A Marriage Carol 

by Chris Fabry

& Gary Chapman

Review & GIVEAWAY:
Wynn-Wynn Media has offered to give away a copy of A Marriage Carol and a $15.00 gift card to Starbucks! Thank you, Jeane Wynn!

5.0 out of 5 stars Unforgettable!

Description

On Christmas Eve twenty years earlier, Marlee and Jacob were married in a snowstorm.   This Christmas Eve, they are ready to quit, divorce is imminent. Their relationship is as icy as the road they're traveling and as blocked with troubles as the piling snow. They take a shortcut to get to the lawyer's office, on a slippery, no-fault path. She thinks they need to stay on the main road. He disagrees. They fight. Story of their lives and they slam into a bank of snow, spinning, drifting, falling, out of control. Just like their lives. Reluctantly, freezing cold, hungry, scared, she trudges up the hill. Jacob is nowhere to be found. Her ears frozen, fingers and hands red, she comes to a house on the hillside, built like a Bed and Breakfast, a green wreath on the red door and the door-knocker is in the shape of a wedding ring.

The red door opens and the first thing she notices is the fire in the room, blazing hot, a warm, inviting, friendly place and the voice of an old man welcomes her in. There are three golden pots on the hearth, shining, glimmering things. The old man claims that they are used to restore marriages. She laughs-and begins a journey through her past, present, and future that will test how she views her lifelong love. There are two futures available. Which will she choose?

This book can be purchased at the following locations:

http://www.amazon.com  $10.98

http://www.christianbook.com  $10.99

http://www.deepershopping.com  $9.34

Biography

CHRIS FABRY is a graduate of W. Page Pitt School of Journalism at Marshall University and Moody bible Institutes's Advanced Studies Program. Chris can be heard daily on Love Worth Finding, featuring the teaching of the late Dr. Adrian Rogers. He received the 2008 "Talk Personality of the Year" Award from the National Religious Broadcasters. He has published more than 60 books since 1995, many of them fiction for younger readers. Chris collaborated with Jerry B. Jenkins and Dr. Tim LaHaye on the children's series Left Behind: The Kids. His two novels for adults, Dogwood and June Bug, are published by Tyndale House Publishers. Chris is married to his wife Andrea and they have five daughters and four sons.

Biography

Married more than 45 years to Karolyn, Dr. Gary Chapman is just the man to turn to for help on improving or healing our most important relationships. His own life experiences, plus over forty years of pastoring and marriage counseling, led him to publish his first book in the Love Language series, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. Millions of readers credit this continual #1 New York Times bestseller with saving their marriages by showing them simple and practical ways to communicate their love to their partner.

Since the success of his first book, Dr. Chapman has expanded his Five Love Languages series to specifically reach out to teens, singles, men, and children.

He is the author of numerous other books published by Moody Publishers/Northfield Publishing, including Anger, The Family You've Always Wanted, The Marriage You've Always Wanted, Desperate Marriages, God Speaks Your Love Language, Parenting Your Adult Child, and Hope for the Separated. He co-authored The Five Languages of Apology with Dr. Jennifer Thomas.

Chapman speaks to thousands of couples nationwide through his weekend marriage conferences. He hosts a nationally syndicated radio program, Love Language Minute, and a Saturday morning program, Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, that air on more than 400 stations. Dr. Chapman also serves as senior associate pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Dr. Chapman holds BA and MA degrees in anthropology from Wheaton College and Wake Forest University, respectively, MRE and PhD degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and has completed postgraduate work at the University of North Carolina and Duke University.

Dr. Chapman and his wife have two adult children and two grandchildren, and currently live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

My Review ~

It's Christmas Eve, and Jacob and Marlee Ebenezer have an appointment with a divorce lawyer to dissolve their 20-year marriage. Years of detachment and indifference in their marriage have led to a tragic end. As heavy snow drifts down the car skids along the highway toward their afternoon appointment in the city. Heavy traffic and treacherous driving conditions prompt Jacob to take the shortcut on County Line Road. Marlee recalls that same drive in similar weather conditions after their Christmas Eve wedding so many years ago. She fears they won't make it over the mountain through the heavily swirling snow. Nearing a curve the last things Marlee remembers are two headlights and the sound of an air horn. When she awakens the car is embedded in a snowbank and Jacob nowhere to be found. With no chance to survive the storm sitting in the car alone, Marlee seeks help at a nearby home where she is welcomed by an older gentleman who claims to have restored numerous marriages. He seats her by the fire and goes in search of Jacob. As Marlee's concerns for her three children and her missing husband mount the older gentleman returns alone and takes Marlee on a journey through the past, bringing about haunting memories. The present fills with concerns, and fears of the future nearly break her. How will divorce affect their children? Are they making a mistake? Where is Jacob?   

This unforgettable story of a love that has grown stagnant through the years touches a tender place in the heart of the reader. Through the busyness of careers and raising children a husband and wife drift apart to a point where there appears to be no common ground. Our choices affect every detail in our lives. The authors have created a situation that is all too common in marriages, complacency and rancor. In this modern-day Dickensonian tale lessons in compassion and unconditional love warm the heart and invite us to examine our own lives and relationships. The descriptive elements in this story are vivid and memorable. Secrets in the snow play a magical role in this stirring novella. I began reading this book late one evening, and as I headed for bed I sensed a blizzard raging outside the house. I had to look out the window to confirm that it was a typical balmy October night! I awoke during the night to the sound of what I perceived to be a snow plow! Chris Fabry and Gary Chapman did a brilliant job of creating this realistic Christmas Eve!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from River North Fiction from Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

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