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The Noel Collection #1
The Nöel Diary
A man receives the best Christmas present he could ask for: the chance to re-write the past.
Jason Chercher is not doing well in love or life. Just two weeks after his wife leaves him he receives a phone call that his estranged mother has passed away, days before Christmas—leaving her home and all her belongings to him. Frankly, he would like to see everything just burned. But curiosity about his past and anxiety about his future fuels him to make the drive from Salt Lake City to her home in Medford, Oregon. Maybe cleaning out her house will be slightly less depressing than spending the holidays, alone, watching re-runs of Christmas classics.
While going through her things he comes upon her diary and the record of his childhood. He learns that his mother suffered from severe depression and during that difficult time he was taken care of by a young, unwed mother who was living with his family. The only clue he has to the woman’s identity is her name: Noel, which is an eerily fitting discovery on Christmas Eve. As Jason reads the diary he begins to uncover the source of his pain in relationships and understand that what he believed to be the truth of his past was actually a lie. That’s when he begins a journey to find Noel, wondering if she might hold the truth he needs to bring him peace and love.
Jason Chercher is not doing well in love or life. Just two weeks after his wife leaves him he receives a phone call that his estranged mother has passed away, days before Christmas—leaving her home and all her belongings to him. Frankly, he would like to see everything just burned. But curiosity about his past and anxiety about his future fuels him to make the drive from Salt Lake City to her home in Medford, Oregon. Maybe cleaning out her house will be slightly less depressing than spending the holidays, alone, watching re-runs of Christmas classics.
While going through her things he comes upon her diary and the record of his childhood. He learns that his mother suffered from severe depression and during that difficult time he was taken care of by a young, unwed mother who was living with his family. The only clue he has to the woman’s identity is her name: Noel, which is an eerily fitting discovery on Christmas Eve. As Jason reads the diary he begins to uncover the source of his pain in relationships and understand that what he believed to be the truth of his past was actually a lie. That’s when he begins a journey to find Noel, wondering if she might hold the truth he needs to bring him peace and love.
5 pages, Audiobook
First published November 7, 2017
988 people are currently reading
7953 people want to read
About the author
Richard Paul Evans
227 books6,521 followersWhen Richard Paul Evans wrote the #1 best-seller, The Christmas Box, he never intended on becoming an internationally known author. His quiet story of parental love and the true meaning of Christmas made history when it became simultaneously the #1 hardcover and paperback book in the nation. Since then, more than eight million copies of The Christmas Box have been printed. He has since written eleven consecutive New York Times bestsellers. He is one the few authors in history to have hit both the fiction and non-fiction bestseller lists. He has won several awards for his books including the 1998 American Mothers Book Award, two first place Storytelling World Awards, and the 2005 Romantic Times Best Women Novel of the Year Award. His books have been translated into more than 22 languages and several have been international best sellers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,723 reviews
December 23, 2017
I've read a few Christmas books by Richard Paul Evans and since I enjoyed them, I thought I'd pick this one up. I was surprised that this isn't truly a Christmas story, but it does occur at Christmastime.
Jacob Churcher is a successful author who's bitter about his childhood. Growing up with a mother who had mental instability has scarred him. He receives an unexpected phone call informing him that his mother has passed away and he travels back home to a house full of memories as he begins a journey to heal.
The story wasn't exactly festive or fluffy like I expected, but I still enjoyed it. It's a fast, light read. I thought the story was believable and it felt real to me. My only issue was the insta-love.
4****
Jacob Churcher is a successful author who's bitter about his childhood. Growing up with a mother who had mental instability has scarred him. He receives an unexpected phone call informing him that his mother has passed away and he travels back home to a house full of memories as he begins a journey to heal.
The story wasn't exactly festive or fluffy like I expected, but I still enjoyed it. It's a fast, light read. I thought the story was believable and it felt real to me. My only issue was the insta-love.
4****
December 25, 2022
A wonderful holiday read. Like his other Christmas stories, The Noel Diary blends loss, hope, love, and forgiveness. Another beautiful story. I just wish it was longer.
Update 1: 2022
How did I not hear about a movie adaptation on Netflix?! 🎥🎄🤩
Official Trailer! ➽ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asH6n...
Update 2: 2022
The movie was okay. I may have to reread the book but as far as I can remember, it's quite different. Love Justin Hartley though!😍
Update 1: 2022
How did I not hear about a movie adaptation on Netflix?! 🎥🎄🤩
Official Trailer! ➽ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asH6n...
Update 2: 2022
The movie was okay. I may have to reread the book but as far as I can remember, it's quite different. Love Justin Hartley though!😍
December 9, 2017
An excerpt from "The Noel Diary":
"She looked at me with piercing eyes "You're still him, Jacob. You're still that sweet, bright-eyed little boy. He's still in you. And he is still living and vulnerable. Every time I read one of your books, I can feel his sweetness rising up from the pages like groundwater. And it's not just me. So do millions of others. That's why they love you. They feel it too..."
