12 Days of Christmas Books – Day 7
The Thursday Night Club Collection by Steven Manchester
The Thursday Night Club and Other Stories of Christmas Spirit by Steven Manchester
Fiction Studio Books (November 1, 2017)
Literature & Fiction/Holidays/Christmas/Short Stories
A joyous and deeply emotional collection of three unforgettable Christmas novellas. Rich with emotion and profound with meaning, these three stories of Christmas spirit that will strike a chord in your heart any time of year and make you look at the holiday season in new ways.
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REVIEWS
The Thursday Night Club
BLURB
Five college friends, three men and two women, have been getting together every Thursday night to share humble meals and an abundance of laughter. But when tragedy takes one of them, leaving the others to question the fairness of life, the Thursday Night Club decides to embark on a contest in the memory of the generous spirit of their fallen brother. The objective of the contest is simple: whoever performs the kindest deed by Christmas night wins the pot – four quarters. And there are only two conditions: the benevolent deed must be anonymous, and it cannot cost a single penny to pull off. As the four friends undertake the contest, the healing begins and they become inspired beyond their expectations. There might be a winner in this competition, but it is very clear there will be no losers. A story of Christmas spirit that will strike a chord in your heart any time of year, THE THURSDAY NIGHT CLUB will make you look at the holiday season in new ways.
REVIEW
“Giving more than you take…now that’s how you build a life worth living.”
This is a story of college friends who experience the loss of a friend. To honor the memory of the friend, they each come up with ways to live a life of caring and compassion. A wonderful and inspirational story to read at Christmas as well as anytime.
A Christmas Wish
Steph is on a search for truth in her heart as she faces the prospect of real love for the first time. Brian is out to enjoy his favorite season in a way that doctors never thought he could. And at the center of it all is their grandmother, affectionately known as Mama, a woman of remarkable commitment and charity who knows something very important about making Christmas wishes come true.
REVIEW
The faith that makes Christmas wishes come true is captured as the Italian matriarch, Mama, shares her experience, wisdom, and unconditional love to her grandchildren. She encourages her granddaughter Steph to have the faith and courage to be herself. Her grandson Brian, who is beating the doctors predictions, spends the day with her shopping in Little Italy enjoying the holiday season. They both are finding the courage to be true to themselves. I enjoyed this descriptive writing of a heartwarming story.
The Tin-Foil Manger
Published in this volume for the first time, this is the story of Nancy, an elderly woman with little to live for and Jeanne, the caretaker who wants to believe that Nancy has more to live for. Together, they embark on a journey to the past – a past of modest Christmases, tin-foil mangers, and abundant love – to rediscover the time when Nancy felt truly alive. Nancy’s memories and how they touch Jeanne, will turn this Christmas into one for the ages.
REVIEW
Nancy has dementia and is ready to die. Jeanne, a caretaker at the nursing home, is genuinely concerned & vested toward helping her make the most of each day left. Jeanne encourages and listens as Nancy recalls her childhood Christmases, holiday traditions, and tales of the different ways people celebrate all over the world. A wonderful read!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Steven Manchester is the author of the #1 bestsellers Twelve Months, The Rockin’ Chair, Pressed Pennies, and Gooseberry Island as well as the novels Goodnight, Brian and The Changing Season. His work has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s The Early Show, CNN’s American Morning, and BET’s Nightly News. Recently, three of Manchester’s short stories were selected “101 Best” for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. He lives with his family in southern Massachusetts.
AUTHOR LINKS:
Website: http://www.stevenmanchester.com/index.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorStevenManchester
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorSteveM
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