4 stars / 5
Summary: Fair Mountain Christmas: A sweet, feel-good holiday novella (Heartwarming Christmas)
Nostalgia and Christmas miracles burn bright in this uplifting and heartwarming story about new beginnings and falling in love under a blanket of stars.
Fair Mountain, December 1972.
A few days before Christmas, Juni’s editor gives her a writing assignment that throws her far outside her comfort zone. She and her terrier, Leo, retreat to her grandparents’ old cabin in the Norwegian mountains in hopes of inspiration. But the trip turns into a heart-wrenching and emotionally challenging encounter.
Memories of Juni’s childhood seep in as soon as she enters the cabin, and as for the writing assignment…what does she know about what children need for Christmas?
Juni’s focus changes when handsome Henry Norheim from Moose Lodge down the hill unexpectedly shows up outside her cottage door. His dedication to family, traditions, and Christmas celebration is contagious, but for Juni, coming out of her lonely shell is easier said than done.
As Juni’s deadline draws closer, and the snowflakes softly swirl down on Fair Mountain, she has to face up to her past, open her heart, and dare to take a step forward. Will the miracle of Christmas live up to its promise of hope, goodwill, and love this year?
Fair Mountain Christmas is a wonderfully warm story for fans of Jenny Hale, Rachael Bloome, Megan Squires, and Elizabeth Bromke.
“A delightful holiday read…a gentle reminder to take time to find the memories and moments that make Christmas magical.” –Chalon Linton, author of Historical Romance and Christian Fiction
“Reading Fair Mountain Christmas gave me the same warm feeling as curling up in front of a fire with a cup of hot chocolate.” –Lynn Morrison, author of the Oxford Key Mysteries (from Amazon).
Review:
Fair Mountain Christmas is
the lovely new Christmas novella by Heidi Eljarbo. The plot is set in the Norwegian
mountains December 1972 and is about newspaper writer Juni Lind who goes to the
family mountain cabin to find inspiration for her article to be printed in the
newspaper just before Christmas. She reflects on memories from childhood Christmases
spent in the cabin and finds a way to use some of it for her writing
assignment; 5 things children need for Christmas.
While trying to write, good looking handyman Henry Nordheim turns up. He invites Juni to stay at the lodge nearby. She gets involved in a number of typical Norwegian Christmas preparations, and gets plenty of ideas for her article. She gets to revisit past feelings not yet dealt with. Between Henry, her unprocessed feelings, old and new relationships, Juni carves out new perspective and direction for her life.
Main character Juni Lind is a newspaper writer who has experienced plenty of hurt and loss in her past. She seems like good woman who prefers to close off her heart to protect herself and bury her feelings in work. She felt like a very recognizable character I really liked.
Supporting character Henry Nordheim, the handyman with a great
heart who seems very invested in his large family and knows everybody in the
area. I would have really appreciated had his character been a bit more
developed, but I understand the novella concept might not allow room for this.
This is an easy to read historical set in a time period I have not read
before, -yet which made it stand out for me. As a bonus I got to relive my own
childhood Christmases in the 70s. I recognized a lot of the elements,
particularly the baking of 7 different Christmas cookies and the decorating. The
snowfall added an excellent dramatic element as things were put on hold while
everybody waited for the snow plough to come open the road for traffic again.
My favorite element of the story was the topic for Juni’s article: 5 things children need for Christmas. Without spoiling, I found the perspective very interesting. Something worth reading for parents who struggle to find the perfect gift every year.
I would
recommend this easy read to anyone who would like to curl up with a blanket in
front of the fire as the afternoons get darker and it gets closer to Christmas.
I would also recommend it to readers who enjoy historicals in general or
particularly stories set in Norway or Europe.
Similar authors to explore might be Jenny Hale, Rachael Bloome, Megan Squires, and Elizabeth Bromke. Thank you to #Heidi Eljarbo for this opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.
Conclusion: Newspaper writer Juni Lind goes to the family mountain cabin to find inspiration for her article about 5 things children need for Christmas. She gets snowed in, reflects on feelings from her past and meets local handyman Henry who helps her gain new perspective going forward.
Rating: 4 stars / 5
Where to get your copy
Book Details
ASIN : B0949HKZW7
Publication date : October 4, 2021
Print length : 86 pages
Author Bio
Heidi grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as an author, magazine journalist, and painter.
After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have a total of nine children, thirteen grandchildren--so far--in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.
Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter.
Heidi's favorites are family, God's beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.
Sign up for her newsletter at https://www.heidieljarbo.com/newsletter
If you would like to know more, please visit:
https://www.heidieljarbo.com/
https://www.facebook.com/authorheidieljarbo/
https://no.pinterest.com/heidieljarbo/
https://www.instagram.com/heidieljarbo/
Twitter: @HeidiEljarbo
https://www.instagram.com/heidieljarbo/
No comments:
Post a Comment