A Lowcountry Christmas by Mary Alice Monroe

November 28th, 2016 Kimberly Review 36 Comments

28th Nov
A Lowcountry Christmas by Mary Alice Monroe
A Lowcountry Christmas
by Mary Alice Monroe
Series: Lowcountry Summer #5
Genres: Women's Fiction
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star

A wounded warrior and his younger brother discover the true meaning of Christmas in this timeless story of family bonds.

As far as ten-year-old Miller McClellan is concerned, it’s the worst Christmas ever. His father’s shrimp boat is docked, his mother is working two jobs, and with finances strained, Miller is told they can’t afford the dog he desperately wants. “Your brother’s return from war is our family’s gift,” his parents tell him. But when Taylor returns with PTSD, family strains darken the holidays.

Then Taylor’s service dog arrives—a large black Labrador/Great Dane named Thor. His brother even got the dog! When Miller goes out on Christmas Eve with his father’s axe, determined to get his family the tree they can't afford, he takes the dog for company—but accidentally winds up lost in the wild forest. The splintered family must come together to rediscover their strengths, family bond, and the true meaning of Christmas.

Holiday Family well written BOOKLOVE

A Lowcountry Christmas by Mary Alice Monroe is the fifth novel in her popular Lowcountry Summer series. This was my first experience with both and Monroe delighted me with this story as she shared one family’s struggles.  It’s almost Christmas and finances are tight bringing disappointment to their youngest as their oldest son struggles with PTSD.

A Lowcountry Christmas reminds us of the real joys of the holiday while highlighting PTSD and the importance of service dogs for veterans.

While this is the fifth novel, the story focuses on the McClellan family sharing events of one particular Christmas.  It isn’t necessary to read the previous books. Although admittedly I would now like to learn more about others within this South Carolina coastal community.

Monroe shares the tale from several narratives. We begin with Taylor celebrating the holidays and reflecting on events that occurred five Christmases ago. We then get perspectives from ten-year-old Miller McClellan as he shares with us his wish for Christmas and the struggles his family is facing now that his father can no longer work his shrimping boat. We are also treated to chapters from Mary Alice Monroe, their mother as she tries to bring Christmas joy to their lives. The story that unfolds pulls the reader in as you become caught up in this families lives.

I slipped into this story, identifying with Mary, feeling Miller’s frustrations when everything seems impossible for a ten-year-old boy. Taylor, an injured Marine tugged at my heartstrings as he struggled with his PTSD, guilt for the loss of his men and the overwhelming darkness he felt. Thor, his service dog, was an important and touching part of the story. Monroe touched on the importance of these dogs, folks reactions and the incredible bond formed between man and beast.

Each chapter begins with a line from Charles Dicken’s classic “A Christmas Story” and sprinkled throughout the story it is mentioned. Its message is shared, and its impact on the main characters was a brilliant tribute to the story.

If you’re looking for a Christmas story that will touch your soul and remind you to count your blessings then, A Lowcountry Christmas is the perfect tale to read this holiday season.

A Lowcountry Christmas by Mary Alice Monroe was a touching story and ideal for the holiday season Click To Tweet

 

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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

36 Responses to “A Lowcountry Christmas by Mary Alice Monroe”

  1. Melissa (Books and Things)

    Okay, now is the time for this… after Thanksgiving pie. 🙂 Also you talked about Thor. Yea, totally want to read the sweet story about a service dog. Maybe I’ll give it to my dog and tell him this is how he’s supposed to be. LOL Seriously, I’m going to check it out.

  2. Cyn

    This sounds like a very sweet and heartwarming read! Perfect for the holiday and a good reminder of what we should be grateful for (: Glad you enjoyed this Kim!

  3. Kathryn

    Had to peak in at your review when I saw it in my feed. I loved the whole series and this one as you say can be read as a stand alone. Loved it too. It was so interesting to go back and find out more about Taylor and his re-entry from the war.

  4. Laurel-Rain Snow

    I love this author…and have one more book to finish the summer series. But…I can jump ahead to this one, for the Christmas season. Thanks for sharing!

  5. Sophia Rose

    Yes between the young boy wanting a good Christmas and the hard troubles for the adults in his family, I would definitely like to pick this one up. I don’t think I’ve come across this series yet, but now I’ll have to check it out.

  6. Debbie Haupt

    Oh this sounds wonderful I love novels that deal with PTSD and healing and it sounds like you got right into it even though its number 5 in the series.
    Thanks Kim!

  7. kindlemom1

    I like that this is about a family and that each chapter starts with a spin on a classic Dicken story. Kind of fun and interesting, great review!

  8. Nick

    It looks like a much deeper Christmas story than you typically see, Kim. I love that it has such a strong focus on family and I can see what a beautiful message it must send at the end.
    I hope you’ll continue to have a lot of luck with this author, Kim!

  9. Silvia

    Yes, I’m looking for a Christmas story and yep, you helped with that! 😉
    Glad we don’t have to read the previous books to enjoy this one, although I might go for them if I see the story and the writing works well for me. So thanks for reviewing this, Kimberly 🙂

  10. Lizzy

    Oh, this sounds like a sweet story and being from a military family, something I could really relate to. My husband struggles with PTSD from his deployments.