Christmas Bells: A Novel
Oct 2015 · Sold by Penguin
3.4star
5 reviews
Ebook
288
Pages
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About this ebook
New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini celebrates Christmas, past and present, with a wondrous novel inspired by the classic poem “Christmas Bells,” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
I heard the bells on Christmas Day / Their old familiar carols play / And wild and sweet / The words repeat / Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
In 1860, the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow family celebrated Christmas at Craigie House, their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The publication of Longfellow’s classic Revolutionary War poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” was less than a month hence, and the country’s grave political unrest weighed heavily on his mind. Yet with his beloved wife, Fanny, and their five adored children at his side, the delights of the season prevailed.
In present-day Boston, a dedicated teacher in the Watertown public school system is stunned by somber holiday tidings. Sophia’s music program has been sacrificed to budget cuts, and she worries not only about her impending unemployment but also about the consequences to her underprivileged students. At the church where she volunteers as music director, Sophia tries to forget her cares as she leads the children’s choir in rehearsal for a Christmas Eve concert. Inspired to honor a local artist, Sophia has chosen a carol set to a poem by Longfellow, moved by the glorious words he penned one Christmas Day long ago, even as he suffered great loss.
Christmas Bells chronicles the events of 1863, when the peace and contentment of Longfellow’s family circle was suddenly, tragically broken, cutting even deeper than the privations of wartime. Through the pain of profound loss and hardship, Longfellow’s patriotism never failed, nor did the power of his language. “Christmas Bells,” the poem he wrote that holiday, lives on, spoken as verse and sung as a hymn.
Jennifer Chiaverini’s resonant and heartfelt novel for the season reminds us why we must continue to hear glad tidings, even as we are tested by strife. Reading Christmas Bells evokes the resplendent joy of a chorus of voices raised in reverent song.
I heard the bells on Christmas Day / Their old familiar carols play / And wild and sweet / The words repeat / Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
In 1860, the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow family celebrated Christmas at Craigie House, their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The publication of Longfellow’s classic Revolutionary War poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” was less than a month hence, and the country’s grave political unrest weighed heavily on his mind. Yet with his beloved wife, Fanny, and their five adored children at his side, the delights of the season prevailed.
In present-day Boston, a dedicated teacher in the Watertown public school system is stunned by somber holiday tidings. Sophia’s music program has been sacrificed to budget cuts, and she worries not only about her impending unemployment but also about the consequences to her underprivileged students. At the church where she volunteers as music director, Sophia tries to forget her cares as she leads the children’s choir in rehearsal for a Christmas Eve concert. Inspired to honor a local artist, Sophia has chosen a carol set to a poem by Longfellow, moved by the glorious words he penned one Christmas Day long ago, even as he suffered great loss.
Christmas Bells chronicles the events of 1863, when the peace and contentment of Longfellow’s family circle was suddenly, tragically broken, cutting even deeper than the privations of wartime. Through the pain of profound loss and hardship, Longfellow’s patriotism never failed, nor did the power of his language. “Christmas Bells,” the poem he wrote that holiday, lives on, spoken as verse and sung as a hymn.
Jennifer Chiaverini’s resonant and heartfelt novel for the season reminds us why we must continue to hear glad tidings, even as we are tested by strife. Reading Christmas Bells evokes the resplendent joy of a chorus of voices raised in reverent song.
Ratings and reviews
3.4
5 reviews
Heidi Will
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January 18, 2021
I found this book when browsing my digital library for Christmas audiobooks. I recognized the author's name because she also wrote The Christmas Boutique. I enjoyed Boutique so I hoped I would enjoy Bells, and I did! Christmas Bells is partly historical fiction, going back and forth between modern day and the 1860s to tell the story behind Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, and its impact on people involved with a Massachusetts children's choir, including a choir boy, a senator's wife, and a prescient nun. The historical part was okay. I often found myself wishing she would move on to the modern day story, which I found more compelling. But it was interesting to learn about the lead up to the Civil War, especially since there are ways it seems to parallel events I'm currently living through. Longfellow's story was very sad at times, but the trajectory was hopeful. The modern part was very well done. Each chapter centered on a different character experiencing the same events, but she did a good job of not letting it get repetitive. When I figured out that she was doing this, I quickly began anticipating which character she would turn to next, and was usually not disappointed. It was very interesting how she wove together the different stories. I love the idea that our lives all interact and impact each other, and she communicated this well through this uplifting Christmas tale. At times she seemed to be telling more than showing, but that's probably unavoidable when trying to flesh out so many different characters. She used this same technique in The Christmas Boutique, so perhaps this is her preferred style, but I thought she did it more effectively in this book than in Boutique, though Bells was published in 2015, 4 years before Boutique. The stories all wound together towards a very satisfying conclusion. The content was clean, there was nothing inappropriate; no bad language or adult situations. Best of all, there was no smarmy unrealistic romance, as is typical in many Christmas-themed books and movies. All in all a great Christmas read!
About the author
Jennifer Chiaverini is the New York Times bestselling author of Enchantress of Numbers, Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker, Fates and Traitors, and other acclaimed works of historical fiction, as well as the beloved Elm Creek Quilts series. She lives with her husband and two sons in Madison, Wisconsin.
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