Opening a Richard Paul Evans book at Christmastime is like opening the door to an old friend and chatting about the latest happening in their life. As I turned the pages, instead of reading words, I was hearing his voice which, after 20 plus years, is so familiar to me. No matter where the story takes you, you can be certain that it will be filled with love, forgiveness, and hope--words that are synonymous with Christmas.
How nice to have an author who always delivers a comforting book, with a feel-good ending during the holidays--a book that conjures up the warmth of a fireplace and the aroma of spicy gingerbread. It's a great way to start off this beautiful time of year.
"She looked at me with piercing eyes "You're still him, Jacob. You're still that sweet, bright-eyed little boy. He's still in you. And he is still living and vulnerable. Every time I read one of your books, I can feel his sweetness rising up from the pages like groundwater. And it's not just me. So do millions of others. That's why they love you. They feel it too..."
Opening a Richard Paul Evans book at Christmastime is like opening the door to an old friend and chatting about the latest happening in their life. As I turned the pages, instead of reading words, I was hearing his voice which, after 20 plus years, is so familiar to me. No matter where the story takes you, you can be certain that it will be filled with love, forgiveness, and hope--words that are synonymous with Christmas.
How nice to have an author who always delivers a comforting book, with a feel-good ending during the holidays--a book that conjures up the warmth of a fireplace and the aroma of spicy gingerbread. It's a great way to start off this beautiful time of year.
November 20, 2017
Each Christmas, Richard Paul Evans releases a new holiday-themed novel. This year in 2017, it was The Noel Diary and it was wonderful as expected. Raw, real, and full of perspective. It's about flawed parents and the consequences of their choices. It's about the children left behind searching for answers. It's about forgiveness, understanding, and grace. It was an incredibly satisfying Richard Paul Evans novel and I already can't wait for next year. Check it out.
My favorite quote:
"There comes a time when carrying a secret becomes more painful than the truth it's hiding."
My favorite quote:
"There comes a time when carrying a secret becomes more painful than the truth it's hiding."
December 15, 2017
I didn't really enjoy this book. It was very simplistic, predictable and had a lot of showing rather than telling. I felt disconnected from the characters and felt all the dialog was stunted and or unrealistic in some way. I was hoping for a much more Christmassy feel than what I got. It is simply a story that takes place in December and really has nothing to do with Christmas. It was an easy read and I wasn't tempted to stop reading, but it didn't really satisfy what I was looking for. I did give it three stars because I appreciated the themes of forgiveness and grace that were included, but if I did half stars it was really more like a 2.5 for me. Just ok.
December 26, 2017
I can always count on Richard Paul Evans to write a Christmas story that requires tissues to read. This was a lovely story of love and grace which he says is somewhat autobiographical. I notice in about the middle of the book that he mentions doing research on Route 66 to write a book -- an obvious reference to his Broken Road series. In this book he defines the difference between a love story and a romance. His books are definitely love stories and I have loved all of them.
January 6, 2022
Štai taip mes ir gyvenam. Judam, skubam, nesvarbu, laimingi ar ne, kol susiduriame su kažkuo, kas pakeičia mūsų tikslą. Kartais tas susidūrimas būna skausmingas, kartais ne, bet jei mums pasiseks, būtent laimė tampa tą išorine, mūsų kryptį keičiančia jėga. Meilė. Visatoje nėra galingesnės jėgos. Jei tik mes išmokstame jai netrukdyti.
Kokia nuostabi knyga, patiko nuo pirmų puslapių. ❤️
Kokia nuostabi knyga, patiko nuo pirmų puslapių. ❤️
August 18, 2024
Hallmark kalėdinė istorija
December 6, 2017
First of all --- the book description entered here on Goodreads is incorrect. (It appears it has now been changed. Thank you!)
After reading I noted these discrepancies: There is no mention of the title character having just become separated from his wife. (In fact, he talks about how he's unlucky in love and has failed to form a permanent bond with any woman) He lived in Idaho and his mother in Salt Lake City. I have no idea where the Oregon reference comes from. He did not travel home and find his mother's diary. He found the diary of the young lady who helped care for him during a difficult time in his life. (Her name was Noel).
In fact here is a copy of the book description from the author's website :
Bestselling romance author Jacob Churcher hasn’t been home for almost twenty years– not since his mentally ill mother kicked him out of the house when he was just sixteen. When a lawyer calls, days before Christmas, to inform him that his estranged mother has passed away and left her house to him, Jacob returns not just to settle the estate but to try and reconcile with the past and the pain and abuse he experienced as a child. Also, maybe cleaning out her house will be slightly less depressing than spending the holidays alone, watching re-runs of Christmas classics. But as it turns out, the house holds more than just difficult memories, Jacob’s mother had become a hoarder and he must excavate through two decades worth of clutter. As Jacob digs through the detritus, like an archaeologist, he uncovers many puzzling items including a diary left by someone named Noel, a young woman he has no recollection of, who stayed with Jacob’s family during her pregnancy. That’s not the only echo from the past. Jacob has an unexpected visitor, Rachel, a woman looking for the mother who put her up for adoption thirty years before. United by their quest to make sense of the past and rewrite their futures, Jacob and Rachel begin a search for Noel. Along the way they find more than they possibly imagined, including grace, forgiveness and a chance at love.
