Christmas Past : When the Power of Love Reaches Across Time

Rating:
Summary: Sweet, Syrupy, and Sentimental
Review: How many of us long for the simplicity of another time and place? My guess is that most of us feel the gentle nudge of nostalgia at one time or another, particularly at Christmas. This novella may satisfy those who pine for a siimpler place and time.

A high-powered entertainment couple T.J. and Madison, sense that their marriage is unraveling. Inexplicably, they are lured by a mysterious advertisement offering a chance to celebrate their Christmas as it was celebrated over one-hundred years ago during the Victorian era. Intrigued by the prospect, and wanting to provide their young children with a memorable Christmas before they break up, T.J. and Madison head toward the Tennessee Smokies to find Christmas Past.

As they head toward the mountains, they find that Christmas Past is just what they needed for a holiday together...and much more. Through the simplicity of the celebration they rediscover what is most important in their lives.

Trite? Certainly. Syrupy? Of course. Satisfying? Yes, simply because the novella serves as a timely reminder to each of us of the importance of faith, love, and family, and the relative unimportance of worldly success material gain.

Rating:
Summary: Skip "Skipping Christmas"
Review: If you're looking for a reason (and a way!) to return to the simple Christmas of your childhood, you'll find several in Robert Vaughan's latest novel. Christmas Past is the story of two very successful people who have allowed their lives to get in the way of their love, threatening to destroy their marriage and their family. Vaughan weaves a tale of intrigue as he takes this couple out of their technologically-controlled world and transports them back to Christmas 1893, a world lacking the modern "conveniences" of cell phones, pagers, GPS, and GameBoy, but rich in neighbors who actually know each others names, children who can still experience mystery, and a pristine Winter Wonderland whose landscape is unscathed by the 20th Century's paved roads, interstates, and utility poles. Here they discover the true meaning of Christmas, of love, and family; and that the complexity of life very often robs us of the serenity that comes from simply stopping long enough to take in a view.
Some will find the novel a little on the syrupy side. The rediscovered love of the main characters seems to reignite much too easily. But while the plot may seem far-fetched, the vision this novel offers of a simple life is very much within our grasp. Skip "Skipping Christmas" and make this your must read contemporary holiday classic.

Rating:
Summary: Skip "Skipping Christmas"
Review: If you're looking for a reason (and a way!) to return to the simple Christmas of your childhood, you'll find several in Robert Vaughan's latest novel. Christmas Past is the story of two very successful people who have allowed their lives to get in the way of their love, threatening to destroy their marriage and their family. Vaughan weaves a tale of intrigue as he takes this couple out of their technologically-controlled world and transports them back to Christmas 1893, a world lacking the modern "conveniences" of cell phones, pagers, GPS, and GameBoy, but rich in neighbors who actually know each others names, children who can still experience mystery, and a pristine Winter Wonderland whose landscape is unscathed by the 20th Century's paved roads, interstates, and utility poles. Here they discover the true meaning of Christmas, of love, and family; and that the complexity of life very often robs us of the serenity that comes from simply stopping long enough to take in a view.
Some will find the novel a little on the syrupy side. The rediscovered love of the main characters seems to reignite much too easily. But while the plot may seem far-fetched, the vision this novel offers of a simple life is very much within our grasp. Skip "Skipping Christmas" and make this your must read contemporary holiday classic.