The Christmas Bus

November 1, 2006
On their way to San Diego, Collin and his very pregnant wife, Amy, are almost out of cash when their hippie bus breaks down in the picturesque mountain town of Christmas Valley, OR. Edith Ryan, the pastor's wife and owner-operator of the Shepherd's Inn bed-and-breakfast, is upset that none of her grown children will be home for Christmas this year. So she decides to keep her business open in the hopes that having more people around will lift her spirits. The rooms fill up, but the strangest guest is a cantankerous old woman named Myrtle Pinkerton who appears on her doorstep. When Edith agrees to let Collin and Amy keep their noticeable bus at the inn until it gets fixed, the townspeople make a big fuss. But Edith knows that helping the poor, young couple is the key to a merry Christmasand maybe the mysterious Myrtle is not just any guest after all. This witty, heartwarming novella from veteran author Carlson ("Crystal Lies"; "Armando's Treasure") is a welcome Christmas treat for CF collections.

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.