Mary's Son: A Tale of Christmas

3.5 stars. I quite enjoyed Mary's Son by Darryl Nyznyk. It had a bit of a Miracle on 34th Street feel to it, although the plot line was very different. Also a Christian tone, but lightly done. Plus some time travel! Ok, that part was a bit over the top (it is a "fantasy"), but I enjoyed it. Very very light - I suspect I might have rated it lower on a different day / mood.

From Goodreads: "Mary’s Son is a modern tale of the fears and passions of youth overcome by the wonder of the real Christmas story. Eleven-year-old Sarah Stone is lonely. She lives in a mansion amidst butlers, nannies, housekeepers, and a father who is too busy for her. She is bright, beautiful, and angry at the world."

My opinion: I thought this was a very touching book, and a very cute story for kids. It was a quick read, only 170 pages, but that was plenty of time to get the point across. The events of the book take place in the days before Christmas. In the first part of the book we get to know Jared, the 13-year old street kid from the wrong side of the tracks, whose father disappeared on Christmas Eve the year before, and Sarah, show more the 11-year old spoiled rich girl, who lives in the mansion on the hill, who lost her mother when she was only 5 years old to a drunk driver. She has everything she could possibly want, except for any type of affection in her life. Her father is too busy to have anything to do with her, and the servants merely tolerate her. Enter Nicholas, who comes to her house to apply for the job of her "nanny", even though the job hasn't been posted yet. The housekeeper takes an instant dislike to him, but Sarah is curious about this odd little man who can make umbrellas appear out of thin air and who says he is the real Santa, and she begs her father to let him stay. This sets in motion a course that will change her life, as well as Jared's, for better or worse.

I loved the message of this book, and I especially like how Santa got his amazing powers from God and through prayer. When Nicholas meets Sarah and Jared, they are both so jaded that they don't believe in Santa at all, and they are questioning their belief in God as well. When everything comes to a head one night, Nicholas whisks the kids away to Bethlehem on the night of Jesus' birth so they can witness the miracle themselves. I think this would be a great book to discuss with your kids at Christmastime.

In summary, I really enjoyed this book and think it has a great message, for adults and kids alike. :D show less

Two children who are on different sides of the wealth spectrum are brought together by a wonderful man named Nicholas (aka Santa Clause).

Both children are hurting and feeling a sense of abandonment from their father's. Nicholas tries to soften their hearts and see the good and the love in their lives and situations.

This is a beautifully told story. Nicholas prays and teaches of the Savior. It is a great mesh of biblical and traditional Christmas.

The author takes you into the lives of the characters and you find your self on a wonderful journey back to the first Christmas. A delightful reminder of a message which is often lost in today's busy world.

Fiction; Christian/Christmas
2.5 stars

Mary’s Son is a short, quick read that modernizes the real Christmas story with contemporary characters and situations that are believable to current society and thinking.

Sarah Stone is eleven and comes from a life of privilege. Jared Roberts lives in the ‘sink’ or the slum area of town and hangs out with boys who share a common theme of broken lives. They don’t like people like Sarah and feel that they deserve to have the things that Sarah does. Together they create a plan to break in to Sarah’s home right before Christmas.

When a man named Nicholas (who claims to be the real Santa) comes to care for Sarah, he sets in motion a series of events that find him, Sarah and Jared at the foot of show more Jesus’ manger on the first Christmas Eve. In talking with Mary, they learn the true meaning of Christmas.

This was a decent story but it was just a bit to farfetched to be believable. As an adult, there were parts of the story that contradicted each other to the point that I was rolling my eyes. [no spoilers here] While I understand where the author was going with the story, a few things took away from my enjoyment of the overall message.

***
The fact that Mr. Nyznyk told this story to his daughter and her friends at a sleep over was touching to me. Obviously he is a great storyteller. I imagine the young girls were quite fascinated with what happened to Sarah and Jared. show less

NCLA Review - Poignant, heart-warming, inspirational, magical are just some of the superlatives to apply to this awesome tale of Christmas. Reading this book on a cold winter’s evening will warm the heart and the soul. Sarah Stone and Jared Roberts are both angry at the world. Sarah, age 11, though wealthy and seeming to lack nothing, is angry because her widowed father is too busy for her. Jared who is the oldest of five children lives in the slums and is angry because he perceives life to be unfair and hard. At 13 Jared becomes involved with a bad crowd and decides to rob Sarah’s house immediately before Christmas. Into the lives of these two troubled and unhappy children comes Nicholas, a mysterious and magical stout little man show more who calls himself Santa Claus and who changes their lives. As both Sarah and Jared learn, Christmas is about love, it’s about giving our hearts and souls to others instead of taking. Mary’s Son is the author’s second book. Although intended for young adults, this book can easily become a classic for all readers seeking to reclaim the magic and mystery of Christmas. Rating: 4 —MF show less

The author takes you into the lives of the characters and you find your self on a wonderful journey back to the first Christmas. A delightful reminder of a message which is often lost in today's busy world.