Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Reviewed by Chloe Fuksa
Going into the month of December, I knew I wanted to read a Christmas book – and after having read a string of rather heavy books, the lighter and cheesier the better. I also recently stumbled upon the fact that I had never read anything by author Mary Kay Andrews. Her 2023 release, Bright Lights, Big Christmas, was therefore an ideal choice.
For decades, the Tolliver family has been transporting Christmas trees from their farm in western North Carolina up to New York City to sell for the season. When the patriarch of the family falls ill though, the usual father-son team must become son-daughter instead if the farm has any chance of staying afloat. Unfortunately, Murphy and Kerry are very different from one another and haven’t talked in years. On their street corner in NYC though, huddled around a steel-drum firepit, working from before sunrise to well after sunset, the two siblings gradually start to reconcile their differences. Before they know it, and with the tremendous support of the people in the neighborhood, not only have they sold all of their Christmas trees, but they are having to go home and pick up even more.
Bright Lights, Big Christmas was just what I was looking for. Yes, the romance between Kerry and a single dad living nearby is forced. Yes, there are too many storylines for a book that is only 280 pages long. But, the characters, especially the secondary ones, are fabulous. The setting of the tree stand, complete with a 50-year-old travel trailer and freshly fallen snow, is picturesque. And most importantly, how everyone comes together to help each other out – from a simple cup of coffee and bowl of minestrone soup to nursing an elderly man back to health – is a perfect reminder for the Christmas season. So, grab some hot cocoa and enjoy this feel-good holiday read.
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