In The Christmas Angel Project by Melody Carson, five friends who are different ages and from different walks of life have been meeting together regularly for a book club. Just after Thanksgiving, one of the women, Abby, dies unexpectedly. She seems to have been the glue that kept them together and inspired them.
Some days after Abby's memorial service, the other women meet together to decide what to do about the group--whether to keep meeting, invite more people, or disband. Abby's husband gave the group a bag of Christmas gifts that Abby had prepared for them before she passed. They opened them together at their meeting. Abby had made an angel ornament for each of them with their individual characteristics.
Inspired by Abby's example, the women decide to change their book club to a "Christmas angel" club. Each will choose a project involving their own unique gifts, talents, and resources and report back to each other once a week in lieu of reading books.
Belinda is Abby's long-time personal friend, divorced with a college-age child. She started a thrift shop years ago that has become something of a boutique.
Cassidy is the youngest, a single veterinarian who struggles with self-confidence.
Grace is newest to the group. She and Belinda had an undercurrent of rivalry for Abby's friendship. Grace and her husband argue over their twin's lack of effort in college, among other things. Grace has her own home design business.
Louisa is the oldest of the group. Her husband passed away the year before. Now Abby's passing has really affected her. She had been an artist, but hasn't been inspired to create anything since her husband died. She wonders what she's still doing here, why God didn't take her instead of Abby.
As each woman struggles to decide what to do for her project, they each experience ups and downs, successes and failures, and learn more about themselves and others in the process.
It's understandable that the book would start off sad. But it did seem a little depressing at first, especially for a Christmas story. The years when we were most grieving a loss, I don't know if it would have been helpful to read a book like this or not.
But once they got going on their projects, the story picked up. I did enjoy the book overall. I was happy I discovered the audiobook free in Audible's members' Plus Catalog.
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