It’s officially feeling like Christmas around my house this week. The weather has cooled, the tree is up and glowing, the lights are strung across the porch, and every corner is decked out in holiday cheer. I’m fully in the spirit of the season. This time of year also nudges my reading habits in a slightly different direction. I still reach for my usual genres, but I also like to weave in a few festive titles.
After more than a decade of holiday reading (ever since I started this blog back in 2012), it’s become increasingly difficult to find new seasonal books to try. So I did what any self-respecting millennial would do: I Googled a list. Richard Paul Evans’s novels showed up on nearly every roundup I came across, even though I’d somehow never read him before. I decided to begin with his first book, The Christmas Box. It's a short, sweet, and sentimental fable with a message I think will resonate with many readers.
Richard is a busy father, working tirelessly to build the life he believes his family deserves. Unfortunately, that often means he’s more consumed by work than by time with his wife and young daughter. Despite his effort, the family still struggles to make ends meet. Then, almost by chance, Richard stumbles into what feels like a miracle.
A wealthy, older woman is seeking a family to live on her estate and help with cooking, cleaning, and other small household tasks. In return, she offers not only a salary but room and board in her spacious home. It seems too good to be true, yet it’s the very blessing Richard has been hoping for. As the family settles in, the arrangement proves to be a perfect fit.
Everything changes when Richard discovers an old box in the attic, filled with letters written by a grieving mother. As he reads them, piece by piece, he begins to understand the quiet sorrow carried by the woman who hired them. Through her story—and his growing awareness of what truly matters—Richard is gently led toward the deeper, more enduring meaning of the Christmas season.
I’ll be honest, The Christmas Box is a book that could be easy to bristle at. In the 30th Anniversary Edition that I read, Richard Paul Evans even admits in his introduction that his writing has evolved since he first penned this story on a whim decades ago. The novella is overtly sentimental, built on a simple premise and a predictable arc. And yet, there’s something undeniably enduring about the message of this story.
At its heart, The Christmas Box is about faith, family, and the importance of being present during the holiday season. It’s a universal reminder to focus on what truly matters, even when that means letting other priorities fall away. As I read, I found myself reflecting on the ways I’ve structured my own life—those late nights spent trying to squeeze in just a little more work, only to wake up and repeat the cycle the next day, often without carving out enough time for family and friends. It all adds up before you realize it, leaving you wondering how the time slipped through your fingers.
And that, I think, is the quiet power of The Christmas Box. Stories like this one nudge us to slow down, live in the moment, and savor the warmth that comes from community, especially at this time of year.
For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2025, 97)
