The timeline of the stories skips around David's life a good bit, first talking about a Christmas train ride during his college life to see his beloved girlfriend Anne, next moving on to a touching story about a young girl with cancer and those around her who rally her holiday spirits, to a story about a gloomy young David who has lost his Christmas spirit. He then touches on a reclusive congregation member whose life is radically changed by her fellow churchgoers one Christmas, a story recounting the Christ child being born in a manger when Mary and Joseph were turned away at the inn, and still another of young David as he faces down terrifying consequences after failing at an important swim meet. And what Christmas collection would be complete without a story of a beloved pet, followed by a story on the changing Christmas traditions David experienced as he expands his family. There's a story of a young man and his call to complete his mission in the Mormon church, despite parental resistance, one of a young girl whose dream of a family is made possible by friends and neighbors, and one on the importance of parental love and guidance wrapped in a tale of baseball. There are stories of giving of oneself to help others, striving for one's dreams, even as they change through the years, of not judging a book by its cover, and appreciating what you have while you have it. All are sweet tales and call for the inclusion of Christ into one's life.
Christmas Kindling is a heartwarming collection of stories, some of which will make you smile, while others may cause you to shed a tear. The stories are heavily Christian themed, so if this is a problem for you, then it may not be the book for you. On the flip side, you might just take something away from it that you didn't have previously. Either way, Christmas Kindling will take you from The Heights in San Diego (Jacinto's hometown), to London, to Brazil and a few stops in between. If you are looking for a sweet collection of Christian holiday stories, you might want to check out Christmas Kindling.
