The Christmas Store [Paperback]

Ray Sipherd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1994

A mysterious holiday shopping emporium harbors many unanticipated experiences, such as the incredible discovery among the shake-and-snow paperweights, romance across the countertop, a surprise result from a free perfume sample, and more. Reprint.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In attempting to evoke a sweet old-fashioned feel, Sipherd ( The Courtship of Peggy McCoy ) has overshot his mark with this cloying collection. The 12 stories are set in and around a big-city department store during the Christmas season. The store locale supplies the sights and sounds; the characters (maintenance men, mannequins, customers, salespeople); and the various enchanted props like the "Eau de Noel," a mysterious perfume that provides the catalyst for romantic love, or a magical date book that renews a depressed man's spirit of giving in "Lost and Found." Sipherd's magical store helps tormented, lonely city dwellers find the Christmas spirit in "The Crystal Silver China Club," in which casual co-workers form a club and host a Christmas party, and in "The Star Checker," in which an elderly widower at last finds happiness. Charm proves elusive here, succumbing to banality.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The author of The Courtship of Peggy McCoy (St. Martin's, 1990) brings us another delightful story: a perfect seasonal gift book with a timeless message. Narrator Thomas Cavanaugh, for many years an employee of a large department store, recounts selected memories of the establishment, its staff, and visitors at Christmas-time. Among those reminiscences are stories of a couple who fall in love, a special birth, developing friendships, and an adventure of two children lost in Toys. The writing is a joy at any time of the year. Recommended, especially for collections with high seasonal-title circulations.
- Betsy Larson, Brennemann Lib., Chicago
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 214 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Mass Market Paper (November 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312953089
• ISBN-13: 978-0312953089
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,463,784 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching, funny, magical--make everyone you love read it!, June 6, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: The Christmas Store (Paperback)

Tired of Christmas commercialism? Want to be reminded of all the magic of the season? Want to have your faith in humankind and the universe restored? Want to wonder, "What if...?" Want find yourself smiling as you finish a story? Want to have a few genuine laughs? Want a few surprises between the cover of a book? Then you want to read Ray Sipherd's "The Christmas Store"-- and share it with those you love.

3.0 out of 5 stars To get in the Christmas spirit ..., December 16, 2008

By 

Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Christmas Store (Paperback)

I cannot believe that I've had this book since 1993 but apparently, I have had it since my bookstore job where I got a lot of advance copies of books for free. This was one of them. Since it was Christmas and I was looking for a collection of Christmas stories to get me in the mood for Christmas (my own personal tradition), I stumbled upon this book and finished it in a day.

It is short and sweet. It has quite a few short stories in there and they were whimiscal, magical and fun. I enjoyed the story of the twins who discovered a little boy and girl trapped in a snow globe. There is the romance of a woman who came in the store every day to look at this gorgeous bracelet that she couldn't afford, but she ended up marrying the guy selling the jewelry. Then there's the story of a deaf-mute cargo worker who let a pregnant woman and her husband come in during a winter storm so she could give birth ... the stories are just sweet.

If you are looking for inspirational Christmas stories, I would recommend this one. While, it's not the best-seller book, it is just very sweet and simple. It is a good reminder of why people get in the Christmas spirit. These stories will remind you of that.

12/16/08

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet Christmas entertainment, October 20, 2005

By 

Gemma "bookworm" (Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Christmas Store (Hardcover)

From the back cover:

What's inside the Christmas Store?

It's not what you'd expect. For everyone who enters the glittering, grand emporium will encounter much more than they came looking for. Narrated by the handsome, mysterious employee, Mr. Thomas Cavanaugh, you'll discover all the intensity of human drama and the wonder of the season...

*A pair of twins make an incredible discovery among the shake-and-snow paperweights
*A shopper spritz of free cologne leads to something money can't buy
*A young woman finds love across the countertop
*A shipping clerk stumbles upon two special visitors--and perhaps a miracle

Charming, memorable and magical, The Christmas Store is aglow with the spirit that makes the holiday so special, and is sure to be read and reread for many Christmases to come.

And my review:
I took a chance on this collection of short stories that I found at a thrift store and was pleasantly surprised. They were sweet, clean, touching stories that celebrate the season. (One of them, "The Twelve Shopping Days of Christmas" was absolutely hilarious!) You could use this as a bedtime story book with your children, if you wanted to, as it's family-friendly.

And the twist at the end just made it all the more interesting. If you like shows like "Touched By An Angel", then you'll probably like this book.

Titles of the stories found in this book:
Tales of the Christmas Store
The Bracelet
The Crystal Silver China Club
Eau de Noel
Lost and Found
Snow Children
The Bookworm
Christmas Rapping
A Miracle for Max
The Twelve Shopping Days of Christmas
The Star Checker
Authorized Persons Only
Mr. Cavanaugh's Christmas