This is a story with all the feels!! From page one, The Christmas Table by Donna VanLiere, book ten in her Christmas Hope series, grabbed me and held me hostage until I turned the last page, finishing the story, wanting more. This is a heartwarming and inspirational holiday story; you might need to keep those tissues nearby.

The story begins in June of 1972 when John Creighton decides to build a kitchen table for his wife Joan. Prior to this decision he had made picture frames, but was determined to have the table ready for Thanksgiving dinner. With this deadline, Joan becomes inspired to cook something delicious for that first meal; turning to the recipes her mother gave her when she married.

Fast forward 40 years to June 2012 when Lauren Mabrey discovers she is pregnant. With the help of her friends from Glory’s Place, everyone pitches in to help Lauren and Trey prepare their home for the baby. Visiting the local furniture builder, Lauren finds a table that he bought years ago at a garage sale and only recently refinished. Once the table arrives at her home, Lauren discovers a drawer under the table which contains a stack of recipe cards. Growing up in foster homes, Lauren never learned to cook and is fascinated as she reads through the card. Each card has a personal note, written by the mother for her daughter making Lauren wonder where they lived. They also make her feel connected to this mother and daughter and wants to make the mother proud.

Alternating between 1972 and 2012 as Joan battles breast cancer and Lauren learns to cook as she prepares for her baby’s arrival. Along the way, each is blessed by the people, friends and strangers, around them and in their community. As Christmas approaches, Lauren is hopeful to unlock the mystery behind table and bring happiness to the family who loss it.

Ms. VanLiere writes to the soul; the soul of her characters and the soul of her readers. This wonderful, heartwarming story was emotional, moving, tear inducing, filled with wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters that is must read. I highly recommend The Christmas Table to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

5 stars

I am an emotional wreck after reading this book. Genuinely, it takes a lot for me to cry during a book yet I was a blubbering mess after this. It pulled on all my heartstrings. It was heartbreaking, beautiful and a giant hug!

This story takes place in 2012 but also in 1972. These two families in two different timelines have one thing in common, a wooden table. When Lauren and her husband Travis buys a second-hand wooden table they didn't realise the history the purchased along with it. When Lauren discovers old family recipes in one of the drawers, she is determined to hunt down the rightful owners. Could they be closer than what they thought?

This book is filled with joy, sorrow, grief and hope. I loved every second of reading this. I loved every single character and I can't remember the last time I thought that about a book. Each character and family were different from their circumstances, however, they had a connection. This has an "everything happens for a reason" philosophy about it. I was hooked from the very beginning. I would smell the cooking and I cried with the characters, I was that invested in their story. In saying that, I smiled A LOT too, once or twice I even laughed out loud.

This book has the perfect balance of happiness and sadness. It is genuinely an amazing read and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Thank you to the author and St. Martins Press for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Told in two different timelines, we have John and Joan and their little family in 1972. John has decided that the family will have a special, handmade table to celebrate the holidays – and he has found the perfect piece of wood, and plenty of manuals to start the task. Meanwhile Joan is using her mother’s treasured recipes to create meals for her family, sharing moments with her young daughter and son, until a diagnosis of breast cancer throws their entire dynamic into chaos.

Then we have newlywed Lauren and her husband Tyker in 2002. Lauren was raised in foster care, and isn’t confident, but her job and friends at Glory’s Place have given her that sense of caring and family she always craved. When she discovers she is pregnant, the entire group of women who work at Glory’s start to help her with everything – from advice to decorating. Particularly important is a table that they found (and bargained for) to fit in Lauren’s home. Discovering a secret drawer with recipes, specially noted with notes of family life and other ephemera, Lauren is intrigued and interested in finding the owners of the recipes, as well as using them to learn to cook.

What follows is Lauren’s search for the owners of the recipes, plenty of community support for Lauren, and several moments of shared faith and belief for Joan and John as they navigate Joan’s ever-aggressive cancer. We learn the history of the table and the family life that surrounded it, find Lauren growing in confidence and ability with the use of the recipes, and a lovely series of moments as her search brings her into contact with more residents and new friends in town. A lovely burst of hope and possibility, all made possible with the power of faith, belief and lots of laughter.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aOy /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

This is a pleasant read that takes you through the history of a homemade kitchen table, how and why it was made, the road it travels and how it's history is unraveled over a 30 year period.
A book that reminds you of the true meaning of Christmas is a great thing to read at this time in our lives.

What a sweet holiday story! I've never read anything by Donna VanLiere before and didn't know this was in a series. The story flips between Joan in 1972 who is diagnosed with breast cancer and 2012 when Lauren is getting ready for the birth of her daughter. No spoilers here, but it ends so beautifully I could not have written a better ending myself. I read it pretty quickly, just had to know how it all would end. Great weekend read by a fire, curled up in a chair!

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Donna VanLiere's Christmas books are like a warm hug. They are mainly set in the small town of Grandon, and if you've read any of her books, you'll find friendly characters that you already know, along with some new friends who come to town. This story focuses on two families in timelines 40 years apart and a special table that links them together, but what the book is really about is love, hope and faith, family and community. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy!

