"The Christmas Dog" by Melody Carlson

Melody Carlson is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine.  She writes in such an easy conversational style, and her books are light and fun to read.  The Christmas Dog is no exception.  This is such a fun story (though filled with struggles, conflicts, and all of the key elements of a good story) and an easy read.

Normally, I'm not one to pick up a book about an animal, but I made an exception for this book, since it was a Christmas story, and I love Christmas.  I'm glad I made the exception.  I really enjoyed this story and the message contained within it.

From the back cover: Betty Kowalski isn't looking forward to the holidays. She just can't seem to find Christmas in her heart. Maybe it's because her husband is gone. Maybe it's because she's missing her children. Or maybe it has something to do with her obnoxious new neighbor, who seems to be tearing his house apart and rearranging it on the lawn.  But when a mangy dog appears on her doorstep, the stage is set for Betty to learn what Christmas is really all about.

The story really isn't about the dog, but rather how the dog is used to bring people together and to remind Betty what Christmas is all about.  The story brings out the good in situations that otherwise look grim, and remind us to look beyond the surface to the real person inside.

Click here to read an excerpt from this book. (You will need the free Adobe reader.)

Thanks to Revell for providing a copy of this book for me to read and review.  Be sure to grab a copy of this fun Christmas read for yourself at your local bookseller!