The Christmas Note

Gretchen Daniels has recently moved into an apartment with her two children to be closer to her mother, Miriam. She and her children are building a life together in a new community when a mysterious young woman, Melissa McCreary, moves into the apartment next to them.

Melissa has few possessions, little personality, and keeps to herself. One day, a local landlord who is looking for Melissa knocks on Gretchen's door for assistance. Melissa's mother has died and in the coming weeks the landlord needs Melissa to empty her mother's apartment. Gretchen reaches out and offers to help, but the apartment is a gut wrenching shamble of a home. There is little worth saving except for a few photos and a note that is discovered on the crate beside the bed. It is unfinished but in the two scribbled lines, Melissa discovers she has a brother and a sister that she never knew about. Even more shocking, she begins to uncover family secrets that show her who she really is.

Can two very different women embark on a journey that explores a long-buried need for forgiveness, hope, and redemption?

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Reading Guide

1. How would you describe Gretchen and Melissa from the opening chapter? How are they different? Alike?

2. Fromwhat you know about each woman in the early chapters what is it that keeps Gretchen going? What keeps Melissa going?

3. How did each of their backgrounds define and shape them? Is Gretchen anything like Miriam? Melissa anything like Ramona?

4. In your opinion who has been the greatest influence in each woman’s life? Explain.

5. Do you think Melissa’s relationship with Josh when he begins work at Wilson’s is a reflection of the majority of relationships in her life to this point? How?

6. Why does Melissa feel comfortable around Gloria and Miriam the first time she meets them? What is it about those two women that put people at ease? Is there a word to describe Gloria? A word for Miriam?

7. Even after Melissa continues to stiff-arm her, Gretchen pursues her. Don’t you think most people would give up? Why didn’t Gretchen throw in the towel?

8. What is the most emotional scene in the book to you? Why? Was there a scene that made you laugh? Which character would you like to have over for dinner? Why?

9. Is there a character to you that most embodies friendship? How were they a good friend?

10. Did you have a favorite minor character? Why that character?

11. In one sentence, what is The Christmas Note about?

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