I'd have to call this fantasy. It starts with the capture of some rebs by the Union, and they are going to make an example of them on the captured captain's farm, by hanging several of them. The captain's family has scattered, but the wife, daughter and son all come flying back to say I love you. Present day, Julie and Jon are heading for divorce. They see an add for Xmas at Oak plantation & decide to give their family togetherness a last chance at this magical looking Virginia site. But their 6yo Ashley, is the one that figures out the magic but doesn't spill the beans so the magic can spill into their family to keep them together. A very nice story, now traveling forward in the tag game. ( )

Heather Graham has written another “keeper”. I read “A Magical Christmas” and it was truly that. This is the story of a marriage in trouble. A family with Mom, Dad and three kids, none of whom are on the same wave length. They have grown miles apart emotionally. I thought at the beginning that there was no solution for these characters to resolve their issues with each other. However, a Christmas vacation to an antebellum bed and breakfast called Oak River Plantation in rural Virginia was exactly what the doctor ordered for this family.

The novel begins with a Christmas Eve drama taking place in 1862 Virginia on that same plantation. The owner of the plantation, a captain in the Confederate Army is in danger of being hung, along with four of his troops, by order of General Custer. His wife and children are told of the hanging and ride fast and furious to be with him one more time. You really don’t know what happens for sure in 1862, but you get an idea of the reason the Oak River Plantation offers these vacations at Christmas time.

I thought the setting was beautiful and the characters very believable, even the ones who weren’t really there. This last sentence should give you a hint of the plot. I enjoyed this story very much and it really brought out the havoc that being too busy, too involved, too interested in money, too wrapped up in the word can bring to family life, especially around the holidays. I recommend this book and will certainly keep this on my bookshelf to re-read when I feel I am on overload.

I received a free print copy of this book in return for my honest review.

You can read this review on my blog at h http://wp.me/s2pjIt-258
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