Silent Days, Holy Night
Phyllis Clark Nichols
Gilead Publishing
Published on October 30, 2018
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
About Silent Days, Holy Night
The sounds of Christmases past echo through a silent house . . .
Everyone in town knows Emerald Crest, the green granite mansion atop the highest hill: the legendary, lavish Christmas festivities that used to light up the nights— and the silence that followed when the parties abruptly stopped many years ago. And everyone has heard whispers about the reclusive, mysterious master of the manor, Henry Lafferty the Second . . .
When eleven-year-old Julia Russell steps into the great house for the first time and meets Mr. Lafferty, the entire course of her life is altered. She meets a man who is nothing at all like the rumors she’s heard from neighbors and classmates. He’s kind and extraordinarily talented—he also happens to be deaf and uses a wheelchair. And when she overhears a secret about him, Julia decides it’s time for the town to bring Christmas back to Emerald Crest—an act that will change them all forever.
My Review
What a sweet story! Silent Days, Holy Night is sort of framed—where an older Julia (26) returns to Ember Crest mansion to celebrate Christmas and she thinks back to when she was eleven, the first time she met Mr. Lafferty, the mansion’s owner, and what it took to bring Christmas to him, and then continues the celebration in the present.
I liked Julia’s close-knit family and community and the way they protected Mr. Lafferty by respecting his wishes for privacy. Julia’s relationships with her parents, her grandparents, and her best friend Piper were all really nicely done, too. Julia’s inquisitive nature kept everyone on their toes and made me laugh. Other tender moments brought tears to my eyes, like when Mr. Lafferty hugs her for the first time. Such a great moment.
Silent Days, Holy Night is such a cozy story. It’s perfect for curling up with on a cold afternoon with hot chocolate or warm tea in hand. Even though the story centers around Christmas, its celebration of faith, family, and community make it the perfect read for any day of the year.
Recommended for Ages 12 up.
Cultural Elements
Major characters are white or not physically described. One man is deaf and in a wheelchair.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
None.
Spiritual Content
Julia and her family pray at different points in Silent Days, Holy Night. Anytime Julia says something she knows she shouldn’t say or isn’t true, she asks Jesus to forgive her. She works on a Christmas performance which will celebrate the birth of Jesus with songs and stories.
Violent Content
A couple boys fall and get hurt.
Drug Content
None.
Note: I received a free copy of Silent Days, Holy Night in exchange for my honest review.
