The Christmas Lamp: A Novella

by Lori Copeland

Nativity, Missouri, is in trouble. When the small town is bypassed by the newly constructed highway, it loses its much-needed holiday traffic—threatening not only the town’s financial survival, but its very heart and soul. Outside consultant Jake Brisco threatens everything the community loves about Christmas with his budget-slashing solutions. Nothing is sacred—not even the traditional town Christmas tree. Long-time resident Roni Elliot knows some sacrifices have to be made, but can’t let go of the customs and traditions that have marked her holidays since childhood. The decorations and customary activities have always generated vitality and joy throughout the whole season in Nativity. Though their priorities and methods clash, Roni and Jake want the same thing—prosperity for the town. As the two get to know each other and become close, each begins to gain a new perspective on what the real wealth of Nativity—and the season—might be. The Christmas Lamp takes an honest look into the issues and concerns we all face and sheds light on the real origins of Christmas spirit.

Genres: Christmas, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Romance, Holiday, Contemporary

Audiobook

First published September 21, 2009

About the author

Lori Copeland was born on 12 June 1941. She had a relatively late start in writing, breaking into publishing in 1982 when she was already forty years old. Over the next dozen years, her romance novels achieved much success, as was evidenced by her winning the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award, The Holt Medallion, and Walden Books' Best Seller award. She has been inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame.

Despite her success in more mainstream romantic fiction, in 1995, she decided to switch focus. Her subsequent books have been in the relatively new subgenre of Christian romance. She has also collaborated with authors Angela Elwell Hunt or Virginia Smith on a series of Christian romance novels.

Lori and her husband of over forty years, Lance, live in Springfield, Missouri, surrounded by the beautiful Ozarks. They have three grown sons, three daughter-in-laws, and six wonderful grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters. She and her husband are very involved in their church, and active in supporting mission work in Mali, West Africa.

Reviews

[LadyCalico · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, this novella was so bad and so dumb that it was torture to read. It made me sad that Goodreads doesn't have "minus" stars to give to a book this bad. It was filled with so many idiocies that I kept asking myself over and over what could the author have been thinking! Reading this book requires the reader to suspend all common sense and reality contact just because the author did. Do not expect events in this story to add up in any semi-sane fashion. It was so disjointed that it read like it was thrown together by a committee. The story revolves around a financially-strapped town that erects their Christmas tree in the center of a major intersection where it causes several accidents yearly--duh, ever hear of the word "lawsuit." The main character is a city administrator who likes the tree there and even though it costs a fortune in staff time and new bulbs to resurrect it after every accident, she still insists on wasting the financially-strapped tax-payers hard-earned dollars doing just that since as a government official she has the right to steal poor people's hard-earned tax dollars to spend on her personal desires (instead of making her a heroine, it should have made her into a prison inmate.) I just wanted to scream over and over,"it's not YOUR money that you are wasting, B***h." When less narcissistic officials vote to move the tree to a safer spot to save money (nobody cares about who gets hurt, killed, or has vehicle damage due to the selfish protagonist's depraved indifference), she pouts because they took away her tree (no, stupid B***h, they merely voted to move your homicidal, pork-barrel tree to a safer spot.) That's just the beginning of the idiocies, it gets even more senseless and disjointed from there. Don't even ask about the "Christmas Lamp" in the title--what crap!

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little Christmas novella about a small town that is dying economically, but wanting desperately to hold onto Christmas traditions, despite the cost of those traditions. Roni, who has lived in the small town her whole life, is the city manager, who is not willing to give up the traditions no matter what. Jake, a financial advisor, is called in to help the city cut costs and get the city back on track financially, but he happens to be called in right around Christmas time. He and Roni are definitely at odds about what direction to take. Both want the city to survive but is it possible, even after cutting the beloved holiday traditions for this small, forgotten town to ever thrive again?

This one is clean but there with no faith based element. It was a bit insta love for my personal preference, but I did enjoy the small town feel as well as how Christmasy it was!

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. Had plot holes, too many to count. A novella so took very little time to read.

[Hannah Beth (Hannah's Book Cafe) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet and cozy Christmas read with small town feels. Definitely had some plot holes, but I liked it overall.

[Reni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet. Nice at this time of the year listening to Christmas stories. Except can't relate to warm clothes and snow.... I'm sitting here in shorts and a t-shirt.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a nice short story. I've been struggling with Christmas spirit this year and it was nice to sit down and read a Christmas story in just a few hours that reminds you of the true meaning of Christmas

[Carole Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Christmas Lamp" is a heartwarming story with themes of the love of family, friends, and coming together in support of one another. Set in the small town of Nativity, Missouri, it reflects not only the true heart of Christmas, but faith lived out each day of the year. In spite of limited space in the novella format, Copeland crafts a moving and satisfying story with characters that I enjoyed.

The Christmas lamp of the title refers to a fishnet stocking leg lamp which, on the surface, I wouldn't find too appealing. Those who have seen the movie, "The Christmas Story," will identify with the lamp. This story is actually inspired by the author's own experience in discovering and purchasing a similar lamp for her family. Copeland writes about the lamp in a note at the end:

"To me, it represented family struggles, raising children, man and woman accepting each other's faults and loving each other anyway - the true heart of Christmas, and Christ's love in admittedly, a different form....Tradition doesn't have to be logical; it only has to emphasize the light of Christ and his everlasting love."

[Jenn · Rating 1 out of 5]

The main character is an asshole, and I don’t think the author is aware of that.