Richard Paul Evans made his name with his Christmas novels, every one of which has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. Fans, reviewers, and booksellers treat the arrival of a new Evans holiday novel as an annual rite, and 2017 will be no exception.
Anyway, here is my review--
True rating is closer to 4.5 stars.
As I've said so many times before, the timing when reading a book sometimes plays a significant role in the way a story will impact (or not) our life. I can say I picked this book up at the exact time I needed it. I blubbered my way through this story of second chances and more importantly being open to accepting love, not only romantic but from parents, friends, even God. The message here is profound but given in such a subtle way I fear it will be overlooked by many.
I have heard good things about Richard Paul Evans feel good Christmas stories. (Although I'd say the Noel Diary does not really have a Christmas theme per se). So when the opportunity presented itself I picked up a few of his earlier books at a used bookstore. Unfortunately, I have not gotten around to reading any of them. Although I am excited now to read the body of his work.
This book however, I received as a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. The content of this review is not influenced by that fact. The feelings expressed are solely mine. I appreciate the opportunity to receive and review this book.
After reading I noted these discrepancies: There is no mention of the title character having just become separated from his wife. (In fact, he talks about how he's unlucky in love and has failed to form a permanent bond with any woman) He lived in Idaho and his mother in Salt Lake City. I have no idea where the Oregon reference comes from. He did not travel home and find his mother's diary. He found the diary of the young lady who helped care for him during a difficult time in his life. (Her name was Noel).
In fact here is a copy of the book description from the author's website :
Bestselling romance author Jacob Churcher hasn’t been home for almost twenty years– not since his mentally ill mother kicked him out of the house when he was just sixteen. When a lawyer calls, days before Christmas, to inform him that his estranged mother has passed away and left her house to him, Jacob returns not just to settle the estate but to try and reconcile with the past and the pain and abuse he experienced as a child. Also, maybe cleaning out her house will be slightly less depressing than spending the holidays alone, watching re-runs of Christmas classics. But as it turns out, the house holds more than just difficult memories, Jacob’s mother had become a hoarder and he must excavate through two decades worth of clutter. As Jacob digs through the detritus, like an archaeologist, he uncovers many puzzling items including a diary left by someone named Noel, a young woman he has no recollection of, who stayed with Jacob’s family during her pregnancy. That’s not the only echo from the past. Jacob has an unexpected visitor, Rachel, a woman looking for the mother who put her up for adoption thirty years before. United by their quest to make sense of the past and rewrite their futures, Jacob and Rachel begin a search for Noel. Along the way they find more than they possibly imagined, including grace, forgiveness and a chance at love.
Richard Paul Evans made his name with his Christmas novels, every one of which has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. Fans, reviewers, and booksellers treat the arrival of a new Evans holiday novel as an annual rite, and 2017 will be no exception.
Anyway, here is my review--
True rating is closer to 4.5 stars.
As I've said so many times before, the timing when reading a book sometimes plays a significant role in the way a story will impact (or not) our life. I can say I picked this book up at the exact time I needed it. I blubbered my way through this story of second chances and more importantly being open to accepting love, not only romantic but from parents, friends, even God. The message here is profound but given in such a subtle way I fear it will be overlooked by many.
I have heard good things about Richard Paul Evans feel good Christmas stories. (Although I'd say the Noel Diary does not really have a Christmas theme per se). So when the opportunity presented itself I picked up a few of his earlier books at a used bookstore. Unfortunately, I have not gotten around to reading any of them. Although I am excited now to read the body of his work.
This book however, I received as a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. The content of this review is not influenced by that fact. The feelings expressed are solely mine. I appreciate the opportunity to receive and review this book.
January 2, 2025
Labai jauki, švelni istorija. Likau sužavėta šios knygos.
November 22, 2017
Once again rpe writes a beautiful short sweet story! I look forward to his books!! His stories touch
Your heart! Sometimes you just need the happy ending!
Your heart! Sometimes you just need the happy ending!
November 26, 2017
Richard Paul Evans writes a Christmas themed book every year. This year, I was lucky to be able to pick up The Noel Diary at the library ahead of the Wait List.
This book has three well developed characters. Jacob, a young man who is a very successful writer, despite childhood trauma and neglect. Sarah, a young woman, who is searching for her birthmother. Noel, a married woman who lives in the suburbs & is in need of healing. This is a story of hurt, overcoming obstacles, healing, resolution & growth. The setting is Salt Lake City. The time frame is in the month of December, but this novel does not seem to be strongly tied to Christmas.
