Christmas Memories at Grace Chapel Inn is book 48 in the Tales From Grace Chapel Inn series about three sisters who run a bed-and-breakfast from their maternal ancestors' Victorian house in the village of Acorn Hill, Pennsylvania. Their late father, Daniel Howard, had been the pastor of nearby Grace Chapel, hence the name.

This book differs from the series' usual formula in that it contains three stories, all an example of 'retroactive continuity,' or 'retcon' for short. Retcons usually take place before the first story, book, episode, or comic book in a series. They may also take place between published/aired stories, etc. There is a framing story involving Louise Howard Smith, Alice Howard, Jane Howard, and Aunt Ethel Howard Buckley at Christmas. Each sister relates a memory.

'Louise's Christmas Memory' was written by Pam Hanson & Barbara Andrews
'Alice's Christmas Memory' was written by Anne Marie Rodgers
Jane's Christmas Memory' was written by Sunni Jeffers.

Louise's story is about the Christmas before Jane was born, although she is present in their mother's womb. Aunt Ethel and her late husband, Bob, married not quite two years, are not yet parents. Bob has hurt his back and Nellie Belle, an ewe, is having her first delivery. Ethel doesn't know what to do, so she calls her older half-brother, Daniel, for help. A blizzard strands Madeleine Berry Howard, 14-year-old Louise, and 11-year old Alice at the Buckley farm when Daniel drives back for the Christmas Eve service. The description of the old farmhouse and barn and the Christmas decorating were interesting. We already see seeds of the two elder sisters' characters. I enjoyed Alice's enthusiastic care of the lamb.

Alice's story is set when she was living alone with her father and tells us about Alice agreeing to take over the children's Christmas pageant when director Cathy Carling is called away to Minnesota because her mother had a stroke.

Alice is not yet the experienced leader of a group of middle-school girls called ANGELs. She's not experienced at all, but we get to see what led to the group's formation. Thank goodness her sisters come early to help out. In fact, Louise's husband and then 12-years-old daughter also help out.

One of the children in the pageant is learning disabled. She has the more common form of learning disability, which involves the verbal side of the brain. My problems are spatial (so I was fine with everything but higher math and gym), but I understand needing help and struggling to do what others can do. I'm glad the girl got her chance.

It was interesting that Vera Humbert, who came to Acorn Hill as a young woman (see book 43, Eyes on the Prize), knew something about pushy mom Tina Carsten that Acorn Hill native Alice didn't. Then again, Tina may not be an Acorn Hill native, either.

I enjoyed the play Kimmy Carsten wrote, 'Big Hearts in Tough Times,' which was inspired by O. Henry's 'The Gift of the Magi'. If you've never read the story or seen an adaptation, don't worry, it's summarized.

I particularly liked the way Alice's family was able to help her with the things she couldn't do herself.

The subplot about the mother and grandmother coping with a toddler with chickenpox when the mother had both arms broken by a careless driver was also good. Alice's advice about keeping little Beth cool is wise. I remember a short piece in the BMJ ["British Medical Journal'] about keeping kids cool when they have chicken pox from my days as a medical librarian. The child with chicken pox was given a special outfit to wear: the fabric was thicker on one half than the other. The side of the body that was kept warmer had more spots than the cooler side.

Jane's Christmas memory is set just after their father died and she and Louise returned to open the inn. She decides to organize a cookie drive to make sure the home bound elderly of Acorn Hill have visitors and treats for Christmas. Of course bossy Florence Simpson would like to make it a church affair under her control, but she's stopped. Thanks to Aunt Ethel, there's a double-digit list of persons who are home bound because of illness or injury as well as age. They're not just in Acorn Hill itself but in the surrounding countryside.

Most of the rest of the story involves Jane going around to local shops for errands or to invite others to the cookie party. Even those who can't cook agree to help deliver the goodies.

We get to learn how Jane made some custom cookie cutters for a special treat. There are also instructions for making luminaries that wouldn't work here in Southern Arizona, but should look lovely where it freezes.

Each of the three elderly persons Jane and florist Craig Tracy visit has an interesting story to share. Evelyn Potter talks about being a Civil Defense telephone operator during World War II. Hazel Tucker tells Jane about Alice and a naughty sheep during Jane's first Christmas pageant (she played Baby Jesus). From Duke Gladstone (who considers only frosted sugar cookies to be REAL Christmas cookies), they hear about a train that derailed outside Acorn Hill one Christmas.

The framing sequence tells us how the cookie drive has been handled since, as well as how enough money was donated to heat an elderly shut-in's house the rest of that winter.

Jane's story includes these recipes: Scottish Shortbread, White Chocolate Hermits with Eggnog Glaze, and Mocha Krinkles.

Car lovers: In Jane's story, two of Viola Reed's 14 cats, Diver the tabby and Anna the Siamese, have a cameo. The Howards' big gray tabby, Wendell, has several appearances there, as well.

Please see each story's individual entry for a list of characters and places in them. ( )