Reviewed by: Linda Taylor, assistant professor of Professional Writing at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.

Introduction

Title: The Ornament Keeper

Author: Eva Marie Everson

Publisher: New Hope Publishers

Publication Date: 2018

Format: Print book

Length: 135 pages

OVERVIEW

Subtitled “A Christmas Novella,” Everson’s The Ornament Keeper is a charming story of hope, forgiveness, and the power of our memories and traditions in our lives.

Felicia and Jackson were the perfect Christian young people—until they weren’t. A sudden pregnancy, a shotgun wedding, building a marriage, raising children, and then discovering a deep need to deal with issues long buried in the busyness of living creates the tension for this book.

The story takes place during a Christmas season. The children are longing to keep up traditions that include cutting and decorating the Christmas tree with the specially selected ornaments that were purchased across the years and symbolized various events in the family’s life. Each ornament has a specific spot on every tree annually, and Felicia is the one who places them.

This year, however, with she and Jackson separated, she is having difficulty with this long-held tradition. But the children and her desire to continue traditions prevail, and each ornament is lifted from its box and lovingly unwrapped.

The book is threaded back and forth between the backstory of Felicia, Jackson, and the children, then returning to the present. As Felicia unwraps various ornaments, she is returned to that moment in time and the event that precipitated the purchasing of said ornament. In the process, Felicia learns about herself, her own blind spots, and her true desires.

Everson creates very full characters, likeable but flawed, very realistic dialog, and situations to which  readers can relate.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5)

5 out of 5 stars

Suggested Audience

Women who love Christian fiction; women who enjoy a quick read—especially one targeted for the Christmas season.

Christian Impact

The situation is all too real—and Christian readers will relate to trying to understand one’s faith, dealing with past sins and the long-term repercussions, and then trying to comprehend how to find one’s calling when one feels unfulfilled because of those choices. Everson creates characters and situations that ring true. Felicia’s internal struggles and her ultimate choices also ring true.

Other Notes

The main characters (Felicia and Jackson) were married because of getting pregnant prior to marriage. Felicia deals with the long-term repercussions of that because of the impact it had on what she had hoped to do in life and how life turned out. The struggle is handled in a realistic and insightful manner.

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