Comfort & Joy

This books deviates from Hannah's customary style in two distinct ways. It's shorter than most. It's labeled a fable, not a novel. And it's told in the first person, something I haven't found in previous Hannah novels.

In many ways, Joy Candellaro is an unreliable narrator. The book starts with the trauma of Joy learning that her sister, Stacey, who has already had an affair with Joy's (now ex) husband, is now pregnant with his child. A child Joy wanted, though maybe not with Thom. Joy was more in love with the idea of a husband and a family than with the husband she lost. She tries to escape her heartache at the news of her pregnant sister, the one who is soon to marry Joy's ex-husband.

Joy grabs the first plane out of town, heading to one of Hannah's favorite locales, the Pacific Northwest. To the suspiciously named town of Hope. Or that's where she's heading when the plane crashes and the story goes off the rails.

This endearing Christmas tale explores a very relevant topic: forgiveness. Whether it's possible is Joy's struggle. Where this quest takes her, where home really is, and how to listen to her heart play strong roles in this “fable.” Well done!