A Texas Legacy Christmas

My final read for the holiday challenge! Sneaking it in just in time.

This book, like most of the others, was an impulse pickup at the library. It's historical fiction, set in the early 1900s in small-town Texas. A newspaperman who has spent a couple of years in New York moves back to his hometown to run the local paper. On the eve of his return, he is the unwitting victim of a pair of 6-year-old pickpockets, and he feels directed by God to adopt them and bring them home with him. Back home, he is reunited with a friend from his schooldays; she now works in the boardinghouse where he and the children are staying.



I'm not really sure what category this book falls into; Christian, romance, historical fiction, Texas-iana-- it fits all of those. But it was absolutely delightful, and truth be told, it's definitely my favourite of all the books I've read for this challenge. None of the themes are over the top, and the story is compelling. The children are especially well-written. I spent the whole book wishing I could adopt them myself.

I also admired Ms. Mills' pacing; the story flowed along without feeling rushed, and the character development was brilliant. And unlike the types of Christian books that annoy me, she didn't mention God every other word. While the main characters clearly had God at the centre of their lives, they were like the real Christians I know and spend time around, who act their faith instead of talking about it. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of her books.

If you need a final book to finish off your holiday season, this may be the one for you.