Each holiday season, I love to pull out this book – The Christkindl’s Gift by Kathleen Morgan, settle in by the fire with a cup of spicy tea and enjoy being transported to the Colorado mountains in the late 1800s.
Anna Hannack immigrated from Germany to start a new life with her husband, father-in-law, and two children to the mountains of Colorado. When the story begins, Anna’s husband was killed more than a year before by people they took into their home to offer a place to sleep for the night. Because of this, Anna distrusts all strangers.
Her children, Erich and Rosa, want more than anything for the Christkindl (Christ Child) to bring them a new father for Christmas, but know it will take a miracle.
When Anna’s father-in-law comes home from town with a man shot and bleeding in the back of their wagon, she refuses to take him in. Guilting her into it, Anna nurses Ian Sutherland, a brawny Scot, who soon charms everyone in the house, including Anna. You can almost hear him roll his “r”s while you are reading along and smell the pine of the trees surrounding the snug little cabin.
Although this is a romance, it does have a wonderful message that reflects the heart of this season we celebrate.
I highly recommend giving this sweet story a read this holiday season.
