The Christmas Box - Richard Paul Evans

Richard, a busy and preoccupied father, discovers a Christmas box full of love letters from an old woman to her dead daughter and, with the help of an angel, begins to learn the true meaning of Christmas.

I've first heard of Richard Paul Evans when I signed up for the Christmas Reading Challenge. I put his books in the WL and a few days later I found this one through Bookmooch. It is a very small story and I read it in less than hour.

"Whatever the reason, I find that with each passing Christmas the story of the Christmas box is told less and needed more. So I record it now for all future generations to accept or dismiss as seems to them good. As for me, I believe."

It is a very simple story really, too simple in fact for me to create any emphaty with the main character but I guess the point is more to spread the message of love. Because the Christmas Box is about love, the love of the family, of the mother for its child. About looking at the important things in life, like spending time with your loved ones, instead of spending it working too hard. How tragedy can strike at any moment and that's why you have to make the best of the time you are given.

I do like that message and can see why so many people feel touched by it but I can't help feeling I would have enjoyed it more had the characters been more developed and complex. The author has at least two more stories with the same characters and many people seem to read all 3 in a row, maybe that would be an advantage in terms of knowing them better and enjoying it more.

Grade: 3.5/5