The Joy of Christmas in Gilded-Age New York

Katie Fitzgerald reviews Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin, new from Christian publisher Tyndale Fiction.  

Waiting for Christmas

by Lynn Austin

Published by Tyndale Fiction

‘Tis the season of cozy, inspirational stories, and Tyndale Fiction’s latest historical fiction novella, Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin, fits the bill perfectly. You’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but the front cover of this book advertises everything you’ll find inside: warmth, light, and Christmas joy.  

An heiress turned housewife  

The setting is Gilded Age New York City, specifically December 1901, and Adelaide Forsythe is an heiress who has walked away from her upper-class life of comfort to marry for love. Adelaide and Howard are still newlyweds and not quite ready for children when Jack, a young orphan, is found hiding outside their home on the first Sunday of Advent. Adelaide, who is still learning how to run a household, invites the boy in and learns that, when his mother died, he became separated from his sister.

Jack is very worried about the little girl and also about how his father, away at sea, will find his children when he returns home this Christmas. Adelaide and Howard are skeptical of the boy’s story, but they set out to help him, searching the city for information about his family in hopes of a joyful reunion. As she works to help Jack, Adelaide finds her footing as a housewife and also slowly develops a vision for how she wants to spend her inheritance and her married life.  

An Advent calendar in book form  

This book is divided into four sections, one for each week of Advent, and the sections correspond to the four purple Advent candles representing hope, love, joy and peace. Each chapter is also date-stamped, making it possible to read the book as a sort of Advent calendar, one piece of the story per day. It would be really fun to observe Advent in this way, anticipating Christmas — and the outcome of the story — along with the characters.  

Catholic representation and Christian themes  

Adelaide and her husband are Protestant, but Jack’s family is Catholic, so there is some good Catholic representation in the book, including a supporting character who is a priest. Scripture and prayer appear throughout the story, and as a whole, the book causes readers to reflect on Christian charity and the possibility of miracles. Sometimes Christmas books like this can get a little cheesy, but Waiting for Christmas really feels believable while at the same time emphasizing Christian truths about family, poverty, marriage, wealth, and hope.  

Recommended for women young and old  

This is such a wholesome and family-friendly story that it could be enjoyed not just by moms and grandmas, but also by girls in middle school and high school. It reminded me of books like the later titles in the Betsy-Tacy series which address adult concerns but not in a scandalous or inappropriate way for younger audiences. It’s the perfect stocking stuffer for all the women in your life, and especially for newlyweds, foster moms, and anyone who loves a good historical Christmas story.   

Ask for Waiting for Christmas at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from Amazon.com or the publisher, Tyndale House.

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Copyright 2024 Katie Fitzgerald
Images: (top) detail from book cover