I really enjoyed this quick and easy read. It was a perfect choice after reading a more serious non-fiction book and a dark novel.
5 stars
This book has three well developed characters. Jacob, a young man who is a very successful writer, despite childhood trauma and neglect. Sarah, a young woman, who is searching for her birthmother. Noel, a married woman who lives in the suburbs & is in need of healing. This is a story of hurt, overcoming obstacles, healing, resolution & growth. The setting is Salt Lake City. The time frame is in the month of December, but this novel does not seem to be strongly tied to Christmas.
I really enjoyed this quick and easy read. It was a perfect choice after reading a more serious non-fiction book and a dark novel.
5 stars
January 12, 2023
"Meilė. Visatoje nėra galingesnės jėgos. Jei tik mes išmokstame jai netrugdyti."
Labai lengvas įtraukiantis romanas, kurį suskaičiau vienu prisėdimu, taip jis man patiko.
Gilių prasmių ieškoti nereikia, bet pasimokinti iš svetimų klaidų - verta.
Kas žmogui padeda ir trukdo? Tik jis pats.
Mes patys apsunkiname savo ir tuo pačių kitų žmonių gyvenimus, bijodami gyventi, pasirinkti širdimi, o ne protu, nes o ką kiti pagalvos..
Nebijokit gyventi sava širdimi ir nebijokit kitam suteikti malonės, net jei tas žmogus ir suklydo, nes negali žinoti kada tos malonės prireiks tau pačiam 🙏
Jautri, šilta, įtraukianti istorija, romanų mylėtojams patiks 💯❤️
Labai lengvas įtraukiantis romanas, kurį suskaičiau vienu prisėdimu, taip jis man patiko.
Gilių prasmių ieškoti nereikia, bet pasimokinti iš svetimų klaidų - verta.
Kas žmogui padeda ir trukdo? Tik jis pats.
Mes patys apsunkiname savo ir tuo pačių kitų žmonių gyvenimus, bijodami gyventi, pasirinkti širdimi, o ne protu, nes o ką kiti pagalvos..
Nebijokit gyventi sava širdimi ir nebijokit kitam suteikti malonės, net jei tas žmogus ir suklydo, nes negali žinoti kada tos malonės prireiks tau pačiam 🙏
Jautri, šilta, įtraukianti istorija, romanų mylėtojams patiks 💯❤️
December 9, 2021
Each December, I read a winter or holiday-themed book with one of my groups. This year, I selected an author I had not read before – Richard Paul Evans. Apparently, he is known for his holiday stories. This one is set in December, but it is not what I would call a “Christmas story,” though it does contain Christian themes.
Protagonist Jacob Churcher is a successful, but lonely, author who has had a traumatic childhood. He was estranged from his parents after a family tragedy, and left home at age sixteen. When his mother dies, he travels to his former home to search for the truth about his past. While there, he meets Rachel, a woman who is searching for her birth mother.
This is a romance but is not overly saccharine. It addresses themes such as mental illness, adoption, parenting mistakes, and the need to feel loved. It is an uplifting story of forgiveness and healing.
Protagonist Jacob Churcher is a successful, but lonely, author who has had a traumatic childhood. He was estranged from his parents after a family tragedy, and left home at age sixteen. When his mother dies, he travels to his former home to search for the truth about his past. While there, he meets Rachel, a woman who is searching for her birth mother.
This is a romance but is not overly saccharine. It addresses themes such as mental illness, adoption, parenting mistakes, and the need to feel loved. It is an uplifting story of forgiveness and healing.
December 10, 2020
This one was a miss for me. I found it depressing, and laced with angst for the majority of the book. The ending had some redeeming qualities, but not enough to make me say that I liked it. It was just an okay read for me. I also didn’t get any real Christmas vibes from the story. The cover seemed to be the most Christmasy aspect to the book.
December 13, 2022
Džeikobas Čerčeris - vienas iš populiariausių meilės romanų autorių. Deja, bet jo paties vaikystė nebuvo kupina meilės. Vos sulaukusį šešiolikos jį išmetė iš namų mama. Nuo to laiko jis gyveno savo gyenimą ir iš motinos negirdėjo nei žodžio.
Likus keletui dienų iki gražiausių metų švenčių jis sulaukia teisininko skambučio. Paaiškėja, jog jo motina jau mirusi ir visas jos turtas, nuo šiol priklauso Džeikobui.
Vyrui tenka sugrįžti į savo gimtąjį miestą bei vaikystės namus. Ten jį pasitinka vaikystės nuoskaudos bei sopuliai. Džeikobas puikiai supranta, jog vienintelis kelias į "laisvę" yra atleidimas bei paleidimas. Betvarkant mamos namus jis atranda jaunos moteris dienoraštį, kuri galbūt ir netiesiogiai, tačiau atveda prie jo namų durų Reičelę..
