summerbeecher's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fun Christmas book - cute modern-day storyline with a second storyline set during the Civil War. I loved learning more about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
magratnj's review against another edition
2.0
I’ve read several of Jennifer Chiaverini’s books, so when I wanted a Christmas novel to read at Christmas, choosing this book seemed a no-brainer. Unfortunately, I struggled to keep reading this. The modern story felt like I was reading the book version of a Hallmark Christmas movie: full of lovable, but predictable characters and a plot where you knew everything would turn out the way you wanted to (but that would probably never happen in the real world). That said, I teared up at the appropriate moments and loved the modern characters, but kept wishing that she had just picked a character’s story and stuck with it. I initially enjoyed the Longfellow portion, but kept wanting to slap some sense into Longfellow. Perhaps that’s the way he was, but he was just not very interesting despite all the name-dropping of very interesting people around him. That said, the story of his wife’s death was horrific and terribly sad, but it was like he lived in a world where everyone existed to help him and make him feel better. No one challenged him or his views in any significant way and his character does not truly grow despite what he is going through. He just adjusts to the situation. I found myself wishing I’d picked one of the cozy Christmas mysteries on the shelf or a book about Charley Longfellow. This book was a cozy romance tenuously connected to historical fiction, neither of which was well-executed. I love this author, but this is not one of her better books.
marlo_c's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoy picking up a Christmas-themed read during the holiday season, and this did not disappoint. As most often when I read a story that contains past and present, I enjoyed the thread of the past more. Reading about Longfellow, a favorite poet, and the events surrounding the powerful hymn "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," made the song all the more meaningful. It is timeless -- this deep hope for peace and justice in a dark world. The book has a hopeful ending, which is much appreciated especially during this season as that is a good deal of what it's about after all.
imaclogger23's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kairosdreaming's review against another edition
3.0
I'm normally a fan of Chiaverini. I've read nearly all of her quilting books and thought I'd give one that wasn't quilting a try. I can't say I really enjoyed it.
Christmas Bells is actually two, maybe a little more, stories in one. One set in the "present" day, and the other set in history, during the Civil War. The modern story follows both two people who volunteer with a children's choir, a priest that is head of the church where the choir meets, a parishioner of the church who's recently lost her husband, and also two children who are in the children's choir and the present part of the story intermingles all of their stories. The historical follows the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow family and tells of their struggles and woes of living during such a tumultuous era.
The problem for me was all these stories kept jumping back and forth and left me feeling like it was incomplete. Sure the storylines all wrapped up, but they were so quick that it felt like the problem was given not that long before the resolution. I enjoyed the present day story much more engrossing than the historical; and found that one distracting. I did like that to tie the two together, Chiaverini used Longfellow's poem, The Christmas Bells. I can see what she was trying to do, it just wasn't to my taste.
If you like Christmas and short stories, I think this book will be more appealing. For those looking to get engrossed in the "lives" of the characters, it leaves something feeling missing.
Review by M. Reynard 2020
Christmas Bells is actually two, maybe a little more, stories in one. One set in the "present" day, and the other set in history, during the Civil War. The modern story follows both two people who volunteer with a children's choir, a priest that is head of the church where the choir meets, a parishioner of the church who's recently lost her husband, and also two children who are in the children's choir and the present part of the story intermingles all of their stories. The historical follows the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow family and tells of their struggles and woes of living during such a tumultuous era.
The problem for me was all these stories kept jumping back and forth and left me feeling like it was incomplete. Sure the storylines all wrapped up, but they were so quick that it felt like the problem was given not that long before the resolution. I enjoyed the present day story much more engrossing than the historical; and found that one distracting. I did like that to tie the two together, Chiaverini used Longfellow's poem, The Christmas Bells. I can see what she was trying to do, it just wasn't to my taste.
If you like Christmas and short stories, I think this book will be more appealing. For those looking to get engrossed in the "lives" of the characters, it leaves something feeling missing.
Review by M. Reynard 2020
audjfield13's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
smithological_stories's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
cbezy77's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Not what I expected. I think I missed the point. It just ended.
krismarley's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 / why does my book club insist on a cheddar cheesy Christmas title every December? ugh. I’m with several other Goodreads reviewers. Christmas Bells alternates between two disconnected storylines representing two different genres, and the present storyline is actually like six separate storylines. This was my first Chiaverini read and will be enough for now. Save yourself the time and read the poem. I am curious, however, to learn how Longfellow got so damn rich. I’ll be on Wikipedia later today.
brentandvickie1978's review against another edition
3.0
Cleverly written by weaving many lives together with a contemporary ChrIstmas choir and historical events surrounding Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his penning "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.".
I loved the Longfellow family story but I didn't have much interest in the other stories.
I loved the Longfellow family story but I didn't have much interest in the other stories.