Christmas in Harmony Book Review

I got another book from the wrapped book section in the library which was this book.  Christmas in Harmony (A Harmony Novel) by Philip Gully had a beautiful cover and looked like a perfect Christmas small town setting that seemed interesting.  I had not read anything by this author and knew nothing about the book.  It had one other main thing going for it, it was a short book and I was trying to get to 150 books by the end of the year.  I still had three more books to read so I knew that it needed to be short to get closer to my goal.    I had two other long books which weren't getting read because they were also too heavy to carry with me everywhere I was going.

Philip Gulley takes us to Harmony, Indiana, at Christmastime as inspiration strikes the inimitable Dale Hinshaw. Always looking for a way to increase the church's profit margins, Hinshaw brainstorms a progressive nativity scene that will involve the whole town, complete with a map like those for the Hollywood stars. Neither Pastor Sam Gardner nor the other members of the Harmony Friends meeting express any enthusiasm for this idea, but Dale is unstoppable. Meanwhile, Pastor Sam has his own concerns: he's having his annual argument with his wife, and he's worried that the four-slotted toaster he bought for her may be too lavish a gift.  Amidst the bustle of the season, the citizens of Harmony experience the simple joys and sometime loneliness that often go unseen. Sam comes to the realization that Dale, in his own misguided way, is only trying to draw meaning from the eternal story of Christmas. "In this unsettled world, it is good to have this steadiness -- the Christmas Eve service, the peal of the bell. . . .There is a holiness to memory, a sense of God's presence in these mangers of the mind. Which might explain why it is that the occasions that change the least are often the very occasions that change us the most."

I read through this book in two quick sittings and was amazed at how much was fit into the short book.  There was whitty writing and great characters that made you fee like you grew up in this small town.  Without reading any other books in the series, I feel like I know this small and busy town of Harmony.  It is funny to see all the Christmas traditions and how they are so ingrained into the people of the town.  Changing the traditions for one year might be tough but it is the only thing that Dale Hinshaw wants to do as one of the outspoken church elders, he gets his way.  The Christmas eve service is then turned into a progressive nativity scene where people need to travel from house to house with a map and it is a funny thing to read for sure.  If you want to read about the funny town and great character then you should pick up this quick read.  I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I did!