White as Snow: A Christmas Story

by Donna Westover Gallup and Donna R. Westover

Book Overview

In 1864 Colorado Territory, Charlie is alone on the ranch that sits between the empty prairie and the Rocky Mountains. The orphaned boy is caring for his dying grandpa and trying to figure out how to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0975961942
• ISBN13: 9780975961940
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Cladach Publishing
• Length: 150 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.3" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

A transformational and heartwarming holiday story.

Book One of the Mysterious Ways series, White as Snow: A Christmas Story is a novel for all ages about the power of miracles and the bonds of trust. An orphaned boy named Charlie cares for his dying grandpa, wondering how he will survive the winter; as the first storm of the season comes, so too comes help in the form of an unknown mountain man who appears at the isolated ranch. Though good things start to happen, dangers and uncertainty remain - Charlie must come to terms with himself and trust the stranger with his most deeply hidden secret. A transformational and heartwarming holiday story.

Great theme of hope

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (8/06) This is the first book in a series titled, "Mysterious Ways." Charlie is a ten year old boy who is forced to fend for himself and his grandpa who has fallen ill. Charlie and his grandpa live on a ranch in the Colorado Territory around 1864. Learning to fend for himself and his unconscious grandfather, tests Charlie's faith in God. He barely escapes death during an attack by a grizzly bear who he believes is defending her cubs from him. Charlie loses "Old Blue," his grandfather's shotgun. Just as his supplies are running low and he is ready to give up all hope, a giant mountain man, named Jess, shows up and is able to help him. Jess teaches Charlie that God has not abandoned him and that things could actually have been worse if he wasn't praying. Jess helps restore Charlie's faith and helps him to get the ranch back in order. Charlie and Jess share the same birthday, December 25. As this special day approaches, Charlie's grandfather appears to be coming out of his deep sleep. This is a really special book. I love the underlying theme of hope. It is one that is written for all ages. As an adult, I totally enjoyed it. I know that children would enjoy it as well. I think that it would even be a great book to read to a child before bedtime. As the Christmas season approaches, it would also make a great stocking stuffer. I look forward to reading the future books in this series.

An inspiring story, giving us hope and strength

"White as Snow" is a story about a ten year old boy, Charlie who lives with his grandpa in a ranch far away from anywhere, near the Rocky Mountains. His grandpa falls sick with pneumonia and rests unconscious in bed for weeks. Having no one in the world to care for him and help him out, Charlie has to take care of the farm and his sick grandpa. Charlie struggles for existence are over when Jess comes to their door. The stranger turns out to be their benefactor who helps them out through the hard times. The novel is an inspirational account full of strong beliefs in God and his power of helping the ones in need. Charlie does his best to be in charge of the situation, but all his efforts fail, leaving him hopeless and praying to God for help, which soon arrives. The ending leaves us wondering if Jess was actually real or an angel sent by God to assist them in the fight for survival. Donna Westover Gallup is a wonderful author, who uses superb metaphors to illustrate her talent to write. Allow me to quote from the book: "A fellow could imagine the sonata of a lone wolf rolling up through the hills. Or he'd hear a mysterious siren song call across the grassy waves and intertwine itself in the limbs of the dark evergreens and golden aspens, then build to an eerie crescendo, only to fall to a sigh of rustling leaves and then recede, pulled back by an invisible tide." Reading the book, I found myself often thinking how could somebody be able to play with words in such a poetic manner: the descriptions are absolutely terrific and her writing flows gracefully. She makes writing look so simple. Although I am not a religious person, it was a real delight to read Donna's work. I found it simple and emotional. This book might interest people with spiritual beliefs, but it can be a heartening account for everybody else. I highly recommend this moving story.