This was my first book in the Christmas series for this author and although you could tell the characters were already established, I really enjoyed this warm story with amazing characters! Highly recommend! A feel good book!

* I was provided an arc by NetGalley in exchange for a review*

If you are looking for a feel-good wholesome Christmas story then you will love this book. It’s a beautiful, inspiring story about family and faith, and just an absolute pleasure to read. This is the 10th book but my first time reading this author and I was taken by her ability to weave a story that is relatable for all.

The Christmas Table
A Novel
by Donna VanLiere
St. Martin's Press
You Like Them
General Fiction (Adult)
Pub Date 06 Oct 2020 | Archive Date 20 Oct 2020

This is one of our favorite Christmas authors at our library. Our readers enjoy a quick read and these are great!
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

4 star

In 1972, John is building a kitchen table for his wife Joan. Meanwhile, in 2012, Lauren and Travis acquire the table and can't help but wonder why such a lovely handmade gift was given away. Will Lauren be able to find the table's original owners?

Since I hadn't read the previous books in this series, I felt a little lost at the beginning with so many characters making an appearance but focusing on the four main characters helped tremendously. This story sure sounded like something I would love... Christmas, woodworking, handwritten recipes, expectant parents, etc ... but unfortunately, it was not the book for me. It was a light, sweet, faith-filled story, but without including spoilers, let's just say that I found the premise and plot points weak and too coincidental.

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A sweet Christmas story that spans 2 different time periods , two couples and a Christmas table.
A lot of love,emotions,its about family,friends and community and recipes.
A good read.
Voluntarily reviewed.

I initially didn't realize this was part of series, and I've never read any of the others. The pages are filled with love, yummy recipes, and emotions (sad to joyful to humorous). Themes of family, faith, and hope are key. The pace was a bit slower than I would've liked, but it's a nice book to help readers get in the holiday mood.

This book is like getting two stories for the price of one. Warm, lite hearted, Christmas story about a table and some great sounding recipes. You won’t be disappointed in this soul strengthening story.

A very inspirational story of faith and the power of prayer. Two families decades apart are inspired by the same table and family recipes. It heals heals them and brings them together in a time when they need it the most. Family and friendship is an important cornerstone of the community and what makes everything in life better.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the free review copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a cute Christmas book all about how recipes can connect families, and those in different generations. The food sounded so yummy in this book. There’s also a connection created by a family that buys a table and desires to find the previous owner. This book was super quick to read, and I think it is perfectly sweet for the upcoming holiday season.

This is a lovely, feel good book. It was so refreshing to read about characters that you'd love to know in real life. I feel that the author did a good job of hitting difficult topics and was able to give a peaceful resolution. I would definitely recommend this book to family and friends.

This was more than a holiday story. Told in alternating timelines of 1972 and 2012, Revolving around a table and the recipes cards that were found in a drawer.

Delightful!

What a joy to spend time with Lauren, Travis, Gloria, Miriam and other characters previously met in Grandon. Newlyweds Lauren and Travis learn they are expecting a child. "Grandmothers" Gloria and Miriam are delighted and immediately begin planning how to redo Lauren and Travis' home to prepare for their new addition. One item to be added is a kitchen table. This part of the story line takes place in 2012. The bickering between Gloria and Miriam provides just the right amount of humor.

The second part of the story occurs in 1972 and focuses on John and Joan Creighton. John is newly dabbling with woodworking as a hobby and decides to make a new kitchen table for his family. Joan soon learns she has breast cancer. Watching their love grow stronger and discover faith in God was beautiful. There were several times where strangers cross paths with the Creightons and have a profound impact on one or both of them. "God doesn't waste any opportunities."

Get the tissue ready for the final pages. What a fabulous ending. Another Christmas tale beautifully told by the talented Donna VanLiere.

I enjoyed coming back to Grandon and Glory's Place. This book is a continuation of Travis and Lauren's story. As they prepare to bring a new life into the world, the people that work at Glory's Place decide to help them make their house a home. Painting, decorating and buying pieces of furniture. In the process they found a box found of recipes. It is then that Lauren begins to teach herself how to cook. How can you be a Mom and not know how to feed your family. Those recipes are so special, that she decides to find the original owner. I also love that this book is told every other chapter to the original owners of the table and recipes. You find out that it is a small world and with faith, it turns out how it was meant to be.

If you want to read a wonderful Christmas book that will tug at your heartstrings, read Donna Van Liere's The Christmas Table. I can identify with the time frame between 1972 to 2012 as a young mother and then as a grandmother myself who battled breast cancer. Time stands still in those periods of our lives, while it races by for others at a clip that gives you pause to wonder how you got to where you are at the present time!

One handmade table is a constant in this story and if it could talk it would tell you plenty about lives shared around it. Not many tables have drawers so when Lauren discovered the drawer and the recipes it contained the story took off on a new direction of discovery and intrigue. This is a poignant story and worth all the time spent reading it. The characters could be your next door neighbor or a member of your church family. This is one book you want to read for the heartwarming theme and conclusion.