Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York : Ballantine Books, 2005.
Description
Fiction. Literature. Romance. HTML: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �?� Kristin Hannah is beloved by readers around the world for her unique blend of powerful emotion and exquisite storytelling. In Comfort & Joy, she offers a modern-day fairy tale�??the story of a woman who gets a miraculous chance at happiness. Joy Candellaro once loved Christmas more than any other time of the year. Now, as the holiday approaches, she is at a crossroads in her life; recently divorced and alone, she can�??t summon the old enthusiasm for celebrating. So without telling anyone, she buys a ticket and boards a plane bound for the beautiful Pacific Northwest. When an unexpected detour takes her deep into the woods of the Olympic rainforest, Joy makes a bold decision to leave her ordinary life behind�??to just walk away�??and thus begins an adventure unlike any she could have imagined. In the small town of Rain Valley, six-year-old Bobby O�??Shea is facing his first Christmas without a mother. Unable to handle the loss, Bobby has closed himself off from the world, talking only to his invisible best friend. His father Daniel is beside himself, desperate to help his son cope. Yet when the little boy meets Joy, these two unlikely souls form a deep and powerful bond. In helping Bobby and Daniel heal, Joy finds herself again. But not everything is as it seems in quiet Rain Valley, and in an instant, Joy�??s world is ripped apart, and her heart is broken. On a magical Christmas Eve, a night of impossible dreams and unexpected chances, Joy must find the courage to believe in a love�??and a family�??that can�??t possibly exist, and go in search of what she wants . . . and the ne… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member loubigfish
Veery nice story line, upbeat and funny at times. Yet tragic and full of missing meaning...Magic can happen
LibraryThing member cindyb29
Warning: Spoiler alert. This is the story of a woman divorced from her husband (who left her for her sister). She was in a plane crash and ended up at the Comfort Inn, meeting Bobby and his father Daniel. The story seemed ridiculous--how was she able to walk so far after being in a crash? She
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obviously is going to end up with the guy, and then suddenly an unexpected twist! It turns out she was in a coma and dreamed the whole thing. But then at the end it turns out the man and boy really existed and they live happily ever after. I wasn't thrilled with the ending; too predictable. Show Less
LibraryThing member franoscar
Dopey romance novel with mysticism. Nutty plot, illogical characterizations, and not much beauty.
LibraryThing member punxsygal
On impulse, newly divorced Joy Candellaro gets on a plane to fly to Hope, B.C., seeking a relief from her heartbreak and hoping for an adventure. But life and reality have some strange twists for her when she meets lonely Bobby and his father, Daniel. A sweet, warm tale for reading on a very cold
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winter's day. Show Less
LibraryThing member readingrat
A light romance with an interesting twist.
LibraryThing member emigre
A fairy-tale with an amazing twist half-way through, makes one believe in magic.
LibraryThing member Beecharmer
Joy Candellero is has been betrayed by the two people who meant the most to her. Her sister and husband were having an affair. Instead of facing her problems, she impulsively boards an airplane. The plane crashes and goes on an adventure and discovers friendship with a boy named Bobby. Bobby
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recently lost his mom and bonds with Joy. The book takes a strange turn and Joy discovers all is not as it seems. Show Less
LibraryThing member suzanne5002
A librarian, Joy, who has been betrayed by her husband and her sister is at a crossroads in her life. She impulsively takes a trip one day & the plane crashes. She walks away from the crash & notices a fishing lodge where she checks in for a few days. She also befriends a little boy and his dad
This is a great story about miracles, forgiveness and the joy of the Christmas season.
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while staying there. After a few days there, she has an accident & awakens in a hospital bed. She also notices that her sister is beside her bed crying and rejoicing that her sister is still alive. How did Joy get to the hospital? Why aren't the little boy & his dad by her side as well?This is a great story about miracles, forgiveness and the joy of the Christmas season.
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LibraryThing member drebbles
Heartbroken after her husband falls in love with her sister, who is now pregnant with his child, Joy Candellaro impulsively decides to leave town right before Christmas and hops on a plane to Canada to get away. But her plane crashes and Joy wanders away only to end up at a fishing lodge owned by
"Comfort and Joy" is a unique type or romance and while it doesn't quite work in the end, Kristen Hannah deserves a lot of credit for attempting it. Joy is a believable heroine, devastated and needing to get away after the betrayal of her husband and sister. Bobby is very cute and very real, prone to having imaginary friends and seeing his dead mother, he very much needs loving parents. Unfortunately, not only because the book is from Joy's viewpoint but because of the whole premise of the book, Daniel is never a fully developed character and the romance between him and Joy never really worked for me. The book is divided into two parts and the second section goes in a totally different, Sixth Sense type of direction that may take readers off guard. It wasn't until I reread certain parts of the book that I realized how cleverly Hannah devised certain plot lines (like the way Joy was able to play games with Bobby and Daniel and a phone call she made) and how she placed little hints as to what was going on. Again, it ultimately didn't work, but it was a good attempt and well done.
