The Christmas Candle

Review of The Christmas Candle by Max Lucado

Overview from www.barnesandnoble.com: Imagine a Victorian England village in the Cotswolds where very little out of the ordinary ever happens . . . except at Christmas time.

This year, Edward Haddington, a lowly candle maker, is visited by a mysterious angel. That angel silently imparts a precious gift—a gift that’s bungled and subsequently lost. The candle maker and his wife, Bea, struggle to find the gift.

And when they do, they have to make a difficult choice. Who among their community is most in need of a Christmas miracle?

Join inspirational author Max Lucado and experience anew the joy of Christmas.

My Review:

Today’s review will be somewhat short due to the Christmas season. And appropriately the story centers on Christmas.

It begins in the 1600’s in a village called Gladstone located in England. I’m not sure if it is an actual village but that is the village it is set in nonetheless.

One year the candle is blessed by an angel and as the candle maker and his wife attend church one evening, the wife is touched by the story of a woman in village who has money worries. She gives her the candle and tells her to light it and pray.

The woman does that and the next night at the Christmas Eve service, as is tradition; the woman stands up to make an announcement when the minister invites the congregation to share their blessings. The woman announces that a distant uncle has died and left her the money she needed and then some.

She later thanks the candle maker and his wife for the miracle. Since that day every seventh year (at least I think it is the seventh) another candle is blessed by angel and another candle maker in the same family distributes one candle that creates the Christmas miracle.

One year however, in 18 something or other, the candle that is blessed gets accidently mixed in with other candles the candle maker has made. This leaves the candle maker and his wife confused. Add to the fact that most of the town has come to them begging to be chosen. What will they do?

The answer might surprise you as it did me. The story was a charming one though it was a bit short. Perhaps it should be called a novella. It is a great story to read as you lounging around still couch bound from your turkey or ham coma. Short and sweet in another words. A great story to read as you finish up your holiday.