I absolutely adored The Wish Book Christmas! It was the perfect start to my holiday reading. It is a follow up to If I Were You (see my review here). If you haven’t read If I Were You, stop now and read it first!

The Wish Book Christmas features cheerful giving by the “Smart kings” AKA the wise men of the Bible, a little romance, and most importantly, the true meaning of Christmas.

Here’s the Setup

From the bestselling author of If I Were You comes a nostalgic and endearing holiday story that reminds us that sometimes the most meaningful gifts are the ones we least expect and don’t deserve.

Best friends Audrey Barrett and Eve Dawson are looking forward to celebrating Christmas in postwar America, thrilled at the prospect of starting new traditions with their five-year-old sons. But when the 1951 Sears Christmas Wish Book arrives and the boys start obsessing over every toy in it, Audrey and Eve realize they must first teach them the true significance of the holiday. They begin by helping Bobby and Harry plan gifts of encouragement and service for those in their community, starting by walking an elderly neighbor’s yellow Lab―since a dog topped the boys’ wish list for Santa. In the charming tale that follows, Audrey and Eve are surprised to find their own hearts healing from the tragedies of war and opening to the possibility of forgiveness and new love.

Click here to see all of the pages of the actual 1951 Sears Christmas catalog! I loved looking at the clothes and shoes especially. I wish toys were still that cheap.

Age Recommendation

I would recommend this book for middle school and up (so you don’t spoil the surprise of Santa)! This would be a great family audiobook to listen to as you’re traveling for the holidays.

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