Official Review: Christmas Kindling by David A Jacinto

[cpru68]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Christmas Kindling" by David A Jacinto.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

The way to build a massive, roaring fire starts with the gathering of small branches and putting them together. While an individual stick may not produce an inferno, a bundle assembled all together will create a crackling catalyst for a blaze that will draw in a crowd seeking warmth and comfort. Just like those twigs, David A. Jacinto has compiled sixteen short stories in his book, Christmas Kindling, to exemplify how self-sacrifice, a giving spirit and a love for humanity can ignite a servant's heart.

The collection begins with a young college man who desires to be with the love of his life for Christmas, so he embarks on a journey that involves sneaking into empty boxcars on trains with only $5.28 in his pocket. He depends on the kindness of strangers and the grace of God to get him to his destination. The adoration he has for this girl pushes him to endure many uncomfortable conditions to make her wish come true.

Other stories include the lessons learned by taking in a battered rescue dog named Sadie, a young girl diagnosed with cancer who joyfully gives away her most prized possession, and the work of many to restore a woman's home after devastating life events have brought her low. In each chapter, readers will find themselves laughing at the light humor one minute followed by flowing tears as the author has a wonderful ability to touch the heart.

While the writing does emphasize the Bible and Christianity, the stories stand alone as testimonies to the goodness of people. In this time of social upheaval, the message is a welcome break from discord as the focus is purely upon this verse: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Whether a Christian or not, we all should adhere to that principle.

My favorite part of the book was the ease of reading its short chapters and coming away with a quick life lesson. The demonstrated acts of kindness can easily be replicated in any community so more of us can be the hands and feet of God reaching out to those who are in need. Also, the black and white sketches at the beginning of each chapter gave this an old-fashioned feel that I found enjoyable.

There wasn't anything I disliked about this collection, and I would recommend it to all who like positive, uplifting reading material. I know that some readers are completely against anything that remotely includes religious ideas, so this would be one for that particular person to skip.

I did find a few errors in punctuation and spelling. However, they did not interfere with the quality of the writing. I am giving this a 4 out of 4 star rating for its ability to promote unity not only at Christmas but all year long.

******
Christmas Kindling
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like cpru68's review? Post a comment saying so!

[fredrick otieno]

I love such heart warming short stories. Christmas is a time to give and show love to everybody no matter their religious background. This is a must read for me. Thanks for the good review.

[T_stone]

Christmas is always a time to show love and giving. Very encouraging short stories which are short, hence, making it an easy read for its audience. Thanks for the review.

[EvaDar]

A book of Christian short stories is probably not my cup of tea, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the great review.

[Cecilia_L]

This sounds like a collection I would really enjoy. Thanks for the recommendation!

[Debjani Ghosh]

This sounds like a heart-warming collection of short stories that I will enjoy. Thanks for the review!

[cpru68]

I love such heart warming short stories. Christmas is a time to give and show love to everybody no matter their religious background. This is a must read for me. Thanks for the good review.

I love Christmas and this book coming to me in October put me in the holiday frame of mind. It was so good to read stories that showed people helping people. Thank you for reading my review. I appreciate it.

[cpru68]

This sounds like a heart-warming collection of short stories that I will enjoy. Thanks for the review!

It is a great book! Thank you for reading my review. I appreciate it.

[cpru68]

This sounds like a collection I would really enjoy. Thanks for the recommendation!

Thank you for reading my review. It was so nice to open a book and read about people caring about others and doing their best to help one another. Thanks again. I appreciate the comments!

[cpru68]

A book of Christian short stories is probably not my cup of tea, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the great review.

I appreciate you taking a peek at my review. Since joining the book club almost a year ago, I cannot believe some of the books I have read that I thought I never would have! This club has opened my eyes to genres that I would have not even given the time of day. Poetry? No way! But...then again.. I totally understand your viewpoint though. Sometimes I still have to pass on things that just aren't 'my fit'. Thanks again for reading.

[cpru68]

Christmas is always a time to show love and giving. Very encouraging short stories which are short, hence, making it an easy read for its audience. Thanks for the review.

I appreciate your comments and for reading my review. I agree with you that Christmas makes us look a little more outward. The book was packed with so many lessons and wrapped up in such a nice package. Thanks again for reading my review.

[kandscreeley]

I love the cover. A collection of inspiring short stories sounds wonderful. I do wonder if these are true stories as the book is classified as non-fiction? It doesn't sound like it, so I'm a bit confused. Still, sounds lovely. Thanks.

[writer808]

i always find books related to Christmas very nostalgic and since Christmas is not far away ,i would love to read it.

[HollandBlue]

I like the comparison of putting together twigs to build a fire to compiling these stories into a complete book. I look forward to reading it this season, thanks for your review!

[Alicia09]

I am not a Christian but I do agree that we should treat others the way we want to be treated. I love that this book has a collection of short non fiction stories, because it goes to show that there is still good in the world. I imagine that this book would be a welcome break away from all the negativity in the news and media. Even though it sounds Christmas themed, I imagine that these stories can be helpful for anyone to read even in the middle of July because kindness is lacking in our society today. Thanks for the review!