Lauren Gabriel spent most of her childhood in foster
homes.
Now that she is on her own, she just wants a family to
spend Christmas with. She puts an ad on Craigslist seeking
a family for Christmas. In her depressed state, she drives
out of Whiteall and finds herself an hour away in Grandon.
As she is leaving the town, she witnesses a hit and run,
and then assists the lady involved. Lauren is called back
to Grandon to identify the person who hit Stacy Engler and
Stacy gets Lauren involved in helping with a charity
called
Glory's Place. They work after school with children that
have no other place to go. Lauren was one of those
children
once upon a time.
Juggling her job as a grocery store cashier and
volunteering in Grandon is a full-time job, but Lauren
loves it, the volunteering that is. She gets a text from
her mom whom she hasn't seen in seven years that she will
be passing through town. She wants to see Lauren. Lauren
makes the arrangements, but her mom never shows.
Disappointed, Lauren withdraws from the world, even from
going to Grandon to volunteer. But the friends she's made
there force her hand and talk her into coming back. What
surprises there are in store for Lauren when she returns
to
the town!
Donna VanLiere has given us some great inspirational
Christmas stories through the years, and her latest, THE
CHRISTMAS TOWN, is no exception. Lauren is a troubled
young
lady who has had her hopes and dreams shattered over and
over again. Though surrounded by people every day, Lauren
feels alone in the world. But her visits to this magical
town help Lauren start to believe that maybe she can find
what she is seeking. After all, Christmas is supposed to
be
about love and miracles, and that is exactly what Lauren
needs. Ms. VanLiere gives us a cast of zany yet charming
characters and spreads the spirit of Christmas through
those characters. The banter between two older ladies,
Gloria and Miriam, is just delightful and will have you in
stitches. The story line will have you on a roller coaster
of emotions, swinging from laughter to tears. THE
CHRISTMAS
TOWN is a great read or a great gift for someone you love.
Lauren Gabriel spent many years of her childhood in foster homes, wishing her mother would come back for her and be the family she needs. Now twenty-years-old, she still longs for a place that she can truly call home. Her work as a cashier is unfulfilling, and at Christmas it’s unbearable with the songs and carols and chatter of Christmas that she hears throughout the day. When Lauren ends her shift one night, she finds herself driving aimlessly in order to avoid returning to her lonely apartment. And when she witnesses a car accident she is suddenly pulled into the small town of Grandon, first as a witness but then as a volunteer for the annual fundraiser for Glory’s Place, a center for single mothers and families who need assistance. Could this town and its people be the home she has always longed for? The New York Times bestselling author of the timeless The Christmas Shoes and The Christmas Hope is back with this moving and uplifting story about finding love, hope, and family in unexpected places.