Christmas in Newfoundland is a special time. In the depths of long winter nights memories are made and stories are told. Of Christmas by candlelight and horse and buggy rides to church. Of shopping on Water Street in St. John’s before malls and the Internet.
In later years, Sgt. Windflower came to work and then to stay in the quiet town of Grand Bank by the Atlantic Ocean where the salt air froze in the wind and the Mounties were welcomed to warm themselves by every fire.
Come and warm yourself by the fire and hear their stories. Some memories and some mysteries. Enjoy some holiday time with Sgt. Windflower and all the familiar characters that you’d come to know and love. Good food, good friends and always another chair at the table. (Summary via Goodreads)
Christmas in Newfoundland by Mike Martin is a nice and quick holiday read. It consists of 10 short stories that have to do with Christmas, it could be a memory of family traditions from when the author was a child or a story centered around his Sgt. Windflower characters. And in between the stories you will find a picture which was drawn by a member of the Visual Arts Program at Canterbury High School in Ottawa. The pictures really give life to the stories.
There were 2 stories that stuck out to me and stayed with me. The first story that I really related to was Christmas Lights. I really related to that story because I truly love seeing all the different lights and displayed around my hometown. We always drive around town a few times and have one street in particular that every house on it is decorated in full. We also have a Christmas tree that has a lot of colorful selections so that we are constantly changing the colors and settings. I loved reading about the authors recollection of Christmas lights and the importance and impact they have on him. The second story that I thoroughly loved was the one immediately following Christmas Lights, Tizzard's Christmas Dream. I am a huge fan of the Sgt. Windflower Mysteries and love the characters in this series, especially Tizzard. He has developed a special place in my heart and to read about the impact the holiday season and the people close to him had on him after he experienced a tramatic accident, really spoke to me. Even though he is not a real person, Martin gave him life in that story.
Christmas in Newfoundland can be read quickly or slowly....however you chose to read it. I highly recommend reading it and getting lost in the Christmas spirit. Martin will have you reminising about some of your old family traditions and may even give you ideas of new things to try and make new in your life. Whatever reason you pick up this book to read, I hope that it makes you smile and appreciate the little things as well as the big things in your life.
Review by Missi M.
** Even though a murder does not occur in the Christmas in Newfoundland book by Mike Martin, I am sharing my thoughts on this blog because I have read and shared my thoughts on all his books in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series and some of the stories in this book are about Sgt. Windflower, his town and people. So if you are a fan or not of Windflower you will enjoy this book and who doesn't like Christmas ?? **
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