Nori to ar ne, tačiau daugybė gerų atsiliepimų užkėlė gana aukštą kartelę šiai istorijai. Man šią knygą skaityti buvo malonu. Ji tikrai sušildė mano sielą, nors knyga ir buvo jautri bei pagauli, man kažko šį kartą joje vis dėlto pritrūko. Vietomis pasirodė, jog skiriama per daug dėmesio nereikšmingoms smulkmenoms. Mieliau būčiau daugiau sužinojusi apie Noelės gyvenimą, nei apie Džeikobo motinos namo tvarkymą..
Tikrai graži bei jautri istorija, tačiau vietomis man ji pasirodė truputį banaloka. Ir ypač saldi pabaiga 🙈 O galbūt aš truputį atpratusi nuo tokių istorijų.
Nepaisant to "Noelės dienoraštis" tikrai jautri bei graži knyga, kuri tikiu, jog sužavės daugybę skaitytojų 🎀 Šiuo metu Netflix platformoje galite pamatyti ir knygos ekranizaciją.
Likus keletui dienų iki gražiausių metų švenčių jis sulaukia teisininko skambučio. Paaiškėja, jog jo motina jau mirusi ir visas jos turtas, nuo šiol priklauso Džeikobui.
Vyrui tenka sugrįžti į savo gimtąjį miestą bei vaikystės namus. Ten jį pasitinka vaikystės nuoskaudos bei sopuliai. Džeikobas puikiai supranta, jog vienintelis kelias į "laisvę" yra atleidimas bei paleidimas. Betvarkant mamos namus jis atranda jaunos moteris dienoraštį, kuri galbūt ir netiesiogiai, tačiau atveda prie jo namų durų Reičelę..
Nori to ar ne, tačiau daugybė gerų atsiliepimų užkėlė gana aukštą kartelę šiai istorijai. Man šią knygą skaityti buvo malonu. Ji tikrai sušildė mano sielą, nors knyga ir buvo jautri bei pagauli, man kažko šį kartą joje vis dėlto pritrūko. Vietomis pasirodė, jog skiriama per daug dėmesio nereikšmingoms smulkmenoms. Mieliau būčiau daugiau sužinojusi apie Noelės gyvenimą, nei apie Džeikobo motinos namo tvarkymą..
Tikrai graži bei jautri istorija, tačiau vietomis man ji pasirodė truputį banaloka. Ir ypač saldi pabaiga 🙈 O galbūt aš truputį atpratusi nuo tokių istorijų.
Nepaisant to "Noelės dienoraštis" tikrai jautri bei graži knyga, kuri tikiu, jog sužavės daugybę skaitytojų 🎀 Šiuo metu Netflix platformoje galite pamatyti ir knygos ekranizaciją.
January 9, 2018
A Richard Paul Evans book always has a lot to offer. There’s always a great story, some universal truths, and a good life lesson along the way. I usually highlight quite a few passages as I read his books. He offers some wonderful thoughts and counsel given through the words of his characters. Below are two of my favorites from this book:
“That’s the way we live our lives. We speed on, happily or not, in the same direction until we collide into something that alters our destination. Sometimes that collision hurts, sometimes it doesn’t, but if we’re lucky, love is that unbalanced force. Love. There is no greater force in the universe. Now if we’ll only learn to stop getting out of its way.”
“Love yourself. Respect yourself. And have faith. The older I get, the more I see that things tend to work out. Not always, but usually. Just not in our time.”
I just can’t put down a Richard Paul Evans book! I just want to keep reading because of his great storytelling style. And the characters seem so real to me because they experience some of the things that I have experienced or thought about. I always look forward to his next book.
“That’s the way we live our lives. We speed on, happily or not, in the same direction until we collide into something that alters our destination. Sometimes that collision hurts, sometimes it doesn’t, but if we’re lucky, love is that unbalanced force. Love. There is no greater force in the universe. Now if we’ll only learn to stop getting out of its way.”
“Love yourself. Respect yourself. And have faith. The older I get, the more I see that things tend to work out. Not always, but usually. Just not in our time.”
I just can’t put down a Richard Paul Evans book! I just want to keep reading because of his great storytelling style. And the characters seem so real to me because they experience some of the things that I have experienced or thought about. I always look forward to his next book.
December 30, 2021
Šilta, jauki, puikiai tinka šventiniam laikotarpiui. Nors istorija lengvai nuspėjama, tačiau tai visiškai neerzina. Ir nors Reičelės dievobaimingumas kartais ir vertė vartyti akis, tačiau viską atpirko jautrios paliestos temos - nėštumas, kai prieš savo valią privalai atiduoti kūdikį, mirtis, skausmas, depresija, meilė, susitaikymas ir t.t. bet labiausiai ši knyga yra apie atleidimą. Atleidimą ne tik tave įskaudinusiam, bet ir sau pačiam.
December 24, 2022
As everyone knows, this author writes beautiful stories of love and life. This one was a lovely story, as is always the case. The character Noel is a missing mother who a young woman is searching for and then she finds the diary and through that makes a connection to help her find her real mother. It all happens at Christmas of course. Definitely recommend. Quick read.
