I read this as a Netgalley ARC and I really, really wanted to like it. I usually love a good Santa Claus story. Unfortunately, while the Santa Claus portion of the story was cute, the rest of it was decidedly Not Cute™

My discomfort started with the poorly worded foreword from Joanne Rogers, wife of famed Fred Rogers. In it she referred to children with Down's Syndrome as "seemingly useless" which got my hackles up.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Rogers appears to have been quoting the main character of the story who has a son with Down's Syndrome. The entire story is told through his ugly, mean, self-centred eyes and then poof! One day he meets Santa Claus and after a decade of hateful neglect, he learns to appreciate his son. This character uses a great many very insulting, ugly words to describe his special needs son. It's uncomfortable and unpleasant to read.

This being a rather short novella, there is not enough time given to the character's turn around and redemption to make it believable. Zero time or effort is put into showing how this man has finally come to love and appreciate his wife and I was left assuming that by the following Christmas this couple would be on divorce's doorstep once again. No time was given to the wife's very sympathetic side of the story and the author basically turned her into a shrew near the end.

If this story had simply begun when the wife presented her husband with the divorce papers, and then told the story of a man finally learning to bond with his unique son with the help of a quirky old toy maker and some reindeer, it could have been very cute. Unfortunately the first half outweighs the second and not in a good way.

A sweet Christmas related story to warm your heart. It's about opening your eyes to the wonders of the world, believing, having faith and trust. Kelly a reporter is on the verge of a divorce, he doesn't understand why his wife wants him to look at life and enjoy all aspects of it and why does she feel that he doesn't have any dream. It takes his son, affected by down syndrome, and his towns hardware owner,a suspicious character of his own, to in a series of short incident makes him start exploring and creating his own imaginations and start living his dreams.
At 160 pages this is an enjoyable book which can be finished in one happy session. Recommended just because no matter ones age it's never too late to learn to believe or dream.
My thanks to Netgalley who provided me an advance copy of this book for my unbiased feedback.

3.5 stars

Today, we are six months out from Christmas and I enjoyed Christmas in June with a delightful seasonal novella by Christopher de Vinck, Mr. Nicholas: A Magical Christmas Tale. I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley.
I came across the title on NetGalley and was intrigued by the description, which included a Mister Rogers allusion, and the fact that the book was written by a friend of Fred Rogers. Plus, I do like Christmas stories!

Recommendation

Overall, I enjoyed the plot line and whimsy, and especially the portrayal of make-believe, from an adult perspective. The narrative was sweet and delightful and I appreciated the character development. Hesitant recommendation due to the treatment of Down Syndrome.

General Impression:

The book lived up to my expectations. I was anticipating a heartwarming, wonder-filled story that brought to heart the innocence of childhood, and the book certainly delivered.

Characterization

I enjoyed following the main character’s development and maturation, through a harkening back to the playfulness of childhood. This was a refreshing reversal of the typical “coming of age” story, and reminded me of a stellar classic, Manalive, by G.K. Chesterton.

Jim, the main character, is a reporter for the New York Times. Ambitious, Jim sacrifices family time to his career and is more interested in watching baseball than having a meaningful conversation with his Anna.

J. B., Jim’s ten year-old son, is my favorite character. Imaginative and intuitive, J.B. is an adorable kid who has Down Syndrome. J.B. enjoys watching “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” and refers to his father as “Darth Vader.”

Anna, Jim’s wife, is an artist who feels neglected by her husband. Anna and Jim are going through a separation.

Mr. Nicholas, a subject of local intrigue, owns the hardware store and has an excellent rapport with children.

Treatment of Down Syndrome

Jim is painfully honest in his descriptions of his experience of having a child with Down Syndrome. In his narration, Jim matter-of-factly refers to J.B. as “ugly” (at least as an infant) and “useless.”

While I think that the term “useless” is meant to contrast with J.B’s inherent value— he is not lovable because of the things he does, but because of who he is— I don’t think this point really comes across in the text. While Jim’s attitude changes over time, he doesn’t seem to regret his previous mentality. There’s definitely s turning point, but I think it should have been more pronounced.

This makes for an upbeat story, but I’m uncomfortable with the treatment of Down Syndrome.