Have you ever had a book take you by surprise? When I picked up the Bells of Christmas I expected to get a Christian Hallmark Movie in book form. That is how I have described the books I have read before by author Amanda Tru. Simple, heartwarming and more faith elements than most traditionally published books in the genre.

A little backstory on how this author came to my attention. I first heard about her as “a friend of a friend” who had started to write christian fiction. Eventually I saw her name pop up on my kindle unlimited suggestions and I recognized the name. It was Christmas of last year and so I gave it a shot. It was exactly what I was looking for: Hallmark in book form. The perfect easy read during a busy Christmas season.

In July I had the idea to do some christian Christmas book reviews. In great timing, The Bells of Christmas kept popping up in my suggestions. Without reading the back, I downloaded it thinking it would be an easy Christmas story. Much to my surprise, I soon recognized one of the scenarios from a real life event that had happened to one of my closest friends. That was when I remembered she told me an incident involving her and her family had inspired her author friend for a small part of a book she was writing. I quickly realized I was reading THAT book and I started to pay more attention than I would have otherwise.

The story starts out when the protagonist, Tayde, is offered a new job writing a modern day take on an advice column. Light on the advice and more commentary on the letters sent in. Her first response is to an outraged citizen complaining about children playing baseball in a cemetery and how the parents just watched! Tayde quickly agrees at how wrong it was for parents to allow it.

Soon a response is sent in from an announmous reader that they dub “Mr Bells”. Mr Bells quickly corrects the scenario. The boys weren’t playing in the cementary, but near it. A light game of wiffel ball. They were there to visit their mother, who had died. Baseball was her favorite game and she had loved watching her boys play.

Horrified by her quick judgment Tayde wants to write an apology letter but her editor refuses. She is forbidden to follow up. She continues to answer letters. Then one day, there it is again. A response from Mr Bells. Another correction to her hasty judgement.

I think it’s important to not make hasty judgements. Someone cuts me off in traffic? Maybe their mother just died and they are just trying to make it home. Maybe the man stopped too long at a green light is stressed over losing his job.

That said those lines of thought are only that. A way to keep what I want (to get where I am going on time) in balance with loving others. To not be frustrated or so self-absorbed that I’m only thinking of how the situation effects me.

The Bells of Christmas is filled with accounts from the authors own life on times she might have, or did misunderstand a situation. Personal stories always bring more richness to a story and this is no exception.

BUT…..

But. Oh how I wish I didn’t have to use that word. Unfortunalty something vital was missing from this story. Or perhaps the emphasis was so strong on perspective that it was missed. Truth starts to take a back seat. Perspective and personal experiance take the drivers seat. This is where she started to lose me. Perspectives are not excuses to justify behavior, although that is what you see subtlety play out in this story. I don’t know the author personally and can’t say if that was unintended on her part or if she values feelings over truth.

Overall by the end of the book you start to lose the value of perspective as it starts to morph into an excuse that justifies.

I think this would be a great book to read with your teen daughter to have a discussion about perspective and how perspective/feelings aren’t always reality. How easy we might fall into excusing sin in the name perspective. That perspectives aren’t truth.

CONCLUSION

All that to say I rather liked the book. Amanada Tru’s writting keeps improving. The romance between the characters was sweet. I do feel like some back story was missed with Tayde, as some of her reaction to precieved critizizm left me confused on why her charcter acted that way. The characters each had a unique voice and personality. Always nice when you have different charcater structure and reactions instead of the authors voice shinning through each character rendering them flat.

One thing I think is worth mentioning is this isn’t what most would consider a Christmas story. it starts in July and the majority of the book isn’t set during the holidays, although it does end there.

Chances are readers will find this a light, hallmark-in-book-form read.

CONTENT

Sexual Content- one kiss. Infidelity is mentioned. A woman and her kids are living with her boyfriend. It is not presented as condoning or condemning, rather just a statement of fact about secondary characters.

Cursing- None

Violence- None

Spiritual Ellements- Moderate. Christian elements are higher than most in this book. Mostly reflects a biblical worldview, but also has elements of post modernism and progressive Christian in regards to feelings/perspective.

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