November 13, 2017
I read this in one sitting. A wonderful story as all of RPE’s books are.
How long until his next one?
How long until his next one?
January 8, 2022
Увлекателна, топла, истинска:)
December 20, 2023
What I was promised to get: a very emotional story about a man who, after finding out that his abusive mother died, comes back home to face his painful past, finds love along the way and moves forward with his life.
What I got: a very non-emotional story about a man who, after finding out that his abusive mother died, comes back home, where he meets an incredibly beautiful woman, falls in love with her on the spot and goes on a incredibly short and unproblematic journey to find her mother.
Meet Jacob Churcher, a very successful writer, who finds out that his mother died two weeks ago and he needs to go back home to take care of her last will. What you need to know is that Jacob's mother abused him after her older son, Charles, died. His father, wallowed in despair after the loss of his child and blamed by his wife for that death, divorced her and left. After years of abuse came a day when the mother just threw Jacob's things out into the backyard and this was the day the boy permanently left home.
What you also need to know is that all of it will be told to you straight up, in a simple and incredibly unemotional way.
Jacob is the narrator of the story, but it feels like he tells a story of someone else, someone he only heard of from other people. His story should feel like a punch in the gut - he was just a boy who one day lost his only sibling and the same day lost his mother (just in a different way). He was abused by one parent and neglected by the other parent. The only person who was nice to him was a pregnant woman who he barely remembered and who lived with his family only for the time of the birth of her child. NO ONE reacted to the abuse. It's like the teachers, the neighbors, grandfathers, uncles, friends, the social workers, the police DID NOT EXIST. He was thrown away from his home and lived with other people and NO ONE GOT INTERESTED IN THIS. I should feel something. My heart should be breaking for this guy, but I haven't felt a single thing. I wasn't even happy for his incredibly successful life as a writer (a life I would LOVE to have), because the guy, despite his big status, was clearly unhappy and, of course, to feel joy again he had to meet a woman (no ordinary woman - a beautiful one who did not know that he was a successful writer).
I had similar problem with Rachel, the woman who visits Jacob's house and becomes Jacob's love interest. She was adopted, but wanted to find her biological mother and hoped that the Churchers will have some information about her. She is written in such an unemotional way that I couldn't feel any sympathy for her. Her foster parents sounded comically evil (the very religious couple who abused their daughter for her sake), so it seemed like Rachel didn't go into a journey to find her mother, because she was curious about her. She go into her journey, because she felt unhappy with her current life and wanted to find a better parent.
Btw, the treatment of parents in this book should be studied, because Noel's (Rachel's biological mother's) parents were ALSO abusive and ALSO very religious. There is not a single good parent in this story! (but hey, I'm sure that if Jacob and Rachel had children, they would have been wonderful parents!)
What you need to know is that Rachel also had a fiancee. A fiancee who got similar treatment to her parents. He had to look bad for Jacob to look better in comparison so Rachel had only one choice on the end - leave her fiancee for the new guy (oh, btw, she did not told her fiancee about meeting with Jacob and about their journey to find her mother - she also did not told him that she nearly cheated on him with the same guy).
I really wanted to like this book. I was ready for an emotional outburst, I was ready to cry my eyes out. But I ended up feeling hollow and tired. If you're looking for emotionally impactful Christmas story, this one is not it.
What I got: a very non-emotional story about a man who, after finding out that his abusive mother died, comes back home, where he meets an incredibly beautiful woman, falls in love with her on the spot and goes on a incredibly short and unproblematic journey to find her mother.
Meet Jacob Churcher, a very successful writer, who finds out that his mother died two weeks ago and he needs to go back home to take care of her last will. What you need to know is that Jacob's mother abused him after her older son, Charles, died. His father, wallowed in despair after the loss of his child and blamed by his wife for that death, divorced her and left. After years of abuse came a day when the mother just threw Jacob's things out into the backyard and this was the day the boy permanently left home.
What you also need to know is that all of it will be told to you straight up, in a simple and incredibly unemotional way.
Jacob is the narrator of the story, but it feels like he tells a story of someone else, someone he only heard of from other people. His story should feel like a punch in the gut - he was just a boy who one day lost his only sibling and the same day lost his mother (just in a different way). He was abused by one parent and neglected by the other parent. The only person who was nice to him was a pregnant woman who he barely remembered and who lived with his family only for the time of the birth of her child. NO ONE reacted to the abuse. It's like the teachers, the neighbors, grandfathers, uncles, friends, the social workers, the police DID NOT EXIST. He was thrown away from his home and lived with other people and NO ONE GOT INTERESTED IN THIS. I should feel something. My heart should be breaking for this guy, but I haven't felt a single thing. I wasn't even happy for his incredibly successful life as a writer (a life I would LOVE to have), because the guy, despite his big status, was clearly unhappy and, of course, to feel joy again he had to meet a woman (no ordinary woman - a beautiful one who did not know that he was a successful writer).
