A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories That Celebrate The True Holiday Spirit (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
Overall, I think it is a nice, quick read and can be very touching. It is written very colloquially, which can be difficult to read at times and sometimes distracting (though I do see why he has chosen to write this way). As many others here, I did think the introduction was a bit pompous, but the tone settles down as you get into the book. Mainly, however, I did enjoy learning more about his life and how the message is always the same - that Christ's power shines through even in the darkest of times. I particularly enjoyed the section on his Dad's journey of faith. I’m a fan of Huckabee’s politics, but I could’t get into this book. His writing style put me off ... it was too folksy and casual. It also seemed to lack structure - i.e. it didn’t build to a point, it just sort of rambled around.This book shared a lot of personal information about Huckabee, but I had trouble connecting with it. He doesn’t seem to be able to present himself well. In the preface, he talks about the “perks” of his life and it created a distasteful and unlikable impression. Later he sites biblical stories, but seems to get the facts wrong. (According to Huckabee, Joseph was a teenager when he married Mary. I always had the impression he was older - just Mary was a teen. Also Huckabee states that Joseph “loved her enough” to accept Mary's diluted tale about an immaculate conception. There was no mention of the angels that appear in scripture to ease Joseph’s justifiable doubts.) Huckabee is suppose to be a protestant minister, how can he get biblical references wrong?! Didn’t he study biblical history at some point? Even this Catholic picked up on it! :-0I started skipping passages because they were painful to read. It just felt uneducated - like I was getting stupider for reading it. (Sorry if that is harsh.) Ultimately, I put down the book before finishing it. I’m sure his intended message was good, but it didn’t get conveyed effectively.
What do You think about A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories That Celebrate The True Holiday Spirit (2009)?
12 interesting short stories regarding Governor Huckbee's life and having a Simple Christmas.
—emilijamkd
Memories are sometimes more dear to the people that participated in them.
—dffdsf
Another honorable man, I wish he were running for President in 2012.
—mia_maya_pattz
Listened to author tell stories from his past, easy to listen to.
—Jackalynn
A nice reminder to cut back to the simple meaning in Christmas.
—Patrizia
