Bespoke: A Tiny Christmas Tale

by Amanda Dykes

Paperback, 2015

Status

Available

Call number

F DYK

Collection

Call number

F DYK

Publication

Lanternwood Press (2015), Edition: 2, 120 pages

Description

Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. A Secret. A Bicycle. A Promise...While the elusive Secret Symphony of Giovanni St. John captivated the world's fascination, it left his daughter closed away in the Silent House �?? she, the one who holds the fullness of truth about the ninth symphony. Now Aria St. John is determined to not only break free of the loss that has defined her, but to honor her father through one final gift in his last days.On the tiny Isle of Espoir, only one man can help in her quest: James Shaw, the village blacksmith... and the lost friend of her childhood. Will they be able to overcome the tragedy that separated them before it's too late?Written to slip easily into the stolen moments of the busy holiday season, this enchanting novelette delves into the miracle of second chances, the gift of God's healing redemption, and the joy of the unexpect… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member NadineC.Keels
"What could she say to that? That being ripped away from her best friend, from this island, had unraveled her? That she'd wanted to return a thousand times?... It's not your fault, James."

Aria knows the secret of the elusive Secret Symphony of her father, a renowned composer. Now that he's reaching
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the end of his life, Aria wants to give him one final gift. But it will take enlisting the help of the blacksmith and childhood friend she lost, James, in Bespoke: A Tiny Christmas Tale by author Amanda Dykes.

I didn't know what to expect of this new-to-me author or what to expect of this novella. I'd skimmed the blurb that I somehow suspected might only be a hazy tip of a substantive iceberg, but instead of trying to decipher it, I just opened the book and went for it.

And I was drawn into a mystery of sorts, one that gradually, quietly unfolds through the book. There's such an aching beauty to this story, a story that, wisely, doesn't feel it has to spell everything out for the reader. It's tragic. Poignant. Intensely romantic. Redemptive and hopeful. And for someone like me who adores it when the art of music and the art of literature come together, the musical quality to the storytelling here is quite compelling.

I may appreciate this book the more for having experienced it at the most wonderful time of the year. But it's not at all a tale I'd recommend confining to Christmastime.
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LibraryThing member Sandralb
This is a very short novella, A Victorian Christmas Tale. The story was beautifully written and captured you right away. Sometimes after reading a novella I feel like something was left out. Often they are used to introduce you to a more complete novel. This is not the case in "Bespoke". I later
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learned the bicycle story was used to raise money to purchase bicycles for missionaries in Asia. What a wonderful way for Amanda Dykes to use her talent.
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Language

Physical description

120 p.; 7.81 inches

Pages

120

ISBN

0692491910 / 9780692491911

Barcode

60205
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