The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas

I believe this book is out of print, and used copies are getting harder to find. I lucked into a reasonably priced one, and I'm glad we did. We enjoyed this sweet little story by Madeleine L'Engle.

The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas: An Austin Family Story, invites us into the Austin family, and specifically into the mind of seven-year-old Vicky. It's Advent, and the family is following their beloved tradition of doing something special and meaningful every day of December to prepare for the birth of the Christ Child.

But this year is different. The family is also preparing for two other big events: Vicky is rehearsing to be the youngest-ever angel in the Christmas pageant, and Mother is preparing to have another baby, their fourth child.

Will the baby come too soon? Will Mother be at home for Christmas, or will she be in the hospital? Will she be able to see Vicky play the angel?

This is a lovely little book about answered prayers and the importance of family. Vicky's faith shines through the last words of the book, as she sees that God's way of answering our deepest desires is often unexpected, but always deserving of our awe and our thanks.