Blog Tour - Christmas at Harrington’s by Melody Carlson

Christmas at Harrington’s begins with Lena Markham’s release from an eight-year confinement in prison for a crime she didn’t commit. With nothing but the clothes on her back, a small amount of cash, and a bus ticket, she sets out to start fresh in a new town.

Lena meets an elderly woman on the bus, traveling home to the same destination. The woman befriends Lena and insists on helping her. She provides Lena with secondhand clothes for her promised new job, including a red coat with white trim.

Harrington’s Department Store is struggling financially, and when Lena arrives expecting to work, she’s told there are no jobs available. But the store is in desperate need for someone to fill Santa’s shoes during the Christmas shopping season. The owner's daughter thinks the lady in the red coat looks likes Mrs. Santa Claus and convinces her mother to hire Lena.

Lena begins to experience hope for a new life. She makes a few friends, including a young mother and child in the boarding house where she lives. She’s popular as Mrs. Santa Claus, and loves the job.

But fear lingers. What would people do, think, and say if they knew about her past?

Everyone makes mistakes, and Christmas at Harrington’s speaks about forgiveness and second chances. Everyone has a choice when wronged. We can respond with cruelty, or we can respond with kindness. We can allow people to take unfair advantage of us, or we can stand up for what’s right. The author inspires us to be better people, and challenges us to look out for those who may need a helping hand.

Christmas at Harrington’s is a charming story. I recommend this hardcover book for your holiday enjoyment. At 167 pages, it’s a quick read. Perfect for curling up on a Sunday afternoon and getting in the Christmas spirit.


Available November 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.


Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus. She also writes many teen books, including Just Another Girl, Anything but Normal, the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon. Visit Melody's website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/.


DISCLOSURE: I was graciously provided a copy of Christmas at Harrington’s by Revell Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own.