I had similar problem with Rachel, the woman who visits Jacob's house and becomes Jacob's love interest. She was adopted, but wanted to find her biological mother and hoped that the Churchers will have some information about her. She is written in such an unemotional way that I couldn't feel any sympathy for her. Her foster parents sounded comically evil (the very religious couple who abused their daughter for her sake), so it seemed like Rachel didn't go into a journey to find her mother, because she was curious about her. She go into her journey, because she felt unhappy with her current life and wanted to find a better parent.
Btw, the treatment of parents in this book should be studied, because Noel's (Rachel's biological mother's) parents were ALSO abusive and ALSO very religious. There is not a single good parent in this story! (but hey, I'm sure that if Jacob and Rachel had children, they would have been wonderful parents!)
What you need to know is that Rachel also had a fiancee. A fiancee who got similar treatment to her parents. He had to look bad for Jacob to look better in comparison so Rachel had only one choice on the end - leave her fiancee for the new guy (oh, btw, she did not told her fiancee about meeting with Jacob and about their journey to find her mother - she also did not told him that she nearly cheated on him with the same guy).
I really wanted to like this book. I was ready for an emotional outburst, I was ready to cry my eyes out. But I ended up feeling hollow and tired. If you're looking for emotionally impactful Christmas story, this one is not it.
December 8, 2017
The Noel Diary is Richard Paul Evans 2017 Christmas / Holiday novel. I haven’t read all of his annual holiday novels, but I have read quite a few of them beginning with his debut ”The Christmas Box”, which was one of those “overnight success” stories that you hear about. He followed that book up with two more in the Christmas Box Series, ”Timepiece” (The Christmas Box #2) and ”The Letter”(The Christmas Box #3), and then, annually, he manages to deliver a new book, which seems a bit like a miracle in itself.
“More than once, in the hazy dreamscape between slumber and consciousness, I’ve had a vision of a young woman with long black hair that glistens in the sun like obsidian. In this dream I am small next to her and she is holding me close to her breast, singing to me, looking lovingly into my face with her soft almond-shaped eyes. It’s always the same young woman I see. I don’t know who she is or why she haunts the passages of my consciousness. I don’t even know if she’s real. But she feels real. And something inside of me longs for her. Whoever she is, she loves me. Or she did. And I love her.
“This is the story of how I found that woman. And, on that journey, found love.”
Like most of Richard Paul Evans’ stories, this isn’t so much about the celebration of Christmas as a holiday, as it happens to take place during the season of holidays, but the theme of this story, the search for, the need for love, for forgiveness, and that grace of second chances we seek that to fill those empty holes in ourselves.
There’s simplicity to Evans’ prose that I enjoy, a sense of immediacy to his words, as though this story was meant for you to read, as though he’s telling you the secrets of his soul. Baring his soul to you alone. That being said, a steady diet of it would not work for me, but there are times when it is just right. A lovely, feel-good novel, much like some holiday movies, maybe a bit too sweet, but the season is filled with sugar, what's a little more?
December 15, 2017
I look forward to Richard Paul Evans annual Christmas novel, and "The Noel Diary" does not disappoint.
Jacob Churcher, now a famous romance novelist, is surprised by a phone call from a lawyer informing him of his mother's death. He hasn't seen his mother in over 20 years. His mother was mentally ill, abusing Jacob as a child, finally throwing his things out in the yard and locking the door when he was sixteen. Jacob found a home when invited by a co-worker to stay with them, treating him like family. But even in all of Jacob's success, he is lonely and hurting. He returns to his childhood home, hoping to find healing and some signs of his mother's love. What he discovers is that his mother had become a recluse and a hoarder. In sifting through the rubble, he unearths the diary of a young, pregnant woman who spent time at their home when Jacob was four. With the help of a kind neighbor, and a stranger who comes looking for answers to to her own past, Jacob is able to find grace, the ability to forgive and the possibility of love.
Jacob Churcher, now a famous romance novelist, is surprised by a phone call from a lawyer informing him of his mother's death. He hasn't seen his mother in over 20 years. His mother was mentally ill, abusing Jacob as a child, finally throwing his things out in the yard and locking the door when he was sixteen. Jacob found a home when invited by a co-worker to stay with them, treating him like family. But even in all of Jacob's success, he is lonely and hurting. He returns to his childhood home, hoping to find healing and some signs of his mother's love. What he discovers is that his mother had become a recluse and a hoarder. In sifting through the rubble, he unearths the diary of a young, pregnant woman who spent time at their home when Jacob was four. With the help of a kind neighbor, and a stranger who comes looking for answers to to her own past, Jacob is able to find grace, the ability to forgive and the possibility of love.
December 21, 2017
This book wasn't really a Christmas story, but rather a story that takes place around Christmas time. I had a little trouble finding some believability in parts, mainly two people falling so deeply in love in the space of a few days.
I found the dynamic of Jacob trying to come to terms with the way his mother treated him as a child a much more interesting part of the book.
