WAITING FOR CHRISTMAS, by Lynn Austin, Tyndale Fiction, Sept. 3, 2024, Hardcover, $16.99 (young adult/ new adult/ adult fiction)
A newlywed discovers an orphan outside her door in Waiting for Christmas, a Gilded Age Christmas novella by Lynn Austin.
The year is 1901 and the hustle and bustle of the holidays is descending on New York’s Fifth Avenue.
For the first time in her privileged life, Adelaide Forsythe won’t be swept up in it. She couldn’t be happier about the prospect of a quieter Christmas. That’s not to say her transition from Miss to Mrs. has been without challenge. Though she doesn’t regret marrying for love instead of wealth, she can barely light the hearth or cook more than burnt toast. She feels woefully unprepared to run her own household.
Then, on the first Sunday of Advent, winter winds bring change through two unlikely means: a young orphan boy, hiding near Adelaide’s front steps, and a seasoned housekeeper who seems too good to be true.
The boy, Jack, claims he isn’t an orphan at all and is desperate to reunite his family. Adelaide and her husband Howard work tirelessly to solve the riddle of Jack’s story, while Adelaide’s new endeavors open her eyes to a world beyond her past experience―and all the challenge and possibility it holds. As Christmas approaches, small glimmers of wonder light the way toward the answers Adaleide seeks and the most miraculous gift of all. —Synopsis provided by Tyndale Fiction
Waiting for Christmas is a companion to All My Secrets, also by Lynn Austin, which was published in February 2024. While Waiting for Christmas does stand alone, I did become curious about certain references, and I’m sure I would have enjoyed it more if I had read All My Secrets first.
Waiting for Christamas is a cozy Christmas tale that leans heavily into the characters’ faith. Tyndale is a Christian publisher, so that should come as no surprise here. It’s not over the top, nor is it overly preachy. And it does feel as though it’s steeped deeply in who the characters are.
Austin’s writing is warm and inviting, and her setting is clear and accessible. You can easily picture the action playing out like a Hallmark movie. In that sense, it’s clear that there aren’t going to be any big surprise endings — it’s fairly predictable — but enjoyable nonetheless.
Waiting for Christmas is considered adult fiction, but I would have no problem handing it to a young adult or new adult. It’s a fun option as we head into the Christmas shopping season.
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