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The Christmas Box
The Christmas Box
Author: Richard Paul Evans
Since it was first published, more than seven million people have been touched by the magic of The Christmas Box, a holiday classic that is as beloved in our time as A Christmas Carol was in Dickens's. — When Richard Paul Evans wrote The Christmas Box, he intended it as a private expression of love for his two young daugh...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780684814995
ISBN-10: 0684814994
Publication Date: 11/2/1995
Pages: 128
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 185

3.8 stars, based on 185 ratings
Publisher: Simon Schuster
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed The Christmas Box on + 23 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
From Publishers Weekly
Self-published in paperback during the Christmas season 1994, Evans's first novel quickly gained national media attention. Now the cleverly told tale, which the author reputedly wrote for his daughters and which revels in sentimentality, is available in hardcover. The story relates how a young couple, Richard (who narrates) and Keri, accept a position to care for a lonely widow, Mary Parkin, in her spacious Victorian mansion. As Christmas draws near, Mary becomes anxious about Richard's obsession with success and his failure to make time for his family. She urges him to reconsider his priorities, but he is always too busy to heed her advice. It is only when Mary is on her deathbed and her secret sorrow is revealed through the letter-laden Christmas box of the title that Richard realizes what she has been trying to tell him. The message concerns love, of course, and the strings Evans pulls to vivify it should squeeze sobs from even the stoniest of hearts. It's notable, however, that unlike many well-known Christmas tales (such as Dickens's), which carry that message in a basically nonsectarian manner, this is steeped in specific Christian imagery and belief as the author draws on the drama of Jesus as God's sacrifice for the world's sins, and of his crucifixion and resurrection.
reviewed The Christmas Box on + 330 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Rick, Keri, and their 4-year-old daughter, Jenna, respond to an advertisement written by an elderly woman who is looking for a couple to work as caretakers and companions just before the holiday season. While moving in, Rick finds an old box that he is drawn to and one evening hears music coming from the box. When he opens it, he finds old letters that stirs his curiosity. That combined with reoccurring dreams of angels and Mary questioning what the first true gift of Christmas was, lead the reader on a wonderful journey of the joys and the true meaning of Christmas. And how if we get too drawn up in our own lives, we miss out on the lives around us.
Amazon: A Christmas Gift
reviewed The Christmas Box on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Well what can I say , this is my favorite author and the Christmas box trilogy is my favorite of all his books! He has a great way with words and describing the people and places in his books.
reviewed The Christmas Box on + 16 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Emotional story about what is important in life, with a Christian tie-in though the universal message of love and the importance of spending time with one's own family reach beyond the confines of religion. Easy, simple read, nice message, if overly emotional for some people.
coinco avatar reviewed The Christmas Box on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Surprised it is categorized as a children's book... this is an incredible story that has inspired the creation of the Christmas Box Angel Statue. A lovely Christmas story!!
Read All 43 Book Reviews of "The Christmas Box"

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reviewed The Christmas Box on + 3 more book reviews
Beautifully written book written by a father to show his love for his 2 daughters. A great Christmas Classic! Loved the book!
christianfiction4me avatar reviewed The Christmas Box on + 28 more book reviews
very enjoyable holiday read.
Nightcrawler avatar reviewed The Christmas Box on + 207 more book reviews
Easy read. Book is about a husband, wife and 4 year old that go to rent and care for an aristocratic widow. She dies three weeks later, but not before she teaches them the meaning of life.
reviewed The Christmas Box on + 496 more book reviews
A touching story of love and loss.
reviewed The Christmas Box on + 60 more book reviews
Great book. Can be read at any time of the year, not just Christmas. Read for book club and has been one of our all time favorites. Spurred the others in the club to read his other books!
Kmarie avatar reviewed The Christmas Box on + 529 more book reviews
When Richard Paul Evans wrote The Christmas Box, he intended it as a private expression of love for his two young daughters, Jenna and Allyson. Though he often told them that he loved them, he didn't feel that they could ever really understand the depth of his feelings until they had experienced the joy of rearing their own children, and by that time their relationship would have changed forever. In writing The Christmas Box, he hoped that at some time in the future they would read the book and know of their father's love.

As Evans began to write, he was amazed at the inspiration that flowed into his mind and heart. He completed the moving story of a widow and the young family who comes to live with her in less than six weeks, and bound twenty copies to give as Christmas presents to family and friends. In the following weeks, those twenty copies were shared and passed along from family to family, from friend to friend, and what began as a tale for two little girls became a message of miracles, hope, and healing for people throughout the world.
reviewed The Christmas Box on + 6 more book reviews
This is a wonderful heartwarming story it brought me to tears.
reviewed The Christmas Box on
Cute story.
cmj53 avatar reviewed The Christmas Box on
This book is absolutely amazing! I can genuinely say that it touched my life and changed me forever. It was a nice, short easy read, too, and could certainly be enjoyed any time of the year! It's a magical story that will touch your life.
reviewed The Christmas Box on + 3352 more book reviews
A modern classic - wonderful Christmas story


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