Evergreen

Evergreen: A Christiansen Winter Novella was such a touching little book!  Being a "novella," Evergreen is 181 pages of story, and then discussion group questions, if you are reading it with a group.  If you're familiar with Susan May Warren's Christiansen series, including It Had To Be You and When I Fall In Love, you'll recognize John & Ingrid, and many of the other characters.

I loved that, instead of the young love stories we usually read, this book was about a mature couple, who'd raised their kids, and was facing the empty nest.  Now, I won't have an empty nest for many years to come, but I can relate to being in a season of life where the kids are starting to live on their own.

One of my favorite interactions takes place on pages 44-45, between John and his son Derek.  They're working together on Derek's house, and John makes reference to Naked Tuesday as a perk of having an empty nest.  Derek, of course, is horrified.  Living with a flock of teenagers, I've noticed that they think sex is fascinating--unless it involves their parents!  Then, it's totally gross.

During preparations for the very memorable Live Nativity comes a deep observation from Ingrid's friend Noelle.  "Our children are destined to leave us from the moment they're born.  And the paths they walk are theirs, not ours.  We can only give them a place to come, stop in, find comfort."  Wise words.

Evergreen is a story of loss and gain.  A story of new beginnings and the continued faithfulness of a long term marriage.

Thanks for clicking for us!