Customer Reviews

The Christmas Scrapbook: A Harmony Story

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If you're like me and you can't get enough of Philip Gulley's novels, you'll gladly shell out $12.95 for THE CHRISTMAS SCRAPBOOK, a slim holiday novella that offers a new installment of delightful doings of Quaker pastor Sam Gardner.

Like all of Gulley's novels set in the small town of Harmony, Indiana, this one is chock-full of wry humor and just a little bit poignant. The well-meaning Sam has a history of dreadful gift-giving, including the ceramic pelican kitchen sponge holder he gave his wife Barbara last Christmas. Determined to redeem 18 years of bad presents, he secretly enrolls in a scrapbooking class on Wednesday nights to make her something memorable.

Of course, his good intentions end up wreaking havoc. Barbara becomes suspicious of his nights out and the money Sam is withdrawing from their account. Sam, she decides, is having an affair, a suspicion that soon makes the rounds in Harmony. Sam has never been a good liar, "a serious detriment for a minister, who must often fudge things a bit in order to keep people happy." After fending off Barbara's suspicions, Sam muses: "He wished now he'd told her it was a Bible study, then suggested she attend also, which would have nipped her curiosity in the bud."

As the only man in a class of 20 scrapbookers, Sam finds that the craft requires some talents he lacks. He's in danger of flunking the class. His instructor, Mrs. Hilda Gruber (a former drill sergeant), tells him, "Your glue work is atrocious, and your scissor performance is simply deplorable." A mishap with the glue leads to a buzz haircut for Sam, which spurs another round of rumors in Harmony that he is succumbing to a terminal illness. Barbara morphs from being angry about his possible affair to worrying over him, sure that he's spending his last Christmas with the family.

Because his scrapbook is looking poor, Sam wonders if he should go ahead and purchase the pink ceramic Flamingo ring holder and matching pot holder and dishtowel for Barbara at Kivett's Five and Dime. With the pelican kitchen sponge holder from the year before, he decides, he can complete the set. And just as Christmas looms, Sam has a freak accident that ends with his foot in a cast and him in a terrible frame of mind. "His suffering cast a pall over their home; his sons were avoiding him as if he were week-old road kill, so foul was his mood." Sam tours the progressive nativity in a wheelchair, greeted by the "kindly gestures and muffled sobs" of his friends, who are sure his life is nearing the end and "marveled at his bravery in the face of certain death."

Various characters make cameo appearances: Fern Hampton, who is up to her usual scolding and threats; Dale Hinshaw, who is hard at work on the annual progressive nativity scene; and Kyle Weathers, who barbers Sam to within an inch of his life. To top it off, Frank, Sam's 76-year-old secretary, plans to go on strike three weeks before Christmas if he doesn't get a raise, a new photocopier, and an extra coffee break. The real focus of the book, however, is on Sam and Barbara, and their tender, funny, down-to-earth relationship.

Although you can read this as a stand-alone novella, if you haven't read the "Harmony" series you'll want to read the earlier ones first. Gulley's stories never disappoint. This short holiday novella will delight readers and find its way into multiple Christmas stockings this season.

The Christmas Scrapbook is one of Philip Gulley's best crafted books. I have read all of Gulley's books, and this one has all of the charm, humor, and wisdom of the others, but it has an energy and drive I don't see in many books. I have no idea how Gulley accomplished this feeling of momentum. My wife and I recently visited Gulley's hometown, inspecting places mentioned in his nonfiction books, and the visit brought home to us dramatically that Gulley's fictional town of Harmony is indeed quite fictional and that this artist has created a beautiful, believable town that has only been suggested by the real places, such as the Courthouse Grounds coffee shop, the Royal Theater, and Blanton Woods. Reading different versions of his writing, found on Heartlight, reinforces my admiration for his ability to craft a story. I love his storytelling ability; I love his theology. Treat yourself to his books.

It seems funnny to be posting a review of a book set during the days before Christmas time when we are expecting record heat today. But when I saw this slim volume at the library recently, I thought why not. And while this was my first book set in the lovely town of Harmony, it won't be my last.

The minister of Harmony throws the town into a tizzy when he is absent from home one night a week making excuses. At first his wife thinks he's having an affair but then a chance comment has the inhabitants thinking this man is very ill and going for treatments at this time. What he is doing is attending a class to make a scrapbook for his wife for Christmas. In the tradition great filmakers Billy Wilder and Frank Capra what ensuses is a comedy of errors which involves all sorts of activities to help the minister finish the album which they all think will be his last gift to his wife.

