First line: Glen Fredericks slapped the back of his last departing Thanksgiving dinner guest.
From the back cover: At Christmastime, it seems as though a woman’s work is never done. Trimming the tree, mailing the cards, schlepping to the mall, wrapping gifts – bah, humbug! So this year, Joy and Laura and the rest of their knitting group decide to go on strike. If their husbands and families want a nice holiday – filled with parties, decorations, and presents – well, they’ll just have to do it themselves. The boycott soon takes on a life of its own when a reporter picks up the story and more women join in. But a Christmas Day approaches, Joy, Laura, and their husbands confront larger issues in their marriages and discover that a little holiday magic is exactly what they need to come together.
My thoughts: This was a funny, heartwarming novel that touches the very core of the Christmas spirit. It is a tale about women who go on strike in order to make their husbands realize all that goes into having festive holidays. One husband loves huge seasonal parties as long as he is just the participant; another hates big holiday affairs to the chagrin of his fun loving wife. Still others are stingy, and even some too afraid to welcome back the holiday after losing loved ones. This is a smart, sassy, witty look at the craziness we women tend to impose upon ourselves during the holidays. Though it is light reading, there is a gentle message – respect, love and understanding are priceless and highly sought-out gifts, not only at Christmas but year round.
I enjoy reading Sheila Roberts and love that she always includes little messages in her books. I think I’ve now read everything she has published to date and look forward to seeing what she writes next.
(I got this book from Paperback Swap.)
