Meaningful little Christmas tale. Well worth the read ( )

In the tiny town, everyone believes in miracles, those that especially happen every 25 years when a single candle is lit by an angel in a candle makers shop on Christmas Eve. The young reverend is the only unbeliever. When hope and forgiveness meet, miracles can happen.

The first chapter was intriguing and hopeful. Read half the book and just couldn't stay with it. ( )

Is it the candle itself that creates the miracle or the fact that the one who's given the candle prays and has faith that God will act? For many years, the villagers have felt the candle touched by an angel was necessary for the miracle. Now they are all vying for the one candle the angel touches every 25 years. The chandler is torn about who should receive it. A stumble means no way of knowing which candle is the correct one. Yet all who received a candle report blessings and the new reverend, who was skeptical of the candle's tale, is even convinced. ( )

When a book carries an inspirational tale, strengthened by a reader's own beliefs and hopes that magic and miracles do exist, the moments you spend in reading the story becomes a better experience. That, in a nutshell, is what I want to say about this particular book by Max Lucado, "The Christmas Candle".

The tale begins in 1664, when a candle maker and his wife are jolted awake by a strange, bright light emitted by an angelic visitor. The visitor touches one candle - making it glow in all its glory - and soon disappears. Undoubtedly shaken by what they just saw, the couple decides to keep the visitation and the candle as a secret... but not for long. With a kind heart and obviously saddened by a young widow's plight, the candle maker's wife decides to give the angel-touched candle to the widow. Unbeknownst to her and her husband at that time, that kind gesture would trigger a beautiful life-changing miracle that would soon occur.

The story continues years later in that same quaint English village. A new, modern-thinking, young reverend visits the town. He couldn't seem to understand why the simple town folks have a steadfast and immovable faith for that candle miracle - hoping that they, too, would experience it and live to tell the tale.

The book is a novella; reading it won't take much of your time. On one hand, I find the tale to be somehow light and confusing. Effective and stronger characterization and more descriptive details of the plot would've been nice to see as part of its tale, to fully bring out the value of this book. On the other, I also find this tale to be a pleasurable read when I thoroughly grasped what message it was trying to convey. The latter parts of the book had somehow pinched my heart and made me wish that I, too, may find that Christmas miracle in my life.

(Note: This is part of the review I posted at my second blog, SittieCates Loves Stories. You may read the rest of the review here: Book Review and Trailer: The Christmas Candle by Max Lucado ( )