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Daniel O'Shea, who has a young son, Bobby. Joy immediately bonds with Bobby who is still dealing with his mother's tragic death. She doesn't bond as easily with Daniel who has problems of his own - he was divorced from Bobby's mother and is struggling to establish a relationship with his young son. But just when Joy thinks she might be falling in love with Daniel, she is pulled away from them and has to fight her way back. While trying to do so, she begins to realize that things aren't what they seem and she begins to question what is and what isn't real. But in her heart, she knows she needs to find Daniel and Bobby before she'll be whole again. "Comfort and Joy" is a unique type or romance and while it doesn't quite work in the end, Kristen Hannah deserves a lot of credit for attempting it. Joy is a believable heroine, devastated and needing to get away after the betrayal of her husband and sister. Bobby is very cute and very real, prone to having imaginary friends and seeing his dead mother, he very much needs loving parents. Unfortunately, not only because the book is from Joy's viewpoint but because of the whole premise of the book, Daniel is never a fully developed character and the romance between him and Joy never really worked for me. The book is divided into two parts and the second section goes in a totally different, Sixth Sense type of direction that may take readers off guard. It wasn't until I reread certain parts of the book that I realized how cleverly Hannah devised certain plot lines (like the way Joy was able to play games with Bobby and Daniel and a phone call she made) and how she placed little hints as to what was going on. Again, it ultimately didn't work, but it was a good attempt and well done.
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LibraryThing member jo-jo
I know the Holiday season is over but you might want to keep this one in mind for next year! The only Holiday themed book that I seem to read during the Christmas season is the one that is selected by my book club. This genre has been hit or miss with our group so after reading one holiday book I
Life hasn't been very good for Joy considering that her sister is marrying her ex-husband. When Joy decides that she just can't take any more she flees the world she knows before she can receive more bad news, by hopping on the next plane out of town. Little does she know that this plane ride will impact her life even more.
When events take a life-threatening turn, Joy finds herself plunged into the lives of a young boy and his father that appear to be just as lost in this world as she is. Could it be that she needs this father and son as much as they need her so they can all move on with their lives?
I really don't want to give any more of this book away as it was such a magical Christmas story that reached deep in my heart. I can honestly tell you that it was thoroughly enjoyed by all of the ladies in my book club, and that doesn't happen often! With themes of love, forgiveness, believing, and Christmas miracles, I highly recommend this Holiday themed book.
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am usually ready to move onto something that offers more intellectual stimulation. So you can imagine how pleasantly surprised I was to find that I absolutely loved this book!Life hasn't been very good for Joy considering that her sister is marrying her ex-husband. When Joy decides that she just can't take any more she flees the world she knows before she can receive more bad news, by hopping on the next plane out of town. Little does she know that this plane ride will impact her life even more.
When events take a life-threatening turn, Joy finds herself plunged into the lives of a young boy and his father that appear to be just as lost in this world as she is. Could it be that she needs this father and son as much as they need her so they can all move on with their lives?
I really don't want to give any more of this book away as it was such a magical Christmas story that reached deep in my heart. I can honestly tell you that it was thoroughly enjoyed by all of the ladies in my book club, and that doesn't happen often! With themes of love, forgiveness, believing, and Christmas miracles, I highly recommend this Holiday themed book.
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LibraryThing member MonicaLynn
Joy was betrayed by her husband and her sister they had an affair together. She was trying to sell her marriage home and working as a librarian at the local school. She had so many dreams of traveling and as proof of her dreams she had ad's in several filing cabinets in her garage. Joy's sister
Joy ends up at the airport where she see's a flight scheduled for a town called Hope and decides that is where she wants to go. Upon trying to purchase a ticket, Joy finds that it is a charter plane with a group of hunters who bought out the plane in bulk. She approaches and asks for a ticket. The decide to sell her a ticket for $100 and they take off a short time later.
This now begins quite the adventure for Joy, she thinks this is just what she needs. However the plane begins to spit and sputter and they go down into a ball of flames. After the crash Joy finds herself crawling from the wreckage wondering if anyone can help her and she sees her dead mother and tells her about her sister and her ex husband. Then her mother disappears and Joy decides to walk away from the wreckage and finds herself in the rain forest in Washington state at a quaint little Bed and Breakfast with a troubled boy(Bobby) and his father(Daniel). Joy works on helping them come together and to terms with their loss of Bobby's mother and Daniel's ex wife Maggie. It is Christmas time and Daniel has forgotten all about it. Joy works and works to help them find their way in this life and begins to feel at home there.