Overall, this was a quick, decent read. While it wasn't quite what I was expecting, it was still worth the time it took to read.
I found the dynamic of Jacob trying to come to terms with the way his mother treated him as a child a much more interesting part of the book.
Overall, this was a quick, decent read. While it wasn't quite what I was expecting, it was still worth the time it took to read.
November 28, 2017
Why do I keep reading these sappy books!?!? Ugh. No one talks like these people in real life. And people don’t fall in love in 24 hours. And people don’t use the term “even my breasts were weeping” after giving a baby up for adoption. That was a bit much. Geez. Sigh. But I’ll be back to read whatever he writes next Christmas. Because that’s just who I am.
February 6, 2023
Knyga vidutiniška. Nėra bloga, bet ir nieko ypatingo.
+ jauki ir miela, tinkama kalėdiniam metui, su laiminga pabaiga, perskaitoma per vieną dieną ir paliekanti tokį šiltą jausmą širdyje
- jokios literatūrinės vertės, naivoka, banaloka, nuspėjama ir vis kirbėjo mintis, kad skirta paaugliams, taip pat nemažai religinių motyvų.
+ jauki ir miela, tinkama kalėdiniam metui, su laiminga pabaiga, perskaitoma per vieną dieną ir paliekanti tokį šiltą jausmą širdyje
- jokios literatūrinės vertės, naivoka, banaloka, nuspėjama ir vis kirbėjo mintis, kad skirta paaugliams, taip pat nemažai religinių motyvų.
December 23, 2022
// if you don’t have Christmas in your heart, you won’t find it under a tree.
O ar tavo Kalėdos visada turi tik gražius prisiminimus? O gal netyčia laikai pykčio ar nusivylimo akmenelį kažkur užanty, o dabar kai užaugai, bandai kurti gražias šventes savo vaikams, kad tie atsiminimai iš vaikystės nebūtų vien tik slogūs, kaip tavo?
labai jauki ir rami knyga, gal perdaug ir nuspėjama, bet kam tai rūpi? Juk kalėdos nėra vien tik dovanų pirkimas ir pompastika. Kalėdos turi gyventi mūsų širdyse ir minti tik geriausius prisiminimus! Ideali istorija prieš šventes ar po svenčių. Mansai tiks ir vasaros laiku skaityt, svarbu, kad ta knygos žinutė pasiektu ir jūsų širdis…
O ar tavo Kalėdos visada turi tik gražius prisiminimus? O gal netyčia laikai pykčio ar nusivylimo akmenelį kažkur užanty, o dabar kai užaugai, bandai kurti gražias šventes savo vaikams, kad tie atsiminimai iš vaikystės nebūtų vien tik slogūs, kaip tavo?
labai jauki ir rami knyga, gal perdaug ir nuspėjama, bet kam tai rūpi? Juk kalėdos nėra vien tik dovanų pirkimas ir pompastika. Kalėdos turi gyventi mūsų širdyse ir minti tik geriausius prisiminimus! Ideali istorija prieš šventes ar po svenčių. Mansai tiks ir vasaros laiku skaityt, svarbu, kad ta knygos žinutė pasiektu ir jūsų širdis…
September 21, 2022
Šįsyk viršelis apgavo. Man jis toks banalus. Neįdomus, bet pati knyga wooow - šilta, jauki, švelni ir labai tyra!! Vienas gražiausių romanų 💙💙💙
November 28, 2022
3.5🌟
Audiobook (narrated by the author)
I saw the Netflix movie based on this story first, and I decided to check out the short novel. The movie and the book are similar and yet different in many ways. This isn’t a light Christmas read. It’s sad more than it’s happy. Plenty of unlikeable and unloving secondary characters, especially parents who were cruel to their children. But there are good messages in it too.
Robin’s Ratings
5🌟 = Out of this world. Amazing. Unforgettable. A personal favorite.
4🌟 = Excellent read. Couldn’t put it down. Will recommend to others.
3🌟 = Liked it. Glad I read it. Engaging/entertaining/interesting.
2🌟 = The book was okay, but I’ve enjoyed other books so much more.
1🌟 = For whatever reason, I didn’t like it and can’t recommend it.
Audiobook (narrated by the author)
I saw the Netflix movie based on this story first, and I decided to check out the short novel. The movie and the book are similar and yet different in many ways. This isn’t a light Christmas read. It’s sad more than it’s happy. Plenty of unlikeable and unloving secondary characters, especially parents who were cruel to their children. But there are good messages in it too.
Robin’s Ratings
5🌟 = Out of this world. Amazing. Unforgettable. A personal favorite.
4🌟 = Excellent read. Couldn’t put it down. Will recommend to others.
3🌟 = Liked it. Glad I read it. Engaging/entertaining/interesting.
2🌟 = The book was okay, but I’ve enjoyed other books so much more.
1🌟 = For whatever reason, I didn’t like it and can’t recommend it.
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