Like Jan Karon's books and the description of her town and characters, Philip Gulley offers his readers a nice cast of well meaning characters set in a wonderful place called Harmony. I look forward to reading more of his books.

I'm a library girl, and don't spend a lot of money on books unless I know I'll read them again and again. Philip Gulley's books are among the few that have an honored place in my collection, and I've given one or more of Gulley's books as gifts to most of my friends and family. That said, "The Christmas Scrapbook" does not live up to the high standards of the earlier books in the Harmony series. On the positive side, I enjoyed the story and, as always, found myself smiling or laughing aloud as I read it. Gulley has a knack seeing the absurd in human behavior and bringing that to his characters in a loving, kind way. In "Scrapbook", I particularly enjoyed the scrapbook teacher.

On the downside, this story was almost a caricature of his other books. The plot seemed just a little too far-fetched and harder to swallow. Barbara, the wife, was too quick to believe that first, Sam was having an affair, then, second, that he had cancer. I think the writing lacked depth which made the whole thing less poignant than it should have been, which also had the effect of cheapening the laughs. I got the sense that Gulley rushed through this one so the publisher could get it out in time for the holiday season.

Still, a nice little story for the holidays with the characters we've grown to love, and hard to pass up if you're a fan of the series.

Sam Gardner, pastor of the Harmony Friends Meeting, usually gets in trouble because of the pathetic Christmas gifts he gives his wife, Barbara, every year. This year he has a great idea and decides to make a scrapbook for his wife. He enrolls in a scrapbooking class and finds himself the only male there. The teacher soon discovers that he doesn't have many skills which can be used in scrapbooking and she makes his life miserable. Added to this, Barbara becomes suspicious that something is going on with Sam and he is not attending a men's meeting on Wednesdays as he has told her. Soon much of the town of Harmony is involved in Sam's subterfuge on some level. This book contains a lot of chuckles but also some insight into what makes for a perfect Christmas gift.

This little bit of a book is a quick read, and is laugh-out-loud funny! Philip Gulley, master storyteller, spins yet another great yarn as his world, content on being chaotic, unravels yet again. How fun it must be for Mr. Gulley to write these books. Even more fun, is the opportunity to read them. In this installment of the town of Harmony, Sam Gardner tries to make his wife a scrapbook for Christmas, a seemingly innocent undertaking. However, veteran Gulley fans have now come to realize that nothing in the town of Harmony is ever innocent. This would be a great stocking stuffer book for Gulley fans, or a fun Christmas present that is sure to hook readers on the entire series of books.

This book is a real hoot! I have read the other books in the Harmony series and found this to be a favorite. It was also my favorite holiday book this year.

If you have read the Harmony books, here's one that you won't want to miss reading during the Christmas season (or anytime!). I just love how Gulley takes a simple town and an ordinary family story and adds such humorous twists and turns. Those of us who live in a small town can relate to the rumor mill and how easily stories are created and spread. Well, our lovable Quaker minister is the victim here. It's a very funny and heartwarming story, one that will bring you old fashion comfort - like drinking a cup of hot cocoa with Grandma's homemade afghan wrapped around you!

Pastor Sam Gardner knows he's clueless about choosing Christmas gifts for his wife, Barbara. Even after 17 years together, he still winds up buying her potholders and suchlike. This year, though, Sam's determined things are going to be different. He enrolls (secretly, of course, to avoid spoiling the surprise!) in an adult education scrapbooking class, to make Barbara a gift she's sure to treasure.

Things go awry, to put it mildly, as Barbara tries to figure out where her husband is going so secretively every Wednesday evening. She moves from one mistaken conclusion to another, and before long the entire town of Harmony - a Norman Rockwell sort of community - is playing that old parlor game favorite, Gossip, with hilarious results.

Sentimental and cliched at times? Sure it is. But it's got one memorably original character in Sam's church secretary, Frank, an elderly and crusty war veteran. It's also got the Christmas spirit as it ought to be. Generally speaking, I hate cute. I hate sentimental. I hate inspirational. And I loved this story just the same!

We love Gulley's books, I read them aloud to me husband on roadtrips. He needs to write more! What will we do now, we've read them all?