In 1972 John Creighton is determined to make a beautiful wood table for his wife Joan for their Thanksgiving meal, while Joan is determined to learn to cook, using recipes her mother gave her when they married several years ago. These recipes also contain memories from her childhood as she reads through them, selecting foods to try. However, Joan is diagnosed with breast cancer which then spreads to her lungs. Will she live to see Thanksgiving and the table John is making?

Fast forward forty years to 2012, Lauren Mabrey is volunteering at Glory’s Place in Grandon. It’s a place where children can come after school for help with homework … a safe place for these children of moms who cannot afford after-school care. Lauren discovers that she and husband Travis are pregnant. Everyone at Glory’s Place wants to help her spruce up their home and get ready for the baby. She buys an old table from a local woodworker who refinished it. In a drawer in the table, she finds several old recipe cards. Lauren sets out to find the owner of these cards because of the personal notations written in them. With only one name mentioned in the cards … Bud, a local dairy farmer … will she find the person who should have these cards?

I’ve read several of Donna VanLiere’s Christmas stories and THE CHRISTMAS TABLE certainly does not disappoint. It is just as charming, heart-warming and uplifting as all her other Christmas tales. Ms. VanLiere returns us to Grandon and Glory’s Place, where we get reacquainted with several old friend (supporting characters). The storyline toggles back and forth from 1972 to 2012 several times, coming together at the end with an inspirational conclusion. This is a story about finding your way back to God, as well as finding your way in life, and having faith and hope to face each day. It’s about spending time around the table with family and friends. Warning: Eat before reading this book! These delicious recipes will make you hungry. Ms. VanLiere includes a few of them at the end of the book. Can’t wait to try some!