For wedding singer Mel Hart, the holidays have always retained a certain magic. Her mother, Connie, always managed to pull off spectacular Santa hijinx that convinced Mel to keep believing in Santa way longer than other kids. Those moments meant everything to Mel because the rest of the year, life was unpredictable because of her mother’s alcohol use.
But two weeks before Christmas, Mel gets a call from the hospital: her mother has died.
Then a woman shows up on Mel's doorstep, claiming to be Connie's estranged best friend, promising to tell Mel a different narrative—one in which Connie was almost a famous country music star, if only a man hadn't gotten in the way. Instead of spending Christmas alone in her dead mother's house, Mel agrees to stay with Barb for the holidays, finding herself in the middle of Barb's complicated family and uncovering secrets while fighting an attraction to Barb’s in-the-middle-of-a-divorce son. As Christmas approaches, Mel reckons with how little she knew about her mother's past while reexamining her own future.
A Home for the Holidays is a moving exploration of complicated grief, mother-daughter relationships, loving someone with addiction, and the redemptive power of opening one's heart to love in all its forms. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)
When I started this story, I was not sure where it was going. I imagined a book with ‘holidays’ in the title to be light and airy, full of festive parties and joy. This was not that, but I loved it. There was so much heart and emotion in this story that I felt like I was reading the words of an old friend. I grew up in the Chicago area and I could feel the icy cold winter air, see the snow on the ground, and hear the familiar sounds of the holidays in the Windy City.
The relationship between the main character Mel and her mother was a complicated one with many secrets. As I continued reading, I felt the dynamic shift and the heaviness of the grief Mel carried, lifting. This is a deep and soulful book that the author wrote beautifully. The past and present are comingled in the perfect way, and it was impossible not to get wrapped up in it. The unlikely friendships that turn into family made this a heart-warming read. If you want to read something that strays from the typical feel-good holiday story, this is a perfect choice. I have a feeling I will be thinking about this book for months.
Thanks to Knopf for the book in exchange for an honest review. Purchase A Home for the Holidays here.
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