Thomas Kinkade (1958–2012)

"What have we become if we give in to fear and prejudice, if we ignore the facts and let panic override the spirit of compassion?"

It's been years since I used to start a lot of my book reviews with quotes from the books. Now that I've read this novel for the second time since I discovered it twenty years ago, pulling a quote from it feels right.

And timely.

Back when I first read the first four books in the Cape Light series, I immediately considered them to be some of my favorite reads. What show more I appreciated most about the stories still holds after my second readings of Books One and Two.

The characters are such regular, relatable folks, dealing with life in these down-to-earth stories that are so incredibly…readable.

Even with a couple of supporting characters who are, well, downright jerks much of the time, the overall easy readability is still there. And the small-town setting is lovely and rather homey.

Now, there are some aspects of a particular "big reveal" in this story that aren't fully believable, I'd say.

Also, decades ago, I considered the faith content in this novel to be light. Or "lite." (Likely because it isn't evangelical, unlike the content in much of the Christian fiction I used to read.) But now, while I'd still say the faith content in this novel has a gentle vibe, I also find it to be pretty overdone, mainly because of the sermons in multiple church service scenes. I think the writing technique of "show, don't tell" is quite effective, but church sermons in fiction just feel to me like convenient ways to insert paragraphs or pages of telling, in a sense. Spelling out extended lessons from a pulpit.

These days, admittedly, when I come across sermons in novels, I usually skim through or skip past them, which I did in this case.

Nonetheless, I still enjoyed my second go-'round with this book. Even got an inexplicable sense of hope as I settled into the reading. This revisit to Cape Light has been—yeah, such a timely one for me.

Note:
• a former law enforcement character's memories of past violence come up, but the details are brief and non-gratuitous show less

This was lovely. If someone could take a feeling of peace and contentment, package it, and share it with the world, it may look something like this book. This book is as warm and soothing as a gentle sigh. The pictures are lovely, of course, and the essays ground the book and are quite informative. The inspirational quotes are, well, inspiring, and I mean that. Books with wise and pithy sayings may be a bit formulaic, but this one still was deeply moving, and it gave me much to think about. show more Emily Dickinson wrote a poem once in which a character affirmed that truth and beauty are one. After reading this book and taking in the artwork, I understand that sentiment. show less

Thomas Kinkade - or more accurately, Thomas Kinkade Studios - provide the artwork for this picture-book presentation of the beloved Christmas carol, Away in a Manger. The illustrations, which look to be done in oil paint, alternate between what looks like a (highly idealized) Victorian English country village, and the ancient Holy Land, where the Nativity Story occurs...

After perusing and enjoying the picture-book presentation of this carol done by Mike Jaroszko in 2008, I picked up the show more Kinkade version, done in 2005, with some interest. I was familiar with Kinkade previously - he apparently trademarked the moniker "The Painter of Light" - but mostly associated his work with greeting cards, and with the paintings sold at his stores in various shopping malls here in the states. I was not aware that he (or his studio) did picture-books, until searching for versions of this carol. I'm glad I tracked it down - Christmas carol picture-books are a pet project of mine - but unfortunately, I didn't find the book itself very appealing. The artwork sometimes looked garish, with the over-use of whites and yellows to create the impression of light. The Victorian (I think?) scenes felt somehow fake, and I didn't care for the blurriness of the paintings, which prevents the reader from appreciating any little detail. I know Kinkade has his fans, but I infinitely preferred the version done by Jaroszko, and recommend it, rather than this, to those seeking picture-book presentations of Away in a Manger. show less

Jack Sawyer, recent hermit after the loss of his wife 2 years past, awkwardly takes in a single mother and her young daughter when their car breaks down near his house in the country. Before long, he's as much in need of Julie's help as she is of his. At the same time, Sam & Jessica Morgan lose their beloved house to a devastating fire. Their marriage is tested in this difficult time, as rebuilding won't be as easy as they hope.

Of the books in the Cape Light series I've read, this was my show more favorite. The story of Jack and Julie was much more interesting to me than the saga of Sam and Jessica Morgan's tragedy. I don't think that's necessarily because I didn't like the plot arc about the fire, but because I really liked the arc with Jack and Julie. Even moreso, I liked the arc with Jack and Julie's daughter, Kate.

What I found most endearing was that this was not just the development of a relationship between a widower and a single mom, but also the development of a relationship between a father whose son has been estranged for two years and a little girl who steals the not-so-old man's heart. Jack could get a second chance at being both a husband and a father, and it's very sweet. The culmination of that storyline made the entire book worth it.

As for Sam and Jessica, they almost killed my interest in the series in the first book. Fortunately, we're past most of the drama I disliked with them, but I will say some of their annoying quirks reared their heads again. Still, I found the difficulties they go through in this book sadly all too realistic. And while the end of their story might bother some, I think it makes sense within the context of this series.

After reading the first 4 books in the series and averaging 3.5 stars, I decided not to continue with it (which becomes a series of Christmas novels after the first 4 non-holiday books). But I already owned this one, so figured I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did, as I liked it more than the first 4. I'm not sure if I'll read more or not, though. Maybe I'll go back to book #5 if I have time left in the holiday season after I've read all of the Christmas-themed books I have planned. We'll see. show less