents. When Jimmy becomes ill she makes a desperate decision, hoping to give Jimmy a better life. But in the spirit of Christmas, miracles are possible.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Christmas Blessing was a pleasant surprise. Carlson's books are usually light reads that I enjoy but don't love; The Christmas Blessing was different because I absolutely loved it! What a sweet story set around WW2.

I liked the characters and really felt for the heroine. I kept hoping for a Happily Ever After ending, even though it looked like that wouldn't be possible. I won't say how the book ended, but there was definitely closure and I think it ended well. All in all, I loved The Christmas Blessing and recommend it!

*I received a complimentary eBook copy of this book for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, only my honest opinion -- which I've done.*

[Amanda Tero · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a feel-good, happily-ever-after story with a Christmas flavor, this fits the bill perfectly. Amelia's story is a gutter-to-glory story of a girl whose life is shrouded by clouds of darkness.

The one element in this story that I would have preferred to be dealt with a little better was the fact that Amelia and James had a baby out of wedlock. It's mentioned that it was a mistake, but "they were going to get married anyway" and I just don't agree with that thought. According to the Bible, there are no exceptions to "the bed undefiled is honorable." So the fact that this story was about a single mom whose baby was born out of wedlock kind of put a damper on my enjoyment of it. Though I will say, though that was the element of the story, it was not at all detailed and spelled out. Just mentioned; I can appreciate that.

There were mentions of God's will, praying to God, following God, and Him having the perfect plan. It did still feel like the spiritual aspect was a little weak. I realize there is only so much one can put into a novella, but for me it was lacking.

The romance was very little in this book. It is more mentioned that things happened than detailing of emotions. So in essence, this wasn't really a romance book.

I greatly liked the doctor. He was just full of kindness and goodness and the perfect father figure. Amelia was a sweet girl too. She just didn't make all of the best choices.

Like I said, if you want just a sweet, short read, this is a good book for that. But I kind of can't overlook how the aspect of a baby from wedlock was kind of brushed over.

*I received this book from Revell and happily provided my honest review*

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this heartwarming Christmas story.

Audiobook source: Hoopla
Narrator: Cecily White
Length: 4h 4m

[Kaitlyn Krispense · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just kinda...flat, for lack of a better word ;P

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melody Carlson is known for her wonderful Christmas book, and this is another sweet holiday story. Set during World War 2, Amelia met James in San Diego while he was there on leave. A whirlwind romance leaves them ready to marry with the license in hand when James is recalled to his ship not knowing he has left Amelia pregnant and alone. Amelia soon is jobless and broke with an infant to care for. She now makes decisions as to what is the best way to take care of herself and, more importantly, baby Jimmy.

This is a short book but feels complete with well developed characters and a good plot. The peek into the time period which probably resulted in other mothers left alone and pregnant was interesting. Made me wonder what kind of choices I would have made in a similar situation with the problems that were facing Amelia. I would have liked to have seen the spiritual content developed a little more.

[Andrea Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

While there was one profane word and the lead never did repent of her sin (she did finally admit it was a “mistake;” yet, she never seemed repentant or regretful about it at all), this story was a charming tale, overall. It was a quick, easy, and calming read, and I enjoyed it very much. I only wish that sex before marriage (whether or not it results in a baby) would have been acknowledged as a sin rather than just a “mistake” by the lead.

[Jesseca Wheaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was sweet. ;) More like 3.5 stars. Review to come!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a sweet story with a very happy ending.

Content notes: the main character has a baby out of wedlock. While she admits her actions weren't the best, she never sees it as wrong.

[Sherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet, heart-gripping Christmas novella post WWII.

Down and out Amelia travels from California to Montana to let her almost-husband's family know they have a grandson. After she realizes they are wealthy she decides to leave little Jimmy with them to have a better life.

Little does she know that illness, kindness, and a miracle of God will turn events to what none of them could imagine.

[Shirley Chapel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Christmas read. It has always been a tradition for me to read Melody Carlson's latest release for the holidays each year. This year I particularly liked the time era she used. I have always enjoyed WWII Christian Fiction and The Christmas Blessing did not disappoint.
Amelia Richards decided to serve in the USO , as a hostess . She purposely did not become involved with any of the service men that came to the center. That is until the handsome Navy Officer James Bradley came in and asked her for a dance. They became attracted to each other , which led to James purposing marriage to Amelia. They planned to be married before James shipped out 9 days later.
Their plans changed when James was shipped out unexpectedly before they had the chance to get married. Amelia discovers that she is pregnant with James baby shortly before she learns that he is missing at sea. Left to face an uncertain future alone with a baby she can't afford to take care of she is forced to set out on her own in hopes of finding James' parents.
Bad goes to worse for Amelia and her baby Jimmy. This makes for a compelling story as readers take this journey with them. Left in a desperate and destitute situation this unwed mother and her baby are left homeless and penniless. Readers are advised to have a box of Kleenex close by. This book will draw you in and it can be read in one day. The ending is totally unexpected and worth the wait.
Excellent Christmas book. If you enjoy reading war time romance set in the 40s you won't want to miss The Christmas Blessing. I highly recommend it.

