Review
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Title: Winter Star
Author: Larry R. and Lisa Gleave Laycock
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Genre: Fiction
Year Published: 2007
Number of Pages: 116
Binding: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-59811-421-8
Price: $7.95

Reviewed by Karen Hamilton

Rachel is the wonderful big sister that most little brothers would want. She plays all sorts of games, reads stories and is willing to be a bit of a daredevil. Joey is the fun filled little brother who has boundless energy and is all about fun. Joey adores Rachel, even though there is a ten year gap in their ages.

The story begins when Rachel is older, married and has grown kids of her own. Her father has died and she embarks on a flashback that takes her back to Christmases that range from childhood to when she is in her forties. She is fixed on the Christmas when she was forty four. That Christmas was the “miracle” Christmas for the Keller family.

Rachel is a wonderful hostess for family gatherings and has invited everyone over for dinner and a celebration of Christmas. As she sets the table, she notices a figure outside her window. Convinced that it is her brother, she sets a place for him. Unknown to the rest of the family, Joey has turned his life around from horrible choices that he made in his youth. The setting of the extra place raises tensions and concerns about Rachel.

As Rachel’s family is getting ready for bed on Christmas Eve, Santa knocks on their door and sends them on a Christmas mission of love and hope. This trip is guided by a star and leads them to a family that won’t have a Christmas without their help. It also leads a father back to his son and a brother back to his family.

This was a hard book to read because there was no consistant flow to the story. The beginning of the book was jammed with descriptions that seemed forced, unnecessary and very disjointed. While the beginning was hard to get through, the middle of the book flowed beautifully and was a nice story about the power of forgiveness and second chances. The ending reverted to feeling forced and felt incomplete. The idea of the book was a good one, but this is one book that I can not recommend as a good read.