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The Christmas Letter

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The Christmas Letter

By: Steven H Berman
Narrated by: Pam Dougherty
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About this listen

Mary is a naive 20-year-old in 1945 when her high school sweetheart, Jack, returns to their small Indiana steel town wounded from World War II and makes her his bride. While Jack struggles to find his place in the world, Mary begins her own journey of self-discovery.

As the years and letters unfold, Mary and Jack have five children, including their first-born son, Junior, who is not “right", an issue that contributes to the turmoil in their marriage and impacts their lives in unforeseen ways.

Mary's Christmas letters track her children from toddling to adulthood, while also commenting on her marriage, her friendships, and the world around her - advances in technology, the dawn of the nuclear age, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Cold War, Vietnam, Woodstock, and more.

Through disappointments, triumphs, dark moments of doubt and suspicion, loss of loved ones, and the lessons learned from hard experience, Mary’s Christmas letters are a constant in an uncertain world. A part of the ritual of Christmas, these letters are a touchstone from which Mary takes strength and comfort.

©2017 Steven H. Berman (P)2018 Steven H. Berman Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Holidays Christmas Winter Marriage
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Through Mary's letters to her best friend, her whole life is revealed. This was such a unique way to tell a story. Each letter told us of Mary's hopes, dreams, regrets and sufferings and loss. Mary is open with her friend about everything in her life. From the troubles with her oldest child, who is not quite right, to the youngest, Mary and Jack's children grow up through these letters. Mary's struggles as she tries to obey her husband and do the best for her children are all written down. Through Mary's words, I cried and felt my heart break along with her. Her accounts of the events that happened during her era brought out how it was to live during those times. Be prepared to feel all the emotions as you follow Mary's life. I loved this story and could not stop listening to it. I hope there will be more "letter" stories because I really enjoyed this format.

Pam Dougherty narrated Mary exactly as I would have imagined her speaking. Ms. Dougherty was able to narrate Mary as a young lady through her older years amazingly. Ms. Dougherty truly seemed to age along with Mary. It truly felt as if Mary was reading the letters directly to me. I loved everything about this narration. I hope to hear more from Ms. Dougherty.

a monologue that creates an entire story

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