Synopses & Reviews
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 Longfellows classic Revolutionary War poem, Paul Reveres Ride,” was less than a month hence, and the countrys 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. Sophias 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 childrens 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 Longfellows family circle was suddenly, tragically broken, cutting even deeper than the privations of wartime. Through the pain of profound loss and hardship, Longfellows 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 Chiaverinis 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.
Review
“History—and its colorful characters—come alive.” —
USA Today on
Mrs. Lincolns Dressmaker
“Jennifer Chiaverini imagines the First Ladys most private affairs through the eyes of an unlikely confidante.” —Harpers Bazaar on Mrs. Lincolns Dressmaker
“[A] must read book . . . Chiaverini has a knack for finding fascinating, if unheralded, women in history—she favors the Civil War era—and shining a light on them with readable historical novels.” —New York Post on The Spymistress
“The book will appeal to anyone who loves a novel filled with the appearance of numerous fictional accounts of and appearances by the figures who shaped Americas history during the period of the Civil War.” —Bookreporter.com on Mrs. Lincolns Rival
“[Chiaverinis] depiction of the essential decency of some of our nations early leaders is a high point.”—Booklist on Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule
“In addition to simply being fascinating stories, [Jennifer Chiaverinis] novels go a long way in capturing the texture of life for women, rich and poor, black and white, in those perilous years.” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Mrs. Lincolns Rival
“Jennifer Chiaverinis latest bestseller will thrill Civil War buffs and anyone who loves reading about American history and the contributions of women to the momentous events that formed this country.” —Bookreporter.com on The Spymistress
About the Author
Jennifer Chiaverini is the New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Lincon's Dressmaker, The Spymistress, Mrs. Lincoln's Rival, and the Elm Creek Quilt series. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.