My Favorite Things Giveaway! My Favorite Christmas Book

Rachel Hauckgiveaway 38 Comments

 

Rachel HauckHere in the 12 Author Give we’re discussing our favorite things. One of mine is the book, A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg.

I confess I haven’t read it in awhile but ever since my encounter with Flagg’s magical story, I’ve been fascinated with redbirds.

So much so I added quite a few to my Christmas tree ornament collection.

Rachel HauckHere’s a blurb about the book:

With the same incomparable style and warm, inviting voice that have made her beloved by millions of readers far and wide, New York Times bestselling author Fannie Flagg has written an enchanting Christmas story of faith and hope for all ages that is sure to become a classic.
Deep in the southernmost part of Alabama, along the banks of a lazy winding river, lies the sleepy little community known as Lost River, a place that time itself seems to have forgotten. After a startling diagnosis from his doctor, Oswald T. Campbell leaves behind the cold and damp of the oncoming Chicago winter to spend what he believes will be his last Christmas in the warm and welcoming town of Lost River. There he meets the postman who delivers mail by boat, the store owner who nurses a broken heart, the ladies of the Mystic Order of the Royal Polka Dots Secret Society, who do clandestine good works. And he meets a little redbird named Jack, who is at the center of this tale of a magical Christmas when something so amazing happened that those who witnessed it have never forgotten it. Once you experience the wonder, you too will never forget A Redbird Christmas.

What I loved: When the story opens, you are immediately drawn into the cold darkness of the main character Oswald Chambers and his bleak wintery Chicago existence.

We also gain understanding into his psyche when he fills out a medical form.

Age: 52

Hair: Some… Red.

Marital Status: Divorced

Children: No, thank God.

Please list your complaints: The Cubs need a new second baseman.

Ha! Okay Oswald, I’m with you. I’ll go on your journey.

The doctor advises Oswald to leave The Windy City winter for a warmer climate. His journey takes him to Lost River, Baldwin County, Alabama.

On his first day, he wakes up to a room full of sunlight, birds chirping and host of quirky southern characters. The exact opposite of his Chicago existence.

With Flagg’s humor and gift for description, I saw the sunlight in Oswald’s room. Felt its warmth. I was relieved to be out of cold, dreary Chicago.

I lived in Lost River for 207 pages. (And oh, there are recipes included!)

A Redbird Christmas is a story of hope, connection and the beauty of the world around us when we open our eyes and hearts.

My favorite scene is near the end when it snows for the first time in many, many years and dozens of redbirds descend in the yard and on the barren, white tree branches.

Here’s a bit of that Flagg’s storytelling from the character Frances’s point of view:

“She could see the entire yard and all the trees were completely white with snow! … And the whole yard was alive with redbirds.”

The redbirds fluttering through the quiet, white world was so vivid to me.

The snow and birds were a miracle for the tiny town. And you know, one miracle always leads to another.

Oswald found more than sustained health in his new southern home, he found hope. He found love. But I’ll leave the rest of the story for you to discover on your own.

If you’ve not read A Redbird Christmas add it to your must-read pile. The story, the characters will delight you.

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Rachel Hauck

Be sure to visit each stop so you don’t miss the fabulous daily giveaways!

Dec 10: Catherine West-Welcome to My Favorite Christmassy Things

Dec 10: Cynthia Ruchti– My Favorite Christmas Tree

Dec 11: Tamara Leigh– My Favorite Christmas Carol

Dec 12: Lauren K. Denton– My Favorite Christmas Disaster

Dec 13: Ronie Kendig– My Favorite Christmas Movie

Dec 14: Jody Hedlund– My Favorite Christmas Food

Dec 15:Elizabeth Byler Younts– My Favorite Christmas Ornament

Dec 16: Beth K. Vogt– My Favorite Christmas Decoration

Dec 17: Rachel Linden– My Favorite Christmas Service

Dec 18: Courtney Walsh– My Favorite Christmas Memory

Dec 19: Rachel Hauck– My Favorite Christmas Book

Dec 20: Susan Meissner– My Favorite Christmas Vacation

Dec 21: Catherine J. West– My Favorite Christmas Gift

Enter by midnight on 12/21/18 USA Eastern time! Winners will be drawn on 12/22/18 and posted on Catherine West’s site.

Draw open to US addresses ONLY, with apologies to our international readers.

Major Prizes:

1st: All 12 Print Novels
2nd: $50 Amazon gift card and $20 Starbucks Gift Card
3rd: $50 Amazon gift card

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Comments 38

  2. A Redbird Christmas sounds wonderful! I’m definitely adding it to my TBR pile. As a proud Alabamian I’m always excited to read a book set here.

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  4. I can’t at this time think of any specific Christmas book that I’ve read, but I have read them. I’ve read several Love inspired books. I always look forward to the Christmas books there is always something special about having to solve a crime and fall in love at Christmas. There’s a heightened sense of the spiritual events that happened decades ago still influencing current events. I’m not sure I’m expressing what I feel I don’t have the words, I just know it is special and delightful.

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      Pam, makes sense. I love falling in love at Christmas! 🙂 Not sure about crimes but love is always good! Merry Christmas!

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  5. I had never heard of “A Redbird Christmas” before. It sounds interesting. I think my favorite Christmas book is “The Night Before Christmas.” We have a children’s pop-up book version that I loved looking at as a child and opening the flaps to see what was behind them.

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  6. Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year. I enjoyed the story of your favorite Christmas book.
    Excuse me if this is a second posting but my original posting isn’t appearing.

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  7. The Cubs comment made me laugh 😂, I’m going to have to check it out. Thank you for this opportunity 💕. May you have a marvelous Christmas!

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  11. Thanks for the heads-up about Fannie Flaggs’ book. It sounds like a winner! My in-laws LOVE red birds. Early in our 31 year marriage (maybe our 2nd Christmas?) I crossstitched them a beautiful red bird scene. My Mother-in-Love still puts it out during the Christmas season.

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  12. Thank you for sharing about the book. I also have a relative who put a different answer for a question. It is not as funny as that one but it makes me think. On a questionnaire ( in the early 1900’s)he was asked about his race. He put American.

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  14. That sounds like a really interesting Christmas book!
    My favorite Christmas story isn’t nevessarily Christymas-y but Chronicles of Narnia is a top favorite!
    My kids and I just finished a book club with some dear friends, reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and it is now definitely at the top of favorites too!

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  18. A Redbird Christmas sounds like a wonderful story. I am going to add it to my Goodreads list!

    We don’t normally get a lot of snow in our part of South Carolina, but a few weekends ago we got our first winter storm. The cold weather really seems to bring the birds out to our feeder. I saw three male cardinals at one time in our backyard !

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  23. I don’t have one favorite Christmas book though for the last few years I limit my reading in December to Christmas books. I like that many of them are novellas so I can read more of them. Thanks for the giveaway. I enjoy your books but haven’t yet read The Love Letter. Merry Christmas!

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