Caleo's Full Review: Richard Paul Evans - The Christmas Box: Anniversar...
As I sit here, recovering from the flu, the keyboard in my lap, and peppermint tea at my side, the afternoon sky is filling with snow clouds, thick and heavy as the woolen blanket wrapped around my legs. The lights are twinkling on the tree, the Christmas carols are playing softly in the background. Despite the afore mentioned illness, it has been a lovely, quiet day, perfect for reading, perfect for quiet thoughts and reflection. Perfect for curling up with The Christmas Box, the tiny, 125 page novel written by Richard Paul Evans in 1993.
I have owned this book for five years now, and it never fails to inspire me. Originally, Evans wrote this story as a gift to his daughters with twenty copies also given to friends as presents. The heartwarming tale proved so popular that the story was circulated from friend to friend until bookstores began calling him looking for copies. Thus began the journey of the charming little book that would launch a writing career, become an Emmy award winning made-for-television movie, and grow to sell over seven million copies world-wide.
My romantic friends, those who believe in Santa Claus in particular, have speculated that the ornamented brown Christmas Box was fashioned by Saint Nick himself from the trunk of the very first Christmas tree, brought in from the cold December snows so many seasons ago. Other believe that it was skillfully carved and polished from the hard and splintered wood from whose rough surface the Lord of Christmas had demonstrated the ultimate love for mankind.
Though small in stature, The Christmas Box delivers a powerful message that is too often lost in a season notorious for over-commercialization. It is simply written, not heavily descriptive or drowning in sugary sentiment, yet it is for this reason that it is so highly effective in achieving its goal. It speaks directly to the heart. Every word is perfectly in place. Through seven chapters we come to know the main character, Richard Evans, his wife Keri and their three year old daughter Jenna. They are the typical young couple, just starting out with a business venture that occupies all of Richard’s time, living in a small apartment with scarcely enough money to live on.
As fate would have it, Keri replies to an ad in the local newspaper and the family finds themselves moving into a resplendent Victorian mansion owned by the widow Mary Parkin. In exchange for minimal duties, the family is given the spacious east wing to live in. It should be noted here, that while the author used the real names of his family, and wrote the story as if autobiographical, it is actually a work of fiction. The author moves us quickly through the relationship between Mary and the Evans, and it is primarily through dialogue that we come to know and care about these four people.
It is upon moving into the mansion and storing away belongings in the attic that Richard first comes upon the Christmas Box ...
“Hello, look at this,” I said, as I gently lifted what looked to be an heirloom. It was an ornate wooden box of burled walnut, intricately carved and highly polished. It was about ten inches wide, fourteen inches long, and a half foot deep, large enough to for a sheet of stationary to lie flat inside. It has two large brass hinges crafted in the form of holly leaves. Two leather straps ran horizontally across the lid and buckled securely into silver clasps on each side. The lid had a skilled and detailed etching of the Nativity.”
The plot takes us through a six week period that ultimately ends with bittersweet resolution on Christmas day. Through this time period Richard is slowly drawn to the Christmas Box through dreams of a stone Angel and the tinkling of lullabies that call to him from the attic. It is a journey of self-discovery that will ultimately teach him the purest meaning of Christmas, the beauty of the first gift, and the power of friendship that can free a saddened heart. Richard, like so many of us, will come to realize that perhaps he has been trading diamonds for stones.
This poignant tale, refreshing in its sincerity and simple message has become my own personal Christmas tradition. I can think of no better way to enjoy a December afternoon than curled up with this little red book in front of the Christmas tree as the snow falls gently outside my window. To read, and to reflect, and to hold all that I cherish close to my heart. And to remember the first gift of Christmas...that all the glitz and presents in the world cannot replace the love of a parent for a child.
Epilogue
In the story of The Christmas Box, Richard Evans refers to a stone angel monument which has great significance to the character Mary. This statue actually did exist In Salt Lake City, Utah but was destroyed by floods in 1984. In 1994, Evans had another Stone Angel erected in its place, dedicated to parents around the world who have lost a child. A memorial service is held every December 6th for the purpose of hope and healing. Across the United States twelve additional Stone Angels have been erected with many more in progress. The Christmas Box House International was also started in the 1994, an organization and shelter dedicated to helping abused and abandoned children. Visit www.richardpaulevans.com for more information.
Quite an accomplishment for one little book.
Simply powerful.
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This epinion is part of a Favorite Christmas Book Write-Off, hosted by everyone’s favorite elf, Elorraine. Other participants include: acdc711, adrienne10, AmyLEnsor, BeeCharmer, Bmcnichol, bpotter1, cbgresh, CjsMommy, coldsteel7, dandj, Diane-E , dreamcatcher39, drlolipop, ed_grover, fresca, Grouch, JdinPA, JENNI1396, jenninca, jennull, jgibson2, kristinafh, Lisa_J, lucky43560, lunadisarm, margomargo, meanbeast, msmorvay, nightridrr2000, poseidon, Redlass, shazzle99, tiasmom, Trevsmom and Workingmomof2.
Richard Paul Evans originally wrote The Christmas Box as an expression of love for his two daughters, never intending for it to be published. Many Chr...More at Bostic Media
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...More at HotBookSale
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