Customer Reviews

Giovanni's Light: The Story of a Town Where Time Stopped for Christmas

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There's nothing wrong with watching "It's a Wonderful Life" every year to get in the Christmas mood, but wouldn't it be nice to hear another story, one that's as authentic and uplifting? "Giovanni's Light" is that story. When I read this book, I had to get up from the chair every now and then to dance around the room. Warm, funny, and smart, the story never hits a false note -- which is all too rare in holiday literature. "Giovanni's Light" will remind you that all the ordinary stuff in life holds extraordinary promise, if we will just open our hearts and minds. This Christmas, the gift book for friends I cherish most is "Giovanni's Light."

I love this book. It's a great story. It's beautiful writing. It's a perfect book. After I read it, I bought fifteen copies and gave them to every member of my family and my dearest friends. It is the perfect gift if you want to tell anyone you are glad to have them in your life. It's not full of sappy holiday cliches. It is warm and real. Give it to adults, who will enjoy sliding into the couch with a cup of coffee to read something that isn't cynical. Give it to parents who will get great pleasure from reading it to their kids. Give it to kids, who will read it to themselves, or rally the family as mom or dad reads it to them.

Most of all, give it to yourself. It's a treat. And it's just the kind of book we need--especially now.

Leaving my cold weather roots with the outside temperature at 70, I never dreamed I'd be able to be deliciously snowed in for the holidays cozying up for a fresh winter storm so vividly brought back to life in "Giovanni's Light". Holed up with me, to my delight, were Ms. Theroux's richly endearing cast of characters who one by one are given the chance to revisit the essence of the holiday spirit. I was at home in Ryland Falls eagerly awaiting each turn of events. A great solo read but just as much a wonderful family read-a-loud. It allowed my sun-bathed clan to experience the magic and wonder of a Christmas where nature's snowy blanket sets the town residents on a new course. A warm glow of a book I have continued to buy more copies to pass on to frenzied, frazzled friends who are all begging to find a way to slow down and experience the true gifts of the holidays. "Giovanni's Light" is just the answer.

Giovanni's Light is a gentle masterpiece. Phyllis writes with a softness and grace and invites you into a world of simplicity and peace. Her ability to see inside the mind and heart of a child is a gift. As I read, I felt myself slowing down and enjoying the people and beauty of Ryland Falls as if they were my own neighbors. Reading it is like spending an hour in a snow storm curled up beside a warm fireplace.

This new Christmas story reads like a classic. I didn't think they made 'em like this anymore, but Giovanni's Light feels like a book we've known and loved forever. The story is set in Ryland Falls, a charming small town "that made people sigh and imagine happy things that had never happened to them". But this Christmas, everyone in Ryland Falls has lost their enthusiasm for the holiday. Theroux tells the stories of several townspeople along with that of Giovanni, who comes to town each year to sell his Christmas trees. It's a lovely book that you could give to your grandmother or you Goddaughter. This is the book you'll want to curl up with on Christmas afternoon, when all the holiday commotion is over. It's a delight.

What does it take for some people to stop their harried pace and take a look at their lives and then, to put a better perspective on what is important and what can wait? In this case it takes a blizzard to force people's lives to a slow crawl and give them the precious gift of time, to clearly see what is taking place in their lives that needs to be re-examined and fine tuned. This is a beautiful, thoughtful tale that encourages you to adjust your priorities to those with real value before something "big" or even tragic has to happen to force you to do so. Phyllis Theroux wisely shows that time is a priceless gift and that to live a fuller, richer life, time should be spent wisely, not nickled and dimed away.

When I finished reading this absolute gem of a book, I was astonished to find myself sitting there, feeling my heart chakra open, and on the verge of shedding tears of joy. This is one of those small rare treasures of literature that quietly opens the readerÕs heart and lets in a gentle flood of light and warmth and love. A short story written with a deft touch and without a shred of pretense or saccarine embellishment, GiovianniÕs Light displays the effortless mastery of the craft, evoking Guy DeMaupassantÕs classic explorations of life and the human heart. Take time to savour every word. Phyllis Theroux has truly written one for the ages.

This is the best christmas story i have ever read. Its like reading a story from the streets of Stockbridge, Massachusetts where norman rockwell did his painting. i have given this book to a half dozen people and everyone LOVED it. Enjoy!

"Giovanni's Light" by Phyllis Theroux is a classic Christmas story - a light to give warmth on a cold winter's day. The town of Ryland Falls comes straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting - it is a place just about everyone would like to escape to. Things have always been done a certain way, and people play their roles in that tradition willingly. Except for one year when it all goes wrong.

Under the surface of that perfect world, the pain of living is taking hold and winning the battle. As Theroux writes of the tipping point: "A crack in the heart of an eight-year-old boy is not a very noticeable thing on earth. For one thing, there are so many eight-year-olds. For another, most of them have a rather small vocabulary. They don't have the words to call attention to their condition. But in that other place where all cracked, broken, lost, and hardened hearts are recorded, it was noticed right away. And when Neddie Crimmins's heart was placed gently upon the scale with all the other damaged hearts in Ryland Falls, it was considered one heart too many.

When snow starts falling and falling and falling some more until the whole town is snowed in, miracles start to happen and the good in human nature begins to shine through. This is a novella - easy to read in one sitting. It is a perfect family story - both children and adults will enjoy and benefit from it. It would be a splendid addition to your Christmas season.

Ms. Theroux's book creates what JRR Tolkein called "eucatastrophe": a "fleeting glimpse of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief. And it does so in the most simple, clear, friendly writing that you could hope for.

Molly Merrill Sterling