EFR REVIEWS

ANGEL DOLL   Set in a North Carolina manufacturing town during the 1950s, it is the poignant story of two ten-year-old boys and their search for an angel doll, a search that turned into a lesson of love. Every day Whitey Black reads The Littlest Angel to his sister Sandy, a four-year-old stricken with polio. Now she wants just one thing for Christmas: an angel doll. Unfortunately, in this small North Carolina town, no one has ever heard of such a thing. Nevertheless, Whitey Black and his best friend set out to find her one, at great cost and for even greater reward. ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ The Angel Doll , short story / novella length and set primarily in the 1950s, is the story of Jimmy "Whitey" Black, a ten year old boy whose four year old sister Sandy is battling polio. Every day,  Sandy's favorite part of the day, Jimmy sits down to read the book The Littlest Angel to his sister.  The Littlest Angel (1949),  read by Loretta Young Knowing his ...

WONDERFUL LIFE It’s a Wonderful Life is one of the most popular and heart-warming films ever made. It’s near universal appeal and association with Christmas has provided a rich story of redemption that has inspired generations for decades. It’s a Wonderful Life Study Guide examines this beloved holiday classic and reminds us how easily we can become distracted from what is truly meaningful in life. This five-week Bible study experience comes complete with discussion questions for each session, Scripture references, detailed character sketches, movie summary, and related commentary. In addition, a complete answer guide and video segments for each session are available for free online. Perfect for Sunday School, small groups, homeschool and Christian schools as well as independent study, It’s a Wonderful Life Study Guide includes: Five sessions of weekly study Complete character sketches and summaries to go deeper Downloadable and streaming videos fo...

ENDLESS CHRISTMAS An award-winning novelist’s heartwarming story about family and love lost, found, and finally truly revealed at Christmas. Christmas takes a very different turn when the guests of honor break up instead of announcing their engagement. Trapped with his family, they learn that love looks different than either imagined. Both in their eighties, Dodie and Wilson Binder celebrateevery Christmas as if it were their last. This year, their grandson Micah is planning to ask his girlfriend, Katie, to marry him so they can celebrate with the whole family. But things go very wrong when she says "no." Now they are stuck. Too many people, too much snow, and too little room should be a recipe for disaster. But sometimes too much is just enough. Especially when it's Christmas.   ** NOTE: My review for Endless Christmas is a repost from  November 2015. ★ ★ ★ ★1/2 Note : I was originally asked to be part of the blog tour for this book, which ...

At the age of twelve, Minnie Swift is living through one of the toughest times in America's history, The Great Depression. She keeps a detailed diary over the span of one Christmas month. Reflecting the sadness but also the optimism that characterized the time, this is an intimate portrait of a Midwestern family's days and nights, ups and downs, triumphs and losses. It's the story of one family's persevering spirit: The Christmas Spirit. Goodreads.com ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ As a holiday edition to the Dear America epistolary series of books, Christmas After All tells the story of Minnie Swift, who shares her experiences of The Great Depression starting the day after Thanksgiving 1932. How does one still have a merry holiday season while the country at large shoulders unbelievable financial strain? It's not easy, but Minnie's family has their ways. vintage style Christmas tree  Within the Swift family, we (through these diary entries) get to ...