More Than a Christmas Story

That is the claim the author makes about Charles Dickens’ famous tale,  A Christmas Carol.  He states there are many of beneficial lessons that can be learned from this tale, fifty-two, in fact.  This book is divided into that many short chapters.  Each one explores a point he found when reading this Christmas classic.  Using excerpts from the story, along with references from both the Bible and human nature, the author illustrates what he means.

Tell me more, I don’t know if I go along with this.

For example, in the chapter “Denial Prevents Change,”  Mr. Welch explores the roadblocks individuals put up to keep themselves from changing. Often we dislike change so much we will deny reality.   This was a habit Scrooge had.  In the end, Scrooge quit denying reality and changed–and he was really happy he did.  The author points out that change can bring us great benefit if we will just open ourselves up to it.

Another chapter explores the value of children, and the pleasure of viewing life through the eyes of a child.  The author also discusses the joy of giving contrasted with Scrooge’s tightwad habits.  Further on, Mr. Welch even claims A Christmas Carol provides proof of God keeping His promises.  Can all of this be gleaned from the tale of a miserly old man who sees the error of his ways before the story’s end?

I didn’t know that!

Besides learning valuable lessons, the reader will also discover interesting things about Charles Dickens. For instance,  A Christmas Carol was the shortest story he wrote, and he was only thirty-one at the time.  Dickens loved Christmas and enjoyed celebrating it, even though doing that was looked down on then. The character of Scrooge is so much a part of the common language that Scrooge is listed as a noun in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.  It’s meaning, of course:  a miserly person.

Dickens was extremely popular with the public, both in England and the United States.  His arrival in America caused his ardent fans to work themselves into such a frenzy that it was comparable to the Beatlemania that swept the country over a century later.

This is a novel approach to the story.

The author shows A Christmas Carol in a whole new light. His ideas are presented in a small volume that can be read through very quickly.  Or this book can be read like a daily devotional, one chapter at a time.  It’s a Wonderful Life and Les Misérables have been the subjects of two other “52 Little Lesson” books.

With the Christmas season fast approaching, now is a great time to get a copy of this little book.  After reading it, you may never view Dickens’ classic tale the same way again.  You, like Scrooge, may find yourself transformed by this story!  I recommend this 5-star book to fans of Dickens, Christmas stories, or those who want to learn something new.

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of 52 Little Lessons from A Christmas Carol, through The Thomas Nelson Publishing BookLook Bloggers Program for the purpose of review.   I have not been compensated in any other manner.  All opinions expressed are my own, and I was not required, or influenced, to give anything but an honest appraisal.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Author’s Website:  http://bobwelch.net/

Author’s Twitter:  https://twitter.com/bob_welch

Author’s Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Bob-Welch-Pebble-in-the-water-inspiration-115056991875103/timeline/