Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of Upon a Midnight Clear: The Teacher / Christmas Magic / Jolly Holly / If Only in My Dreams / White Out

jjares avatar reviewed on + 3413 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


These are five original tales about the spirit of Christmas.

THE TEACHER (Jude Deveraux) The only other thing Id read by this author was LAVENDAR MORNING, which I thought was awful. However, this short story about a gutsy teacher (Kathryn de Longe) who tames the wildest child in Legend, Colorado, is a keeper. I loved it so much Ive reread it several times.

CHRISTMAS MAGIC (Margaret Allison) Artist Kim Risson gets a call that her estranged father (head of a surgical department in a major hospital) needs emergency surgery. Kim immediately travels to her father and meets the doctor who is going to do his surgery. Kim stays at her old home; she learns a great deal about her father and herself. With forgiveness, Kim and her father form a new bond.

JOLLY HOLLY (Stef Ann Holm) This story was really original but I just couldnt get into it. It took forever to finish it; Im glad I did. John Wolcott and Isabel Burche were both lonely and dirt poor. A contest brings them together and Santa is a unique character in this tale.

IF ONLY IN MY DREAM (Mariah Stewart) This story about soul mates Quinn Hollister and Cale McKenzie is dazzling in its simplicity and beauty. Planning to elope 12 years ago, their meeting didnt take place and each went his own way. Now a blizzard brings Quinn to Cales old home and they meet again. It is obvious that they still love each other and Cales twin sons bring them back together.

WHITE OUT (Linda Howard) Caught in a blizzard, Price Tanner stumbles upon an isolated cabin owned by Hope Bradshaw. She saves his life but soon learns that there are escaped felons and police officers loose in the storm. This leads to an interesting mystery of who Price really is. I was stunned by their first sexual encounter Hope was almost unconscious when it occurred. Hmmmm.