A charming little book that has been on my to-read list for a couple of years. Somehow I was never able to work it into my holiday reading schedule, but I recently read it anyway (in May). I found it quite enjoyable. I enjoyed that the protagonist are a happily married older couple, with some interesting history behind them. As others have noted, though, and avoiding spoilers, this book has a distinctly sad edge to it, even though its themes are all about family and forgiveness.

I understand that the author has a couple of sequels, forming a kind of trilogy. I've not read the other two books, but their titles are The Snowman Maker and The Candle Giver. ( )

The Reindeer Keeper is a short novel about love, life, family and loss with a dash of magical realism on the side. It is by turns both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Abbey and Steve, the main protagonists are a more mature couple (around 60-ish), but their love and passion for one another hasn't dimmed one bit in the 30+ years they've been married. Their love was a palpable thing throughout the entire story. Their life together hasn't always been easy, but they've been each other's rock through the bad times, and taken great joy in the good times.

Abbey and Steve begin the book preparing to spend Christmas with their two sons, a daughter-in-law and the other son's girlfriend in a new house that was bequeathed to Abbey's father by a mysterious, reclusive stranger and then passed to her when her father died. It is the first time they've all been together in a while and it turns out to be a beautiful and joyous occasion. The magic of Christmas works through Abbey to finally help her make peace with her mother's death when she was a teenager. She in turn is able to see and understand the same feelings of loss in her daughter-in-law, who up to this point, has been rather difficult to like. Abbey is also able to help rekindle her son's dream/talent for cooking, and assist both him and his wife in understanding that they do have choices in life. It's just sometimes hard to make them when it means changing everything to which you've become accustomed. After the holidays and throughout the coming year, Abbey and Steve face the biggest challenge of their lives, as everyone deals with a devastating loss, but the spirit of Christmas continues to sustain them.

I liked how the author used a bit of magical realism in the form of Santa Claus. In the midst of an incredibly serious story, there were moments of surreal escape, but it wasn't just for fun and games. Santa became a universal, non-religious illustration of faith and how it sometimes takes going back to that pure faith of childhood in order to believe in something greater than ourselves. I liked how Santa took the characters back to that place in the past to help them understand the present and future. There is also a lovely message about how each person can touch other people's lives and even after death, they live on in the small things. Life still goes on for the living, and we just have to open our hearts to look for our loved ones who have passed on in the spirit they left behind.

The Reindeer Keeper was a much sadder book than I was expecting, so readers should definitely keep a box of tissues handy for this one. I'm tearing up just writing this review. It's difficult to use the word enjoy to describe a book that is this melancholy, but I did like it very much. This is one of those books that has a lovely message to impart rather than a feel-good story to tell. It has no objectionable elements which should make it appropriate for readers of all ages from teen and up, although the older protagonists and the mature subject matter may not resonate as well with younger people. The only thing that kept me from giving it a perfect five stars is that I thought the writing itself could have used a bit more polish. It was just little things like the dialog not flowing as naturally as it could have in places or needing a few more details here and there. Overall though, The Reindeer Keeper was a book filled with heart and soul from beginning to end that has found a spot on my keeper shelf. I definitely recommend that readers who liked The Christmas Shoes by Donna VanLiere, or similar books, give this one a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the author via the publicist, Bostick Communications, in exchange for my review. ( )

Dear authors, if you write a book that brings me to tears, it automatically earns a must-read (5 stars on Goodreads) recommendation. Barbara has done it! I have not read such a touching, heartfelt Christmas book since one of my favorites, The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans. She has touched on so many of the things that resonate with me. Family, having two sons and dealing with how fast they grow and wondering where the time goes, the traditions and spirit of Christmas, and the importance of believing. I recognized so much of myself in Abbey. Her willingness to believe in the magic of Christmas is so like me. I'm sure that's why I identify with the book so well, but even if you do not identify yourself with the characters (but you just might), you will still love this book.

I must touch on another wonderful aspect of the book and that is the cover and inside illustrations by Suzanne Langelier-Lebeda. They are so wonderful and they really make the book even more special.

I must warn you...this book will make you cry, but it will also make you laugh and it will make you remember your family traditions and hopes. I really can't recommend this book highly enough. It has earned a permanent spot on my Christmas book shelves and I know I will read it again and again for many years to come. Thank you, Barbara, for this wonderful book. ( )

Barbara Briggs Ward has an uncanny knack for creating characters that are likable and real. This was a lovely story just right for the Christmas Season. Fast reading, very entertaining. Will keep you interested till the end - I enjoyed this book very much. The story was fun to read and perfect for that book to read right before you want a peaceful night's sleep.

Barbara Briggs Ward has created a simple story that captures the wonder of Santa Claus along with enduring truths about love and what matters in life. So inspiring and uplifting. Very well written and the illustrations are beautiful. This enchanting storyline delivers a message whose time is now. I found this to be a refreshing approach to a holiday that's become too commercialized. This little gem is it! ( )

One of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. The embrace of the book, its tale of faith and love, yet mixed with sadness and resentment over past loss, touched a chord deep within me. This is a Christmas story, and yet it is a life story. A story of life that goes on through generations, through faith that doesn't fail and love that lives forever. Barbara Briggs Ward knows how to write magic that touches the soul and releases anger and sorrow.

Abbey has grown up without her mother from a delicate age, but she and her father have a wonderful relationship. They live above a funeral home where her father is the funeral director. Abbey helps her father by cutting out all the obituaries for the funeral home file, copies enough for the families, and through her caring mind begins to think about the stories of the lives of those who have passed. Her father is also a caring man, and has befriended a man that seems lonely and without friends. Imagine their surprise when this man dies and leaves a lovely old home and large property to Abbey's father with the stipulation that if her father passes, the property will go to her, and so it does. But this is the prelude to the magic.

Though a perfect Christmas story aimed at adults, primarily those who have lost the child within, or lost their way on the treacherous road of harsh reality, this is also a story for all seasons. This is not a book strictly of religious faith, in fact it is driven by the faith of a child, pure and unadulterated, whether that faith is in a person, a religious deity, or in Santa Claus. As children we have an innate faith and trust, we have an untouchable belief system. But life can change all that through the years. What we need is a reminder and this book provides exactly that.

There are many changes in quick succession in the life of Abbey, but her love for her husband Steve, and the reciprocation of that love is the catalyst for overcoming all obstacles. Life simply is not always smooth and simple, there are always sudden drops, disappointments, and misunderstandings. These are the trials she must overcome, in particular with her feelings about her mother who died when Abbey was young. It's a common enough human feeling in such cases to resent the parent for leaving, and Abby has carried this for too many years of her life. As her family returns home for the Christmas holiday, a magical event happens in her life that changes her entire feeling for her mother and fills her with understanding. It is with this new understanding and the love of her husband and family that she is able to cope with the news she is about to hear. But with new-found strength of heart and faith she is able to accomplish what she sets out to do.

This story brought me comfort. It cloaks the reader with warmth like a down-filled duvet. An impressive debut work of fiction. I highly recommend this book, I just can't say enough about it. I am so thankful I read it. Barbara, you are the believer, and you shared it beautifully. ( )