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still haven't quite figured out how the title fits into the story, but that's okay. I don't usually pay much attention to titles anyway.

I enjoyed this story of a young mom struggling to do what is best for her baby even if it meant heartbreak for her. I never connected really well with any of the characters, but was able to enjoy the book anyway. Though dealing with an unwed mother (not approved of), there were no details that made me cringe or skim over. It's a story of hope, and trust. I wish there had been a stronger Christian feel to the story instead of just a bit, but that's just my thoughts.

Overall, I'll probably read this story again another Christmas time.

[Faith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Falls flat. The important aspects (like making the decision to leave your two-month-old alone outside in the cold) are glossed over and summarized, and the unimportant (like living room decor!) are explained in detail. Also, the historical inaccuracies in ch.15 got me 😂

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful short, sweet Christmas story

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet romance set in World War II. Amelia Richard's is at a cross roads in her life. With her 3 month old baby and the loss of her baby's father James, she leaves San Diego to go to Montana where James is from.

Ameila and James were set to be married before he was shipped out to the Pacific and months later shot down and killed. By the time she had heard the news of his death, she is pregnant and broke. She goes to Montana with the intend to share her son with James parents. Ameila is apprehensive and hopeful but her hopes are dashed when her circumstances take a hopeless turn. She relies on her faith and the love she has for her baby to make sacrificial choices in time for a Christmas blessing.

A short and redemptive story of the blessing we receive in the midst of painful circumstances.

A Special Thank You to Revell and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Vera Godley]

I typically enjoy Christmas novellas and they give a warm-fuzzy feeling to my seasonal reading. I have read Melody Carlson's books previously and enjoyed her style of writing and stories. This one was not quite as appealing to me as I had hoped it would be.

Morality and immorality does not abide in the rank and file of any one generation and so it appears that this story involves a young unwed mother and her infant who are in desperate circumstances because the absent father is a casualty of WWII. The young mother decides to seek out the child's father's family to see if they will help. She is quite aware that she could quite easily be rebuffed.

The story has an ample measure of melodrama and the warm-fuzzy comes with a wonderful ending.

I was torn in trying to rate this because I truly believe that mistakes happen, sin happens, and there is opportunity for forgiveness and acceptance. So I am not "rating" it.

I won a copy in a contest online. I was not required to review the book. Opinions are my own.

[Nadine Keels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amelia and her fiancé James had planned to marry right away, but she hears that he's been killed in the war, shot down with his plane. Hence, Amelia can't legally claim the benefits of a war widow, even when she gives birth to James's child, Jimmy. With nowhere else to turn, Amelia seeks out James's parents--even though they don't know that she and Jimmy exist in The Christmas Blessing by author Melody Carlson.

I've enjoyed a few World War II Christmas novellas in the past. Without reading much of the blurb for this one, I took a gander at the soft, Christmassy book cover and decided to check it out.

I think this story has much that fans of nostalgic WWII fiction will enjoy. The plot is serious, but not too heavy, and the holiday theme is strong. Except for the very end, which may be somewhat rushed, I found the pacing to be steady, even a bit slow at points, as characters stop to think or re-think things over maybe a little more than necessary. However, I can appreciate a complete tale on the shorter side that doesn't hurry through or skimp on all the important parts.

There's some "info-dumping" in the opening conversation, and although it's not unrealistic for a woman in Amelia's position to cry a lot, her sobbing loses some of its effect on the page when it happens over and over. Also, I hope this isn't something widely common that I'm just starting to notice in general now, but it seems that far too many sentences in the story begin with the word "And," until it feels monotonous. I'm not sure if this issue appears in the final version of the book; I read an ARC.

Overall, it was refreshing to find a holiday tale that wasn't completely predictable to me, and I think many other ChristFic readers will like this one.
__________
Revell provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhh, I feel so good after reading this book. Highly recommend for those looking for a Christmas romance. WWII era romance.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was short and sweet. I gravitated towards it for several reasons: it was a romance, Christian, took place during WWII and it was a Christmas story. It was a perfect read for a cool, rainy night.

