A Wreath of Snow - by Liz Curtis Higgs

In A Wreath of Snow, Meg Campbell has returned to her family's home for Christmas, but finds her brother's bitterness and demanding nature unwelcoming, and she decides to spend the holiday alone in her cottage instead.  However, the train she is traveling on becomes unable to reach its destination, and the passengers are forced to walk back through the snow to the station they originated from.  During this time, Meg finds herself engaging a fellow male traveler and reveals some of her hurtful past in conversation, only to find out too late that the stranger knows more of her past than she realized.  Gordon hasn't meant to hurt Meg, he only means to make up for the hurt he has caused her family in his youth.  Can Meg and her family make room for his apologies and extend forgiveness?  Can Meg trust the man who made her feel comfortable spilling her own secrets when she finds he's been hiding some of his own?

Although it's a bit early to be reading holiday stories for me, this one was a good story that just happened to take place at Christmas.  Although gifts are exchanged, and the timing plays a part in the setting, it was an enjoyable read even now.  The characters were charming, and the setting was believable.  It was definitely a light, quick read that would make an enjoyable Christmas gift, or a lovely afternoon in a comfortable chair with a hot cup of tea.

The story was almost too quick for the depth of the hurt and betrayal and lies that were woven within it.  The conclusions of healing and forgiveness came too quickly to really understand the characters' journeys to the place where they could understand what had brought them there and how it had changed them.

I give this book 3 stars - a light read where many will enjoy the quick conclusion, but that, for my tastes, I would have enjoyed getting deeper into the characters' lives and transformations.

You can see Ms. Higgs discussing the book HERE.
You can read an excerpt from Chapter 1 HERE.
The author's website is HERE.

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I received a copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah as part of their Blogging for Books program, in exchange for my honest review.