The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans
Book 14: 30 books for 30 Days.
The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans is about a young married couple with a 4-year-old daughter. The father Richard often forgets his wife and daughter because he is so engrossed with his business. It is a story that teaches about the importance of children in the lives of their parents.
It is not a very long story, but it is rich in themes of family relationships and personal character growth. It is a story that won’t take much time to read, but with have a lasting effect on those who choose to read it.
Important Characters and Themes *Spoiler ALERT*
Richard
A businessman who owns a tuxedo shop and is so encompassed in his business his marriage and relationship with his daughter and wife are waning. He is missing events for his daughter and when they move into a huge mansion with an old lady.
The old lady reminds him to spend time with family and do his husband and father responsibilities. Richard is a “bu-humbug” type person.
Richard’s Wife Keri
The wife Keri is tired of playing a single parent even though she is married. When the family moves in with Ms. Parkin, Keri learns to love the elderly lady. Mary guides Keri in her marriage struggles and they become close friends.
Jenna
She is like a parallel Tiny Tim who teaches the power of Christmas family and love. She gives love freely to a sad, bitter old woman. Jenna eventually is triumphant in helping heal Mary’s heart before she passes.
Mary Parkin
Mary Parkin is the mansion owner and the Evans family move in to assist her in her day to day activities. Mary carries many secrets throughout the book. She grows close to Keri and tries to guide Keri in her marriage struggles.
Mary is very ill and soon realizes that Keri is in a similar situation to Mary and her deceased spouse. Richard the father is the mission. Mary tries to teach him and not until she is on her death bed does Richard learn from her wisdom.
Andrea
Andrea is Mary Parkins daughter who died. You don’t find out in this book about her death because it was in the prequel book Timepiece. However, Andreas' spirit comes to Richard in a dream, causing him to think about his relationship with his daughter and wife.
Christmas Symbols, Similarities, and Significance
This book is another more modern version of “A Christmas Carol” about a businessman that is in the pivotal time of life where he might lose his wife and child from his selfishness and lack of investing into his family.
Richard is visited in dreams by an Angel who tries to heal him of his blindness of his family before he becomes lonely and loses both. The Old lady who they are helping tries to help Richard notice his little girl before it is too late.
Angel Wings represent messengers. All you have to do is open your eyes and look.
Outer doors. In the olden days, there were two sets of doors, inner and outer when the outer were open people were welcome to come when the outer doors were closed this meant privacy.
The Stone Angel appears to Richard in a dream, on the headstone at the cemetery. This stone angel appears to him when he is trying to understand Mary’s advice. This is a symbol of his daughter Jenna and how he needs to value her. Also the foreshadow of Marys death, and her own daughters death.
Christmas Box represents the Lord of Christmas and the symbol of Jesus Christ being the Fathers gift to the World and when Jesus was laid in a box of stone and the Resurrection of his son and all to change their loves for the better.
The whole book reminds us to take care of those we are close to for we never will know when they are gone.
“The Christmas Box” parallels “A Christmas Carol”
Ebanezer Scrooge the book's protagonist or rather the antagonist who is a cruel hearted miser who thinks Christmas is a waste of time. This resembles Richard the husband and father who care more about business than his family.
Bob Cratchit Is the head of the Cratchet family and the head clerk of Ebenezer Scrooge the long-suffering clerk; This character resembles the wife Keri trying to make her marriage work and be a good wife and mother.
Tiny Tim is an adorable character, the youngest of the Cractchit family and is sick, and although he is sick he brings joy to the whole family with his hope and joy of Christ. This character resembles Jenna a sweet child who is kind and loving and brings to all joy and happiness.
Mrs. Mary Parkin is the ghost of Christmas Present explaining that in order to have a future one must invest in today and work hard to achieve and keep what you have.
Andrea is the Ghost of Christmas past sharing with Richard the wisdom of Mary Parkins life experience.
The Christmas Box is the ghost of Christmas Future and the Hope that if we choose Christ, we can be made whole.
