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Publisher: Circuit Riding Musician 
Release Date:  September 2003
ISBN: 0971353433 
Awards:  
Format Reviewed: Paperback 
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Genre: Contemporary/Inspirational [North Carolina]
Reviewed: 2004
Reviewer: Rachel A Hyde 
Reviewer Notes:  Christmas

In The Bleak Midwinter
By Catherine Ritch Guess 


     Talented music teacher Celia Brinkley loves her job at the exclusive Tillman Academy where she teaches the children not only about music, but how to live a good life. Lately though, she has been feeling burned out and is planning a new career, but first there is the Christmas concert to organize; the first in their new facility and the best that she has ever done. As the incandescent voices of the boys' choir sing of the Nativity, Celia's spirit soars, and she is sure that she can hear a baby crying. Is it just the magic of the Christmas music that makes her feel "strangely warmed," or is she about to have a big surprise that will give her life new meaning?

     Most people love a good, simple story with a happy ending at Christmas time and this tale fits the bill perfectly. This brief novel has the seasonal message of letting goodwill towards your fellows fill up the empty corners in your life, and how the magic of Christmas can truly bring joy if one is prepared to put love in motion. There are no subsidiary plots or literary devices, just a plain story that is sure to leave you feeling - as John Wesley once put it - "strangely warmed."