I don't usually read a "Christmas" story, but I ran across this one in one of my daily special e-mails and decided to give it a try. I'm glad it was a novella (only 88 pages) because I don't think I could have handled much more. It is a short story depicting annual Christmas letters sent to relative and friends and covers 3 generations continuing the tradition.

I am familiar with Christmas letters wherein you hear of the year's celebrations and news of family and friends who are separated from you by miles. It is like a year-in-a-glance moment. However, these ladies took the year's events to a higher level and divulged way too much information and personal drama. I kept thinking that much of what was captured on paper was better transported over telephone wires and not for everyone's ears. On a positive note, I think the story would have come across much better as a 350-450 page book that walked you through the lives of these three women. They did, in fact, have stories to tell, obstacles to cross and lessons to be learned. I just think the concept of relaying their trials and tribulations in the form of a Christmas letter felt a bit out of place.