Suddenly Joy wakes up in the hospital. She feels like her time in Washington was so real. However from all of her reports from her estranged sister Stacey, Joy was rescued from the plane and was resuscitated at one point and has been in a coma for 2 weeks.
Joy then begins to see if any of her dream was true. She kept on believing that Daniel and Bobby were real people and that she must return to them. Where they real? Does she find them? A must read to find out. A very whimsical magical story.
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show up at her house and tells her that she is pregnant and that Thom (Joy's ex husband)and she are getting married. This news throws Joy over the edge. She takes off immediately with nothing but the clothes on her back and her purse.Joy ends up at the airport where she see's a flight scheduled for a town called Hope and decides that is where she wants to go. Upon trying to purchase a ticket, Joy finds that it is a charter plane with a group of hunters who bought out the plane in bulk. She approaches and asks for a ticket. The decide to sell her a ticket for $100 and they take off a short time later.
This now begins quite the adventure for Joy, she thinks this is just what she needs. However the plane begins to spit and sputter and they go down into a ball of flames. After the crash Joy finds herself crawling from the wreckage wondering if anyone can help her and she sees her dead mother and tells her about her sister and her ex husband. Then her mother disappears and Joy decides to walk away from the wreckage and finds herself in the rain forest in Washington state at a quaint little Bed and Breakfast with a troubled boy(Bobby) and his father(Daniel). Joy works on helping them come together and to terms with their loss of Bobby's mother and Daniel's ex wife Maggie. It is Christmas time and Daniel has forgotten all about it. Joy works and works to help them find their way in this life and begins to feel at home there.
Suddenly Joy wakes up in the hospital. She feels like her time in Washington was so real. However from all of her reports from her estranged sister Stacey, Joy was rescued from the plane and was resuscitated at one point and has been in a coma for 2 weeks.
Joy then begins to see if any of her dream was true. She kept on believing that Daniel and Bobby were real people and that she must return to them. Where they real? Does she find them? A must read to find out. A very whimsical magical story.
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LibraryThing member wrbinpa
Comfort and Joy is a mystical tale that will warm your heart and give you hope. A story with sadness, tragedy, and hope, that involves a dream that seemed to be flawed and tattered, but a dream that had the promise of reality. Truly beautiful and magical. 5 Stars.
LibraryThing member soosthemoose
Not quite as good as other Kristin Hannah books I've read but good and unusual none-the-less.
LibraryThing member WillowOne
BY FAR, one of my ultimate favorite Kristin Hannah books or just books in general. I will admit though that Kristin Hannah has to be one of my favorite authors and always captures me with anything she writes. I am never disappointed when I pick up one of her books.
In this book she tells the story
In this book she tells the story
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of a woman, Joy Candellaro, who is not sure what has happened to her life. She is recently divorced and is at odds with her sister. Not knowing how she is to cope through the nearing holidays she buys a plane ticket on a small charter plane bound for the northwest. Tragedy strikes when the plane goes down in a mountainside forest. Miracle of Miracles, Joy is one of the only survivors and makes a split decision to leave her old life behind and walk away from the crash site. She starts her new life in the small town of Rain Valley. She meets a boy, Bobby, who recently lost his mother and must adjust to living with his father, Daniel O'Shea, who has not been a part of Bobby's life. Joy and Bobby connect and find they both need what the other can give, the feeling of family and safety. They learn again, together, what family and the spirit of Christmas is truly about. Then the dramatic plot twist starts weaving the magic of this special book. I will not spoil this twist by giving details. This is a heartfelt, moving book of love, family, heartache and finding purpose. Very enjoyable, A MUST READ! Show Less
LibraryThing member busyreadin
Not the usual Christmas romance. Leaves you wondering what's ral.
LibraryThing member Dawn772
I found this to be an emotionally riveting story that had me captivated. The plot may be a little out there and I'm not sure about the forgiving but I really liked this book. Joy learns her ex-husband got her sister pregnant so she takes off in an airplane that crashes and she befriends a young boy
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who is hurting. Show Less
LibraryThing member UberButter
Comfort and Joy by Kristin Hannah
272 pages
★★★
Joy leads a fairly boring life, except for the fact that she finds her husband cheating on her…with her own sister…and things only go downhill from there. During the holiday, Joy decides to be adventurous in her now single life and takes a
This isn’t particularly a normal genre I would read. It feels like a chick-lit/romance book which just isn’t my cup of tea. But it was short and I decided I listen to the audio version. It was kept my interest anyway. In a rare instance with this genre, I had a “say whaaaaa?!” moment in the book – they are usually quite predictable. I think the audio made it a bit more bearable for me as I was able to concentrate on other things besides just the book. But with that being said, I did find this book more enjoyable than I thought I would. I liked the characters and the narrator, Sandra Burr, did quite well. And of course, it had the warm and fuzzy feeling which is always nice to feel when reading a book. I didn’t find this book amazing but I did find it enjoyable.
