Waiting for Christmas
by Lynn Austin
If you are searching for a Christmas story with depth and that calls the characters to examine the true meaning of Christmas, Waiting for Christmas is everything you could want in a Christmas story. I can imagine reading this every year as a new Christmas tradition.
As a novella, it fits well into this busy season, but contains all of the feeling that can be packed into a Christmas story. Addy, raised in wealth and comfort in 1901, gives up that life for the love of Howard, a young lawyer, the son of a preacher, who wants to support Addy without her having to spend any of her inheritance. Addy is active in the suffrage movement to help lift women out of poverty. This couple’s lives are turned upside down when she brings Jack, a runaway orphan, out of the bushes and into her home before he freezes to death. He is adamant that he is not an orphan because his father has promised to return home on Christmas. Meanwhile, he is desperate to find his little sister, often termed by others as an incoherent idiot. They were separated when their mother passed away. In the thousands of orphans in New York City, will Addy, Howard, and Jack be able to find little Polly? How will the children’s father know where to find them as their tenement house apartment has been rented to a poor Russian family?
My eyes filled with tears several times as I read this sweet, but powerful story. I highly recommend it for a great plot and wonderful characters. It brings Jesus’ teachings to light as the characters find ways to live out His example of acting with love towards others, even the unlovely. Addy finds ways to interact with various social groups in meaningful ways. If you want to be more like Jesus, then read Waiting for Christmas to see how the characters in this book respond to the challenges of helping others.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Historical Fiction, Romance, Christian
Notes: Novella
Publication: September 3, 2024—Tyndale House Publishers
Memorable Lines:
He and Addy had experienced both extremes today, from ramshackle tenement to rambling mansion, and he marveled that both were in the same city, on the same 23-square-mile island. In between the extremes were his parents’ modest home and the simple town house he shared with Addy. The entire main floor of their town house could fit inside this echoing foyer, yet Howard felt blessed.
Vulnerable human beings of all ages and disabilities, society’s most helpless people, were being forced to live in appalling conditions simply because they were poor and disabled.
“I’ve prayed some pretty big prayers over the years that seemed to go unanswered. And if I wasn’t careful, I could start to believe that God didn’t love me because He didn’t give me what I’d asked for. I had to learn that my faith shouldn’t depend on whether or not God answers my prayers exactly the way I want Him to.”
education pathways 
This sounds like such a heart felt book, one well worth reading!
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I certainly thought so!
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Sounds like a wonderful book for the season. And a reminder that Jesus is the Reason for the Season.
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Yes, indeed. I like a Christmas book that draws its inspiration from the life of Jesus.
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I love the idea of starting a tradition of reading the an inspiring book like this every year~
Jenna
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When I was younger, I read A Christmas Carol every year. I still enjoy that tale, but I think this book is even more appropriate for the season.
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This sounds delightful. I was curious and looked up the author. She has a long list of novels including a Biblical fiction series, Chronicles of the Kings, which also holds appeal for me. She has an interest in archaeology and did a dig in Israel so I’m quite jealous as I had hoped to go to the dig on Masada which was supposed to resume last January but of course didn’t because of the war. I’ll definitely be reading this author. As always, you pèsent such interesting reading material. Thanks.
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A number of years ago, my husband had to go to Israel for work for a week so I only had to pay for my air fare to accompany him. Fortunately, it was during a more peaceful time. I got to go to Masada as a tourist and it was fascinating. I think it would be even more so to go on a dig there. I pray for peace in Israel, and I hope you will be able to go on that dig when things settle down again. I too discovered that Austin is a prolific writer. I have a friend who is involved with her church’s library and does a “test drive” on their books. When we compared notes, I discovered she has read a number of Austin’s books and recommends them.
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This is an absolutely amazing story. I loved the message that it sends. Lynn Austin has written some wonderful books, but I think this is my favourite of those I have read. I also read A Christmas Carol each year, but you’re right, this is an updated and more relatable message.
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I’m recommending it to my book club for next year. We discovered this year that this is such a busy season involving travel that we would be better off reading shorter works so that if someone misses a week, they are not thrown off as can happen with a longer work.
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That is absolutely what happens at this time of year. I know I missed a few of my study nights this season. Last night was our last until the new year. This is definitely a great book to discuss.
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