This story is both heartbreaking and uplifting, showing exactly what Christmas should be about. Set in Houston (so no snow anywhere!), it tells the story of Carlos and how he finds out about Ned, his new neighbor, and his struggle with everything from his five-year-old daughter’s chemotherapy and fight against leukemia to the dire financial straits that has left him in. The original reason for contact in an apartment building where people don’t really talk to each other is the popcorn garland Carlos spots on Ned’s balcony – a hazard considering the potential for animals like bugs or mice to be attracted to the openly displayed food.

When Carlos finds out that Ned has a kid fighting cancer and that they have even less money than he does (he sends all of his to his mother and sisters in Mexico so they can get a education), he feels really bad about destroying the little bit of Christmas joy the handmade garland gave Ned and his daughter. I loved how Carlos begins to think of ways to bring back that joy. Even though he hasn’t got much in terms of material possessions, and neither do the families of the men who work with him, they come up with ways to help Ned and his daughter.

If you like Christmas stories about the true spirit of Christmas that has nothing to do with the commercialized version most of us face, if you think that helping out a fellow human being is more important than having the newest toy or gadget, and if you’re looking for a read that is as heart-wrenching as it is touching, then you will probably love this short story as much as I did. I loved every minute of it – even the sad moments – because the ending is perfect!


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review. ( )