I love a good Christmas story, and this one didn't disappoint. It had all the hope & good cheer that Christmas brings out. Reconnecting with high school friends for a project larger than any of their lives was heartwarming.

The Christmas Women by Elyse Douglas

September 21, 2014 by cayocosta72 Leave a comment

When Trudi finds out her old high school drama teacher is critically ill, she contacts her old school friends with the intention of recreating the Christmas show they all put on 20 years earlier. The show will be a tribute to their drama teacher. As they prepare for the show, they reconnect with each other, old loves and themselves. Will they be able to pull off a miracle and perform in time?
A charming story about love, kindness and moving forward

I would like to thank Net Galley and the author/publisher, Elyse Douglas, for a free copy of The Christmas Women in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Christmas Women. I love reading thrillers, but I will often take a break and look for a good literary or women's fiction book to enjoy. When I saw this novel on Net Galley, I jumped at the chance to read it, and I was not disappointed! This is the story of Trudie Parks, a dental hygienist, who get the idea of resurrecting a Christmas show from her high school days of 20 years previous, in honor of her high school drama teacher who is very ill with cancer. Ultimately, about 40-50 students from Trudie's graduation class gather to pull off the Herculean task of putting on the show. The event brings back 20- year-old memories to those who participate, leading several to reevaluate their current lives.

There are a number of things to like about The Christmas Women. Ms. Douglas does a good job in developing her major characters. Though the story is mainly told through Trudie, the point of view shifts at times to better flesh out the supporting players, primarily Trudie's best friends Kristen and Mary Ann. The author is also very successful in creating the ambience of small town midwest America in the dead of winter. I also like the way the story aroused feelings of nostalgia for "the old days" in me. Though the setup was just a bit slow (the reason for 4 rather than 5 stars), once the main characters all arrived in town, the story really takes off, making it hard to put the book down. The ending was quite exhilarating and very satisfying--a perfect book for the upcoming holiday season.

I recommend The Christmas Women to anyone looking for an excellent feel-good book for Christmas time. I plan to check out other titles by Elyse Douglas.

Review posted on Goodreads and Amazon.

Trudie has learned that her favorite high school teacher is fighting cancer and after 20 years she visits and decides to cheer her up. She contacts her two best friends, Kristen and Maryann, and they revive Mrs. Childs Christmas show. They contact fellow graduates and soon the production has bloomed into an extravaganza and keeping it a secret in their small town is becoming extremely hard. As classmates from far away arrive to help, some old memories and heartaches surface. A feelgood, cheer you up read.

This is a real feel good Christmas story. Trudie discovers that her old High School drama teacher is seriously ill and decides that with her friends she should put on a Christmas show for her. It turns into a 20 year reunion for her classmates and we get to learn more about them in the preceding years and back into the present. It fills you with the magic of Christmas and the feeling in a small town with all the ex students coming together to plan a special show for their teacher.

We go through their dreams for the future, friction between certain characters and romance. The characters are really well drawn and you get to know them and get drawn into the preparation and anticipation for the Christmas Eve show.
With many thanks to Net Galley for a copy of the book to review

Title: The Christmas Women

Author: Elyse Douglas

Publisher: E. D.

Reviewed By: Arlena Dean

Rating: 4.5

Review:

"The Christmas Women" by Elyse Douglas

Book Description....

"When 38-year old Trudie Parks learns that her high school drama teacher is seriously ill, she immediately contacts her two best friends in high school, Kristen and Mary Ann. Together, they'd been known as "The Christmas Girls." They'd produced and starred in the annual high school Christmas show, which their teacher, Mrs. Childs, had directed.

Determined to show their love for Mrs. Childs, they plan a 20-year reunion to recreate the Christmas show for her. What they don't anticipate is the complicated emotions this provokes, as former sweethearts appear and rekindle romance, painful memories and the sting of unrealized dreams. All three women must reassess their lives and their friendships, while struggling to produce the show, even while Mrs. Childs seems to grow weaker by the day.

As Christmas Eve approaches, The Christmas Women prepare for an event that will take them and the audience to the farthest reaches of the human heart and resonate throughout the rest of their lives."

What I liked about the read....

This was quite a interesting story of three women who had been childhood friends and were known as 'The Christmas Girls' now twenty years later are back together again in their hometown due to a teacher, Mrs. Childs who is ill. Trudie, Kristen and Mary Ann have come back to perform their Christmas show. This will turn out to be some reunion where alumnus and their families. Many old feelings will come about as they put together this Christmas show as there will be some twist and turns going on. With saying that I will stop here and say pick up "The Christmas Women" to see how this is presented by this author to the reader. From the read you will see how good this story is especially during the Christmas holidays and how these three ladies were able to come together to give a excellent successful production for their teacher. In the end you will be given a wonderful Christmas story. Would I recommend? YES!