[Nick · Rating 1 out of 5]

You're probably already familiar with the idea, if not the formal definition, of the idiot plot - the plot that would be solved in five minutes if everyone wasn't a, well idiot. I admit that I have real problems with these. You can ask my wife - I'll often end up yelling angry advice and orders at the TV ("Just shoot him!!!").

Unfortunately, The Christmas Lamp has one of the worst idiot plots I've seen in a while. As the book opens, the town of Nativity has set up a town Christmas tree in an intersection. A car intersection, that you drive through, with your car, is where the town Christmas tree is. Now wait, I hear you asking, don't people hit the Christmas tree in the middle of an intersection with their cars? Yes they do. In fact, that's how the book starts. The male lead, who may as well be named Grinchy Lesson Learner, shows up and, surprise, hits the town Christmas tree, which is in the intersection, with his car. Later, he proposes that, if the tree gets hit by another car, they not bother putting it back up. This is supposed to show us how much he hates Christmas, and Jesus, and mom and apple pie. He then gets into a fight with the moronically named "Roni", the book's female lead, about whether or not they should put the tree back up if it gets hit by another car.

At this point I had an idea. How about you move the tree? Maybe - I don't know - cars wouldn't hit the tree if it wasn't in a snot-sucking intersection? However, this never occurs to our happy little band of morons. No, instead there's genuine tears and hurt feelings over not keeping up a tree, in a intersection, where it's hit by cars several times each year.

At this point I have to confess I put the book down. I could already tell what was going to happen - the male lead, who at this point is Evil(TM), and is described as such ("He detested Christmas and all its phony sentiments"), is going to learn that Christmas means putting up a tree on the jam-sucking street where it gets hit by cars all the time, and he'll marry "Roni", even though she's at the age of 29, which makes her an old bag who needs to get married and start popping out kids right this second.

Regrettably, The Christmas Lamp is another in the depressingly quickly growing collection of free Kindle books that are so bad I still feel ripped off.

[Kristy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a hard time rating books like this. I knew what I was getting into. I wanted a light Christmas read after some serious books...and how can I complain when that's what I get. However, while I know this sort of thing is exactly what some folks love (and good for them), I was reminded why I generally avoid this genre. It was like reading a Hallmark Christmas movie. (I don't really enjoy those either.) I was basically expecting that though. The plot and writing were worse than I anticipated and I didn't get the whole lamp thing. That was the title...and it didn't make any sense!

[Becki · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like trite, cheesy love stories then this is the book for you. I thought it was going to be a sweet story about saving a small town from financial ruin. Instead, it turned into an improbably love story with no clear path from Point A to Point B. I'm glad it was just a novella. Any longer and I would have felt like I had wasted part of my life.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Christmas

Nativity was a town that would soon be one people only talked about, saying, "Do you remember when?" Jake had come to town at the request of his grandmother, to help save her hometown. He met Toni and that's when things began to happen. Lori Copeland keeps you wondering in this book. You must read it and fall in love with Christmas once again.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just okay. I liked the premise of it but the lamp was just weird. I didn't get it.

[Taryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book for what it was meant to be, a simple heartwarming read. I just felt like it was more pointless than “simple,” and I needed more. There were many plot points that either never or only loosely got tied back into the story. It read like a Hallmark movie and lacked all the little nuances that make reading a book better than watching a movie. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.

[Nancy Hauck Gaglione · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I’m being honest, I chose this book because it’s short and I’m a couple books away from having read 100 books this year so I figured I’d read this one. It tried to be a quickie Hallmark story, but I found it awkward and underwhelming. They go from coworkers barely speaking to all of a sudden holding hands and kissing. I also didn’t realize it was a Christian romance.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a little holiday novella that I tried because it was set in Missouri, near Benson, so it was on theme for our holiday trip there, but honestly, I didn't like it. It was so rushed to me and the male main character kissed the female main character before she even really liked him??? The whole thing felt very rushed but if you like Hallmark Christmas movies, this is that. No spice.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a quaint story, and interesting characters. The book went way too fast, I wanted the plot to slow down and let me get to know the characters better. The dynamic between Roni and Jake is delightful and I would love to savor their relationship development more.

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up for the Christmas in Julyathon since it was a short Christmas book by an author I like. It was really cute, kind of a Grinch retelling. The romance seemed to develop very quickly, but it was a short book so that was to be expected.

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very sweet little Christmas book with just a touch of romance (it wasn't overwhelming, and it never felt like the central focus of the book). It really touches on the way that tradition, family, and found family can affect us during the holidays. I enjoyed listening to this one.

[Glenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this was a story that had promise - as a Christmas feel go story, it was good, as a story in general - not so much. For me, the story just ends and leaves so many questions unanswered and changed tack halfway through....

[Martic · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second Christmas story of the year and this was a fun, light read as well. Slow-moving romance which I like and plenty of tension regarding the town's traditions survival. It would be fun to have a Christmas themed town in my area.

[Lesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time reading this author and I enjoyed it. Might have to check out some more of her books.

[April Suter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two lamps join Roni and Jake and help them find what Christmas is all about.

[Deb Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but very predictable in a Hallmark movie sort of way.

[Christina Snook · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful book that reminds you of the meaning of Christmas.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this book. It was short and cheesy, but I loved it.

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

B. fiction, contemporary, inspirational

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute little Christmas story about the true meaning of Christmas in a tiny town. What is truly important and what can be done without all the bells and whistles?

[Karyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This for sure is a Hallmark Christmas movie. It has to be. If it is not, it needs to be. A bit corny. Totally delightful.

[Laura Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was super cute.
Short, sweet, perfect for this time of year, especially if you're trying to reach your Goodreads goal. 😆