Customer Reviews

The Christmas Candle

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I set out to read this short book in sessions, but ended up not being able to put it down. I read it all in one sitting and I loved it. Very uplifting and such a good message about faith and God's miracles.

This is a well written and inspirational with a Christmas theme. It is a very quick read and should probably be classified as a short story.

It is way too short to be classified as a book. Although there are 191 pages, it is double spaced and each one only covers a small portion of a given page. Although this was priced too high when it first came out, it appears that Amazon has it priced reasonably well ($3.40 as of this writing).

Although this would probably be more appropriate for a magazine story because of the length, I would still recommend it at the current Amazon price.

The life lesson contained in this story is one you already know but it is fun to read it in a real life setting - HOWEVER, there is more to consider in buying a book than just the story. I think the author had a good premise but is trying to make a lot of money quickly off christian readers. The book is small, only 191 pages and that is a half hour read - it is double spaced on 7 inch pages - meaning that it is a one column read in the parable section of the bible. The price is too high for the smallness of it and should be a paper thin, $4.00 book to make you feel good instead of a $17.00 hardback that you are angry with yourself for buying. I won't purchase any more of Lucado's books - not until he stops trying to make money off eager readers.

The Christmas CandleIt may be for Christmas, but make no mistake, this book is to enjoyed anytime of the year. A quick, easy read but fully inspirational. Grab several copies as you will want to give as gifts anytime of the year. They will love you for it. (AS a bonus, the price is right and will leave you change in the wallet even if you a 10 or so copies for the best gift of the year.) Max Lucado should be considered the "Nora Roberts" of the religious genre.

Lucado has done it again and this time he has written to bring depth to Christmas traditions within the warmth of the glow of the simplicity in the Christmas candle. His enriching style and easy read melds the purity and mystery of the power of faith to answer prayers at Christmas time.

In THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE, beloved bestselling author Max Lucado spins a light but enjoyable tale of an angel visitation in a small town. It encourages a belief in miracles and offers (as you would expect from Lucado) opportunities to ponder one of the greatest miracles of all: grace and forgiveness.

The story begins in 1664, with a candle maker and his wife. They are awakened by a burst of light, as an angel touches a candle and makes it glow. At the next advent service, the candle maker gives the special candle to a young widow and her two children who are in dire straits. At Christmas Eve, the widow recounts a miracle: "I prayed. I lit the candle and prayed." Then, out of the blue, her wealthy uncle gives her a farm as a gift.

And so it goes that every 25 years, for the next 200 years, an angel touches one candle and the prayer offered over the candle is answered. But the angel only visits the descendants of the first candle maker, Papa Edward. Lucado then fast forwards to 1894 and the Village of Gladstone, where the lineage of the candle makers appears to have ended with the death of Edward's son from cholera. "Does that mean the angel visits stop with you?" asks Reverend Richmond, a candidate for minister, of the elderly candle maker Edward who recounts the story to him. "We assume so." Richmond takes the job, despite some Gladstonians' misgivings about his suitability. He has some secrets in his past that make this parish his only option.

To the dismay of the citizens of Gladstone, Richmond refuses to preach about the miraculous candle. "I don't preach about candles. People don't need old wives tales," says Richmond. "I give people practical help and solid facts. I stay away from mysteries." The pastor confesses he believes that "God would not single out one person and ignore others. It's not fair." What would it take to change his mind? Read on....

Meanwhile, the residents line up to spill their stories of woe to Edward and Bea, all sure they are the most in need of the candle. One man has gambled away his money, while another's son has broken his leg and left the family short-handed. A widow needs money to heat her house for the winter, and a mother worries over the health of her twins. Another woman is going blind, and her son is in trouble with the law. Who will get the special candle? "We don't know why God has given us this gift," Bea says. "But we pray that he will direct us." Later, Edward and Bea ponder what to do. "So many people need the candle. How can we decide who to give it to?" Confusing the issue is an unrevealed need of Edward and Bea's. Should they keep the candle for themselves? Unprecedented --- but is it necessary?

When an unexpected accident means that no one is sure which candle is the special one, it's an opportunity to remind readers that mystery is where God works best. And Gladstone, we find, is a place where past secrets can be forgiven and people can find God's grace, a familiar Lucado theme. This is a quick read (lots of wide margins and white space) and a happy, sweet, straightforward story with simple truths that will be of interest especially to Lucado fans.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

I very much enjoyed Max Lucado's book -- The Christmas Candle. I purchased several copies and gave them as presents over the Christmas Holiday (and, of course, kept one for myself). The book is a "quick" read -- ideal for someone with a busy schedule; and it imparts the widsom and spirituality typical of Max Lucado's writings.

The Christmas Candle is a novella about faith, miracles and God's power to help us when we call on Him. Every twenty-five years an angel comes and blesses a candle made by the chandler of Gladstone. Light the candle and pray and miracles happen. Enter a reverend who doesn't believe in miracles. A family grown old with no heirs. And a town full of people in need of God's grace. In the end God shows his power and love for them all.

The story is short, I finished it in two hours. And though it is fairly predictable, it still speaks to the soul and has the power to choke you up. Destined to be a Christmas classic for all believers.

This was a quick and beautiful read. I enjoyed the lovely story set back in time. Max Lucado is a great story teller.

The Story was touching, the message clear and the book very enjoyable. If you like Max's other works this fictional story is a fun read.