This warm, cleverly themed book of Christmas stories from a prairie church seems so factual that readers may try to locate Pleasant View, SD on a map; but Letters from Pleasant View Lutheran Church is fiction, wrapped around religious truths as old as the hills. Writer and pastor Nerdig, who was called to minister for a while in a church much like Pleasant View, has composed fifteen stories about the true meaning of Christmas. Each tale focuses on a character, someone in the community who has trouble fitting in: "Anton argued with everybody," "Peter always voted 'No!'," and "Connie was a bit slow." Using their differentness, and throwing in some pious church ladies and a somewhat befuddled pastor for balance, the author demonstrates the combination of human love (parent/child, friend/neighbor) and divine love (Heavenly Father/Christ Child) that makes the Nativity scene so powerful generation after generation. In the first story, a rough-hewn local shepherd named Jack sets out to embarrass and annoy the churchgoers who have shunned him, but winds up feeling more a part of the congregation than before. Connie, whom no one regards as having much to contribute since she is "slow," affects a miracle of healing by bringing the wounds back to the hands of the church's most cherished icon. Throughout, Pastor Michael Loeson grows in understanding of Pleasant View and his role there.

Nerdig, who is also a playwright and teacher, writes skillfully, so that not only do the folks of Pleasant View seem like people you know, but the fables with their mild but timeless morals, are credible—and never saccharine. This slim volume could serve as an excellent church workshop series, combining well crafted yarns, believable plots, religious themes, and some very memorable characters.

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