A Stranger for Christmas [Hardcover]

Carol Lynn Pearson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1996

When one old woman in a Southern California nursing home challenges another elderly resident to ask her family if they can visit for the holidays, the family and the old ladies learn the true spirit of Christmas. 150,00 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Two old ladies living in a Southern California nursing home decide to test the premise that any good family with Christmas spirit would invite a stranger into their home for the holiday. Myrna and Florence invent an elderly woman they call Genevieve, who is purportedly living in a convalescent home in Idaho, and phone Myrna's five adult children to ask them to invite the fictional Genevieve to celebrate with them. But each of Myrna's offspring, in turn, has a plausible excuse to turn down their mother's request. Just as Myrna is about to lose faith in the family she has raised, a surprise occurs, designed to warm the heart and activate the tear glands. In a letter explaining the genesis of this holiday story, Pearson (Goodbye, I Love You) says that she conceived of the plot in just three hours. On reading the novella, one may think that no more than three hours were devoted to writing it. How else to explain egregiously bad prose such as the following: "It felt good to laugh. Myrna had not laughed in quite a while, and it felt good. Her home had always been filled with laughter. And caring." But there's no gainsaying the emotional impact of the ending and its message of Christian charity and love, so perhaps one can extend charitable feelings toward the author and hope that she has more time to labor over her next creation.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

A Stranger for Christmas will touch the hearts and lift the spirits of readers everywhere. It is a story to remind us of the values we cherish, the people we love, and the lessons of the holiday season. Make it a part of your family's Christmas tradition they year...next year...every year. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312146809
• ISBN-13: 978-0312146801
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,439,968 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievably touching, August 19, 2006

By 

Ashley Gunn "pleasantone" (Colorado USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Stranger for Christmas (Hardcover)

I don't quite remember how I came across this book, but I try to read it every year around the holidays. It's an unbelievably heartwearking tale, and I cry every single time I read it. Also, contrary to the editorial reviewer who apparently has a chip on their shoulder, I find it well written... to me it is written as you would expect elderly women in their situation to speak and think. And it certainly had no flaws that caught my attention, but then I'm not the type that is looking for something wrong all the time.

It is a relatively short, easy, and most pleasurable read. I'd recommend the book for anyone you know who likes to read, like's touching tales, or has a heart for the elderly. Also, I think anyone can enjoy this book... Christian or not. To me, it's a beautiful tale about how simple it is to touch and transform the life of another person.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Superb Stocking Stuffer, December 14, 2000

By 

Steven Fantina (Phillipsburg, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Stranger for Christmas (Hardcover)

Mother Teresa coined the term "the leprosy of the West" to describe the selfish trend of dumping the elderly in nursing homes where they can conveniently be forgotten or periodically described a receiving the best of care. Carol Lynn Pearson examines this disease in her delightful Yuletide story "A Stranger for Christmas."

The short tale may be somewhat predictable, lightly sugar-coated, and in certain cases a little less than plausible, but none of those debatable deficiencies is a crime. This allegory of two neglected little old ladies trying to prove that good people still exist among the modern day Christmas hustle and bustle leaves the reader with a very satisfied feeling.

In fact, I preferred `Stranger' to the enjoyable, but in my view overrated modern classic "The Christmas Box." Amidst all the holiday habiliments, sneak an hour to read it, and you may completely re-prioritize your Christmas to do list.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Christmas Story!, December 1, 2010

By 

Danae (Utah) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Stranger for Christmas (Hardcover)

One of my all-time favorite Christmas stories! A quick read, but it always reminds me the importance of the true Christmas spirit, and of keeping those ideas of helping others all year. I love this book!