The author does a good job of drawing the reader into the story of a war-weary CIA officer, along with a world-weary wife & mother. More than one story unfolds here piece by piece and, by the end, Morell has put the pieces (as if from multiple different puzzles) into one large mosaic drawing parallels from each of the stories fitting them into one larger story of Christmas origins, miracles, redemption, courage, faith, and family. I actually got more out of this novel than I anticipated.