272 pages
★★★
Joy leads a fairly boring life, except for the fact that she finds her husband cheating on her…with her own sister…and things only go downhill from there. During the holiday, Joy decides to be adventurous in her now single life and takes a
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random trip which will bring so many new things.This isn’t particularly a normal genre I would read. It feels like a chick-lit/romance book which just isn’t my cup of tea. But it was short and I decided I listen to the audio version. It was kept my interest anyway. In a rare instance with this genre, I had a “say whaaaaa?!” moment in the book – they are usually quite predictable. I think the audio made it a bit more bearable for me as I was able to concentrate on other things besides just the book. But with that being said, I did find this book more enjoyable than I thought I would. I liked the characters and the narrator, Sandra Burr, did quite well. And of course, it had the warm and fuzzy feeling which is always nice to feel when reading a book. I didn’t find this book amazing but I did find it enjoyable.
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LibraryThing member Tiffy_Reads
Loved this!
LibraryThing member Smits
Finished this the day before Christmas eve. A good time to read. Sweet book but just fluff really.
LibraryThing member ThoughtsofJoyLibrary
Joy is newly divorced and has a heavy heart regarding the circumstances. She decides she needs to get away and start over. Joy's travel plans take a dive. She finds herself in a plane crash and then discovers her life.
Hokey, hokey, hokey. This was so not a book for me. Why did I continue? It was an
Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy
Hokey, hokey, hokey. This was so not a book for me. Why did I continue? It was an
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audiobook, and I was on the road - only reason. Often I found myself dizzy, due to the continual eye-rolling. Ugh. I was warned and didn't take the warning seriously enough. My bad.Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy
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LibraryThing member EmScape
An interesting premise, but really quite unbelievable. After the 'twist', I had to go back and read some parts over and still finished this book in one evening, so it's a very quick read. It could do with a bit more fleshing out, really, and the ending was very pat and abrupt and I didn't believe
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it for one second. Magical realism is fine when character motivations and consistency are believable. I'm more willing to accept the 'supernatural' element of this book than the 'love' between the two characters. Show Less
LibraryThing member VashonJim
It's magic, and I don't do magic, but this was wonderful.
LibraryThing member Maydacat
Newly divorced and estranged from her sister, Joy is ready for a change, especially as the Christmas season approaches. She makes a spur of the moment decision and boards a small plane for Hope, a rural town. As her luck would have it, the plane crashes. She survives and limps away. Not ready to
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give up on her solo adventure, she finds a room in a rundown lodge and meets an unhappy little boy and his concerned father. Don’t try to guess where this headed, you won’t even be close. The main characters are delightful, especially the little boy, and it’s a well thought-out plot. It’s a wonderful Christmas tale, full of the magic of the season, and sure to give readers a warm, fuzzy feeling when they finish the book. I just wish the ending had been a little less abrupt, or had been followed by an epilogue. Show Less
LibraryThing member WiserWisegirl
Believe
You may start this book thinking - this cannot be right! It is supposed to be a Christmas theme - and why is Kristen Hannah putting a character through something so awful? Put it down, take a break if need be. When you pick it back up it will be a page turner. And, there is an ending with
You may start this book thinking - this cannot be right! It is supposed to be a Christmas theme - and why is Kristen Hannah putting a character through something so awful? Put it down, take a break if need be. When you pick it back up it will be a page turner. And, there is an ending with
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that magic good feeling of a Hallmark Christmas movie. I will say you may find a hole or to in this a-typical mystical themed book, not like my Kristen Hannah. I'm gonna blame it on her editor, but seems like one more revision would have been appropriate. Show Less
LibraryThing member WiserWisegirl
Believe
You may start this book thinking - this cannot be right! It is supposed to be a Christmas theme - and why is Kristen Hannah putting a character through something so awful? Put it down, take a break if need be. When you pick it back up it will be a page turner. And, there is an ending with
You may start this book thinking - this cannot be right! It is supposed to be a Christmas theme - and why is Kristen Hannah putting a character through something so awful? Put it down, take a break if need be. When you pick it back up it will be a page turner. And, there is an ending with
Show More
that magic good feeling of a Hallmark Christmas movie. I will say you may find a hole or to in this a-typical mystical themed book, not like my Kristen Hannah. I'm gonna blame it on her editor, but seems like one more revision would have been appropriate. Show Less
Subjects
Language
ISBN
0345486358 / 9780345486356