Silent Days, Holy Night
By Phyllis Clark Nichols
Gilead Publishing, Oct. 30, 2018

Back Cover:

The sounds of Christmases past echo through a silent house . . .  

Everyone in town knows Emerald Crest, the green granite mansion atop the highest hill: the legendary, lavish Christmas festivities that used to light up the nights— and the silence that followed when the parties abruptly stopped many years ago. And everyone has heard whispers about the reclusive, mysterious master of the manor, Henry Lafferty the Second . . .

When eleven-year-old Julia Russell steps into the great house for the first time and meets Mr. Lafferty, the entire course of her life is altered. She meets a man who is nothing at all like the rumors she’s heard from neighbors and classmates. He’s kind and extraordinarily talented—he also happens to be deaf and uses a wheelchair. And when she overhears a secret about him, Julia decides it’s time for the town to bring Christmas back to Emerald Crest—an act that will change them all forever.

Review:

For me today was not a silent day, in fact it was quiet chaotic. Which I say so you know how peaceful it was to dive into this beautiful Christmas read and have a Holy Night.

Phyllis Clark Nichols voice catches me off guard as a writer who effortlessly creates a world that is believably good, where excessive plot and shock value doesn’t need to move the plot along, because it is moved by characters that enchant the mind of the reader. Her writing has such an elegant style which I have difficulty comparing to other writers. Her plots move a little slower, but that doesn’t keep me from being edge-of-my-seat interested. The fact that she can entertain an audience through the story of a young girl, is not a talent most writers can boast. The humanity she shows in her writing is universal, no matter the age of the character being written about.

I particularly love the tidbits of knowledge that she weaves into the story, like a history of the full moon being called a beaver moon and the detailed description of birds that one of the character observes.

Her books are not just to entertain but to be savoured, so we might see the goodness of God left in the world and try our best to honor Him more. I wouldn’t recommend this book for someone in need of a fast-paced read but more for someone who needs a book to feed their soul. Which, let’s face it, is all of us during this very broken time in the world and thankfully it is the perfect season to get into Christmas!

I also am excited that there is a recipe in the back of the book for the ~famous~ Grancie’s pound cake cookies!

Recommended reader: no age restriction due to content. I would recommend as the perfect book for someone looking for a calming read by the fire!

Click here to purchase this as a Christmas gift for yourself or your family.