Fall Reading 2016 The Christmas Tree

Looking for a short holiday story to lift your spirits? Your search is over. Salamon's tale of the search for a perfect tree to place in Rockefeller Center takes us to a convent set in the wooded countryside. It also takes us on a journey through the life of Sister Anthony, one of the nuns at the convent. When the chief gardener for Rockefeller Center spies the tree and learns it belongs to the convent, he thinks his job is done. After all, nuns would want to help people celebrate Christmas, right? His visit to the convent does not get him the tree he wants, but it leads to his friendship with Sister Anthony.

The way in which the tale has the gardener returning to the convent over the years and learning about Sister Anthony's past, makes the readers feel as if we are also forming a relationship with this nature-loving woman. We are saddened at her early losses, glad for the comfort she draws from Tree, and holding our breath to see if she will ever part with her evergreen friend and share him with the larger world. 

I imagine that this story may become part of the Christmas tradition for many readers, alongside A Visit from Saint Nicholas or watching "Charlie Brown's Christmas." 

I received an e-book from the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes.