An Ivy Hill Christmas

 

I've read and enjoyed all of Julie Klassen's Ivy Hill series and this Christmas one is a great read.  Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a Printing Press. 

Julie has populated this book with a number of characters from the series, but they do not all play starring roles, and therefore, it is not difficult to keep track of the main players.  The stars are Richard Brockleman and Arianna Awdry, who have known each other for a while, but have little respect for the other at the outset of the book.  Richard is what seems to be a ne'er-do-well who is living in his family's London townhouse to stay away from Ivy Hill and the matchmaking schemes of his family.  BUT, his mother wants a full-family Christmas and wants Richard at home.  At the outset, Richard tries to alienate the single women at the family party so that he can live his life as a confirmed bachelor.  

There are hidden depths to the characters of the book that make this book such a worthwhile read.  There are clear spiritual implications  that bring the reader to empathetic understandings of the characters.  AND, Julie has done her research into the lives and times of the people in her book.  One of the most endearing characters is Jamie Fleming, an orphan who has been given an apprenticeship at a print shop near Richard's family home.  

It is easy to tell that Richard is a lot of bluster, putting up a curmudgeonly front to keep the rest of the family and guests at arm's length.  But it is also easy to tell that Richard is hiding from himself, and that is one of the hardest things to do.  

Julie has used gentle humor, a great deal of pathos, and an empathetic ear in putting this book down on paper.  I recommend it highly. 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.