Amelia is devastated when she finds out that her fiancee and father of her baby has been shot down over the Pacific Ocean. She is broke, is sharing an apartment with a friend and has recently been told that she can not bring her baby to work. Her last recourse is to try and find James' parents. She knows the name of the small town they live in, so she and Jimmy climb aboard the train and head off. She has no idea what kind of welcome she will receive, but she wants Jimmy to get to know his grandparents. She also dreams that she will be welcomed as part of the family, but only time will tell. In the 1940s, a baby being born out of wedlock can ruin a woman, but Amelia is lucky. When Jimmy gets sick, she leaves him at the home of Helene and George to be taken care of, George is a doctor. They take him in, nurse him back to health and immediately have an attraction to him. Helene wants to adopt him. Will Amelia give her son up? Will she find happiness? Will she be accepted into James' family? This was a novella that did a good job of presenting the story, and solving the situation. I can see how this could easily have been a longer book, but the shortness was one of the things that attracted me to it. If you are not a fan of novellas, you might want to pass on this one, but if you like a short, sweet story that will have you running the gamut of your emotions, pick this one up. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Christmas Blessing is the latest story by Christian author Melody Carlson. It is November 1944 in San Diego, California. Amelia Richards and her baby, Jimmy has decided to pack up and move to Rockford, Montana to be near Jimmy’s paternal grandparents. James Bradley is the father of little James and he passed away a month after he was shipped out. James and Amelia were going to marry on the first leave that he received, but his plane was shot down before that could occur. Amelia is spending the last of her funds to get her to Montana in the hopes of a better life for Jimmy and herself (a family). The only hitch in Amelia’s plans is Mr. & Mrs. Bradley are unaware of Amelia and Jimmy. Amelia is not sure how they will be received. Will they be welcomed or turned away? Christmas is the season for miracles. Will Amelia’s dreams come true this Christmas?

The Christmas Blessing is a lovely story. I found it to be well-written and to have a good pace (once you get into it—it starts off slowly). It is a short shorty containing under 200 pages (can be finished in just a couple of hours). It contains good messages (forgiveness, trust, power of prayer, faith) and has a heartwarming ending. My rating for The Christmas Blessing is 4 out of 5 stars. I did feel that the characters are not fully developed (fleshed out), the ending is slightly rushed, and the story is predictable (unoriginal). I missed the humor that is present in Melody Carlson’s other Christmas stories (Christmas at Harrigton’s and The Christmas Joy Ride). The Christmas Blessing is a charming novella that will appeal to readers who enjoy happily-ever-after romance stories.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

What does a girl do when she is alone, with a new baby to feed and has no money? She becomes desperate.

Amelia Richards believes her fiance James (and father of her baby) is dead, killed in the South Pacific when his plane was shot down. She finds herself in the unenviable position of having no family to help her, a child out of wedlock and no money to support her infant son. Her only option is to approach James' parents for help. The only problem is that they have no idea who she is and when Amelia finds out they are rich and that Helene (Jame's mother) is someone known to be harsh and critical, she is hesitant to approach them. But then the worse thing possible happens - her baby gets sick and she becomes desperate.

I love how the author integrated the birth of Jesus into this story! The Christmas Blessing is more than what I expected. I found myself actually crying for Amelia and was intrigued by the misconceptions of the people in town who misjudged Helene (Jame's mother). The growth of her character was wonderful to see.

If you are looking to get yourself into the Christmas spirit a little early this year, then I highly recommend The Christmas Blessing by Melody Carlson. You will not be disappointed.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Christmas Blessing is a sweet Christmas novella. Set during WWII, Amelia lost her fiancé to the war. Now, an unwed mother with no money or job, she turns to her fiancé’s parents for help. But how will they react when they find out their perfect son had a fiancé and a child out of wedlock?

The Christmas Blessings is a heartwarming Christmas story. I liked the characters and felt so sad for the dire straits and difficult choices they had to make. In that time, people didn’t look kindly on unwed mothers, and for the father to die before he was able to marry his fiancé, even before knowing about his son, leaving her penniless and without a widow’s pension, was so sad to read about. I wonder how many real women were faced with those circumstances. The ending of this story, though, was perfect and beautiful. I loved it.

I recommend this to fans of sweet Christmas stories.

I received a complementary copy of this book. All opinions are my own, and I am not obligated to provide a positive review.