 |
In this Dickens-esque novel inspired by Pittsburg philanthropist and department store owner Jacob M. Gusky, the protagonist discovers the joy of giving when asked to help a family in need by gifting a turkey at Thanksgiving. On this occasion, he donates 1,700 turkeys to the Association of the Improvement of the Poor and is transported back in time to a boyhood memory. As a Jewish child in a Christian orphanage, Jacob receives no gift from donors on Christmas morning. Fellow orphan Michael gives Jacob his own gift—a tin whistle. “Michael pushed the whistle back into Jacob’s hands. ‘I feel happier right this second that you have the whistle than when I had it to myself.’” Thus, a seed is planted in the astonished Jacob. As the years pass, his vow to never forget this act of kindness is pushed back into his mind. Now, the spirit of giving is reawakened in Jacob, and he is compelled to give every orphan in Pittsburg a gift for Christmas. However, with only a few weeks left before the holidays, it is an almost impossible feat. Nevertheless, Jacob is determined to make it happen.
The novel consists of two storylines, with the second concerning a mother and daughter—Frannie and Molly. Having recently been widowed and left in dire financial circumstances, Frannie finds herself homeless and destitute. Unable to provide shelter and food for her daughter, she leaves Molly at the Home for the Friendless until she can find work and a place for them to live. Promising to return and get her by Christmas, Frannie begins to look for work, but as the days go by it becomes evident that she may not reach her goal of having a place to live by then. Fearing she may never find the means to retrieve her daughter from the establishment, she becomes more desperate with each passing day. With Christmas Day looming, both Jacob and Frannie’s lives become intertwined in a surprising, warmhearted plot twist.
This book is a wonderful addition to the genres of both historical fiction and holiday stories. The plot and subplot come together in a delightful way that builds to a strong, satisfying ending that reminds one of classic Christmas stories such as “A Christmas Carol” and “The Gift of the Magi.” Set in the late 1800s, it depicts America’s Victorian Age with its newly established upper middle class, juxtaposing opulent surroundings with the horrible conditions of its poor. Frannie struggles with her decision to leave Molly at the Home for the Friendless. “They had no choice. Molly had to stay at the home or she would starve or freeze to death at night. What kind of mother would let her daughter starve just to have her close by?” It is a disturbing scene of a mother’s desperate sacrifice.
Shoop is a master storyteller with the ability to grab one’s interest and hold it throughout the narrative. Her talent is evident as she creates dual storylines that touch upon each other and weave together in unexpected ways to the novel’s final scenes. Though the novel is short, Shoop successfully builds round characters and gives readers a glimpse of life in the late eighteenth century. Shoop’s second installment of her ‘Tis the Season series is sure to touch readers and make them want to read the other four.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review