The Christmas Bus | 
 enlarge | Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Revell
Category: Book
List Price: $14.99
Buy New: $2.96
You Save: $12.03 (80%)
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Rating:  12 reviews
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 176
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.6 x 5.4 x 0.8
ISBN: 0739474871
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780800718794
Publication Date: October 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Publisher's Return MULTIPLE COPIES AVAILABLE. PLEASE READ AMAZON'S SHIPPING RATES AND ESTIMATED DELIVERY TIMES BEFORE ORDERING.
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Product Description
The people of Christmas Valley always celebrate Christmas to the fullest extent. The mayor plays Santa, every business is holiday themed, and there's a nativity for the kids each Christmas Eve. This town knows Christmas. But this year nothing goes according to plan. Shepherd's Inn is full of strangers, Mad Myrtle is causing problems, and a young couple with a baby due any minute rolls in to the middle of town in their Partridge Family-style bus. It's hardly the holiday Christmas Valley wanted--but it may be just what they need. This charming novella is sure to become a new Christmas tradition for readers who love a great holiday story.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
 Touching with a sense of humor November 24, 2008
P. Mann (Los Angeles)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Edith Ryan and her husband, Charles, run The Shepherd's Inn in Christmas Valley, a town that decided to capitalize on its name years before when the economy faltered. Normally, The Shepherd's Inn is closed at Christmas since the inn doubles as Edith and Charles's home and they usually have their children visit for Christmas. This year, however, the children are not going to visit. So Edith, after listening to one of her husband's sermons (he is the pastor of the village church), decides to open the inn for the season. She posts an Internet ad advertising a discount and, somewhat improbably, soon has enough reservations to fill the inn.
By far the most interesting of the guests is Myrtle, a cantankerous old woman who succeeds in irritating almost everyone in the town. And yet there is something about Myrtle . . . including her references to the real meaning of Christmas and her decision to volunteer to help with the Christmas pageant.
Shortly before Christmas, the titular bus shows up, looking like a hippie holdover and causing consternation among the townspeople, many of whom consider it an eyesore. But inside is a young woman who is pregnant, and Edith can't simply turn her away--even though there is no room at the inn.
Edith tries to be a good innkeeper, a good host, and a good Christian, mindful of her husband's admonition that "you might discover the Lord is right there in your midst." But Edith's patience is sorely tested when Myrtle indicates that what the pageant needs is live animals.
When I read this, author Melody Carson (All I Have to Give: A Christmas Love Story) was new to me. I thought she handled the novel extremely well, especially the characters of Edith and the enigmatic Myrtle. Once the novel starts, the plot is fairly obvious; the novel holds few surprises. But the read is enjoyable and certainly helps to put one in the Christmas mood.
A wonderful heartwarming read October 16, 2008
D. Johnson (Hurricane central, USA)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
A beautifully written story that will warm your heart especially during the holiday season. A fast read worthy of becoming a Hallmark movie. I will let you read about it on this site, but do pick it up. You won't be disappointed.
CHARMING HOLIDAY READ......!!! January 2, 2008
Dana Y. Bowles (West Chester, PA USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
In a charming Christmas town, with a lovely elderly couple leading the way, the citizens of Christmas Valley are in for quite a treat. Rather than closing, the owners of the town's bed and breakfast have decided to open their doors to strangers...in keeping with the true spirit of Christmas. It is the cast of characters that perhaps they aren't prepared for. Perhaps most interesting of all is the arrival of a young couple in a colorful bus...bearing a striking resemblance to an ancient couple responsible for the very first Christmas.....
Heartwarming...if a tad bit overly so. Perfect, however, for the season.
DYB
A GREAT Holiday book December 16, 2007
evergreenreader
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am so glad that I happend to come across this book on Amazon! This story is packed with memorable characters, interesting situations and plot twists.
The premise is interesting--a Christmas themed town--and the crisp writing keeps the plot action going at a quick pace.
If you collect Christmas books, as I do, this will be a GREAT addition to your collection.
Also recommended:
Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices--another GREAT holiday book about the impact of seemingly small acts of service.
One of the true gifts of Christmas is reaching out to those in need, and perhaps entertaining angels unawares June 5, 2007
FaithfulReader.com (New York, New York)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
THE CHRISTMAS BUS is a sweet tale by prolific author Melody Carlson that entertains while encouraging readers to embrace the true spirit of Christmas. Edith Ryan is the cheerful, glass-half-full owner of Shepherd's Inn in the quaint town of Christmas Valley (population 2,142). Her husband, Charles, is the local pastor of Christmas Valley's only remaining church. After 25 years, Christmas Valley has revitalized its economy by becoming the "Christmas capital of the world," complete with Mrs. Santa's Diner (don't miss the "Blitzen Burgers") and the North Pole Coffee Shop. Tourism rules.
So it's a problem when Collin and Amy, a young married couple expecting their first baby, roll into town in a psychedelic broken-down bus nicknamed "Queenie" and detract from the carefully-staged ambiance. With no money and the birth of the baby imminent, it's only the kind heart of Edith Ryan that turns the town's hostility toward the young couple around --- and changes Amy and Collin's view of Christianity.
But Edith has her own set of problems. For the first time, her adult children and young grandchildren won't be making the trip to the B&B to spend Christmas with them. In a fit of inspiration, she decides to offer a discounted Christmas package for those folks who need a place to stay --- and people to be with --- over the holidays. The inn soon fills up as it attracts a motley assortment of lodgers for the holidays. Lauren and Michael Thomas are a pleasant, 30-something couple who have problems that seem insurmountable. Jim Fields and his wife Carmen constantly squabble. Divorcee Leslie and her young daughter Megan are a pleasant addition to the cast of characters, giving Carlson a chance to throw in a little romantic intrigue. Albert Benson is an elderly widower who seems to have lost the joy of living.
Myrtle Pinkerton is a crotchety elderly woman who seems to promise nothing but trouble. But, as Edith reminds herself, "this Christmas was about being hospitable to strangers. And she'd certainly never had a guest who was any stranger than Myrtle Pinkerton!" Myrtle seems intent on disrupting the peace of Christmas Valley, from making a scene in the local coffee shop to getting involved with the Christmas pageant at the church. When she decides to add live animals to the program, things threaten to fall apart. Then, when Edith's heirloom porcelain angel disappears, it seems certain that one of the guests has broken or stolen it. Will suspicion ruin their Christmas together? Edith takes her problems to God in prayer, and all ends well, as readers will expect.
The story moves along smoothly, and although most of the characters are lightly sketched, readers will bond with the delightful Edith Ryan and roll their eyes over the cantankerous Myrtle. Yes, there are cliches here --- the Victorian B&B (a staple in faith fiction), the allegorical "no room in the inn" seen before in faith fiction, and the angel in disguise. But in Carlson's capable hands (she's a Gold Medallion and Rita Award winner), the plot line transcends the cliches and is warm and endearing. The pretty page designs and attractive cover make this a natural for gift-giving.
In a season that is too often rife with a preoccupation for material things, Carlson reminds us that one of the true gifts of Christmas is reaching out to those in need, and perhaps entertaining angels unawares.
--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.
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