Santa’s Secret: A Christmas Novel by Christy Hardman with Phil Porter

You know, Christmas is such a special time of year it’s no wonder that so many inspired things happen in relationship to that season. I’m not fond of all the commercialism, or of the hustle and bustle and “have-to’s” so many people make up for themselves. I am fond of the music, art and literature that come out of this season, though. To me, those are the places you can really find the spirit and joy of Christmas.

Santa’s Secret: A Christmas Novel by Christy Hardman with Phil Porter is one of those places. This book was a special treat to read because it puts Christmas into a unique perspective. When it comes to Christmas, there are just about as many different opinions about what the holiday should and shouldn’t mean as there are people who celebrate it. I’ve known people who embrace the concept of Santa with gusto. They spend half the year preparing for Christmas and the other half of the year recovering from it. I’ve known people who refuse to allow Santa into their Christmas at all, because they feel he has nothing to do with the true meaning of Christmas. I have known people who use Christmas exclusively for Santa and celebrate the birth of the Savior on entirely different days of the year. I’ve known people who seem able to keep everything in perspective and others who ignore it all because they feel no matter how it’s done the whole holiday is too hyped up to carry the spirit of Christ.

That’s why I love Santa’s Secret. It takes the two things many people try to find a happy balance in and places a very Christ-like perspective on them. Santa’s Secret tells the story of one man who began playing Santa Claus as a way to make ends meet at Christmas, but in the process discovers the “magic” of the season as well as his own testimony of the Savior and the spirit of love that should be associated with His name. It’s a beautiful thing to watch Phil Porter don a Santa suit and at the same time put on the mantle of disciple of Christ. He is a force for good that many of us forget about in all the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I loved every minute of my time with Santa’s Secret. There were many sweet tears shed and closeness to the Spirit that can sometimes be overlooked when sources like this book aren’t available to remind me how much I’m loved and blessed by my Heavenly Father.

Here’s a neat hint: I love the fact that Santa’s Secret is divided into 11 chapters. That set up makes it very convenient for reading each night for the last 12 nights before Christmas. The first 11 days you get a chance to see how Santa should fit into Christmas, on day 12 you read the nativity story and feel the power of how it really does fit, in terms of truth and light, not commercialism. I’ve already earmarked this title as a gift for several people I know. Read it early on in the season and I’m sure you’ll find yourself saying, “Yes, this is exactly what so-and-so needs right now.”

There are also convenient discussion questions in the back of the book that are not overly complicated or expect you to philosophy on some message you didn’t even know the story had. (Yes, I was traumatized by a few AP English classes in my day.) These can also be used to help your family (or a family you know) focus on what they can take away from the story. I appreciate it when books I want to make an impression on my children make that “talking” process easier for me.

I firmly place Santa’s Secret on my recommended reading for each of you, my readers, this Christmas. It will make a difference in how you see the season. I promise. Hey, if it doesn’t you’re always welcome to bomb my house with chocolate or something.

Okay. Here’s a related, but unrelated, side note: I’m really getting tired of all this crying business. Why do you guys have to write such awesome stories that always make me cry? Somebody please send me a good book to review that does nothing more than make me laugh my guts out, I’m begging you!

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The Santa Letters by Stacy Gooch-Anderson

Talk about receiving a wonderful early Christmas gift, I just got one. I’ve been privileged to review The Santa Letters by Stacy Gooch-Anderson, and it really was a treat to do so. Here is a set of messages we all need to reflect on during the Christmas seasons, presented in a sweet and endearing way.

Take a moment to view this beautiful book trailer that portrays the heart of this book’s premise and message.

Did you catch the spirit of the messages this book contains? They really are beautiful and timely. No, the basic gospel themes aren’t really all that new and original. In fact, I can guarantee you have heard them before in many different Sunday School and Relief Society lessons, but I think you’ll “listen” a little more attentively this time. There is nothing here but a sense of love and a desire for everyone to know the peace of gospel truths at Christmas, or any time of the year.

The Santa Letters are all about healing and remembering the many blessings we each enjoy, whether they readily occur to us or not. Each “Santa” letter comes with a bit of inspiration, a bit of advice on how to understand the joys of life better, a bit of the gospel, and a lot of Christ-like love. They all work together to form an uplifting experience for anyone who might be feeling a little overwhelmed. I’d put it on the must read list for most of us, if only for the letters themselves. If your children are a little bit older, The Santa Letters might also be a great read-aloud kick off for your own family’s Christmas season.

There are times when the characters feel less than real to me, and times that the writing lacks the smooth, poetic flow that I appreciate with the type of poignant message The Santa Letters contains, but all-in-all it’s a very sweet book for a first time novelist. You can find Stacey’s own account of the inspiration behind this book and sample the first chapter on her website www.thesantaletters.org. (Word to the wise, however, mute your sound while browsing. The background musical flourish was a nice touch when I opened the site but not so much after it kept repeating every few seconds!)

As many of us start to look toward finding the Christmas spirit, I pray we can take a little of The Santa Letters into our own hearts and lives. We all need more McKennas and Santas in our lives. Who can you be for someone else this year?

My suggestion: buy a bunch of copies and you’ve got an instant Christmas present appropriate for almost anyone on your list. Need to do a little more than just a book? Go through and find the topic of each letter, wrap a small gift for each topic to include with the books and instructions to read the book together, opening their own gifts after reading that specific letter. Plus, the story, “A Strange Visit” that the book mentioned being given to the family is included in the back of the book for you, as well as a few ideas for simple goodie bags. Need more help? Then visit the Santa Letter Shop on Stacy’s site. You’ll find downloadable Santa letters to start you on your way.

There. Christmas is all done. You can thank me by sending massive amounts of chocolate. Errr, maybe you should send Stacy Gooch-Anderson the chocolate instead. After all, they are her words and thoughts that can touch just about any heart.

Stacy is on virtual book tour this month, promoting The Santa Letters. You can check in on her progress and say “hi” from here.

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