The Thursday Night Club and Other Stories of Christmas Spirit

A joyous and deeply emotional collection of three unforgettable Christmas novellas.

The Thursday Night Club: Five college friends, three men and two women, have been getting together every Thursday night to share humble meals and an abundance of laughter. But when tragedy takes one of them, leaving the others to question the fairness of life, the Thursday Night Club decides to embark on a contest in the memory of the generous spirit of their fallen brother. The objective of the contest is simple: whoever performs the kindest deed by Christmas night wins the pot – four quarters. And there are only two conditions: the benevolent deed must be anonymous, and it cannot cost a single penny to pull off. As the four friends undertake the contest, the healing begins and they become inspired beyond their expectations. There might be a winner in this competition, but it is very clear there will be no losers.

A Christmas Wish: Steph is on a search for truth in her heart as she faces the prospect of real love for the first time. Brian is out to enjoy his favorite season in a way that doctors never thought he could. And at the center of it all is their grandmother, affectionately known as Mama, a woman of remarkable commitment and charity who knows something very important about making Christmas wishes come true.

The Tin-Foil Manger: Published in this volume for the first time, this is the story of Nancy, an elderly woman with little to live for and Jeanne, the caretaker who wants to believe that Nancy has more to live for. Together, they embark on a journey to the past – a past of modest Christmases, tin-foil mangers, and abundant love – to rediscover the time when Nancy felt truly alive. Nancy’s memories and how they touch Jeanne, will turn this Christmas into one for the ages.

Rich with emotion and profound with meaning, these three stories of Christmas spirit that will strike a chord in your heart any time of year and make you look at the holiday season in new ways.

*May Contain Spoilers*

If you're ready to get in the holiday spirit, The Thursday Night Club and Other Stories will certainly have you on your way! Steven Manchester shares three heart-warming stories with his readers in this short, easy to read collection. 

I've previously reviewed The Thursday Night Club and therefore, will skip over it here. However, if you want to read my review, click here and enjoy. :)

Now, out of the two remaining stories, both compete as compassionate and moving. What I loved most about these stories was their subject matter. "A Christmas Wish" tackles an important and relevant topic: homosexuality. I love that Manchester brings this sometimes controversial topic into his collection of Christmas stories and shows it support. Bravo! The wish of the main character of this story is simply to learn how to accept herself and show her true self to the world. With her grandmother's help, this wish just might come true. Who am I kidding? It does! And it's beautiful. Self-identity is a hard thing to recognize and accept and through that emotional and universally human feeling, readers will connect with Steph and realize that the journey for self-acceptance is a deeply personal one that can and will be influenced by outsiders. 

"The Tin-Foil Manger" tackles a different topic: Alzheimer's and the struggle family members have with it. Though the daughters of Nancy are not presented in the best light, Nancy forms a deep friendship with one of her nurses, Jeanne, who is determined to help slow the advancement of Nancy's disease. After learning that Christmas was Nancy's favorite time of year, Jeanne decides to use that holiday season joy to try to bring Nancy back to the present. I enjoyed Jeanne's character and how dedicated she was to Nancy's care. It was also inspiring to see an elderly woman, who was essentially left alone by her family, find friendship and hope in her care facility. It was also enjoyable to read about the Christmas traditions of so many cultures around the world as Manchester fit them into Nancy's memories. Though the flashbacks got a little tenuous at times, it provided the story with a rich background of information. 

Overall, The Thursday Night Club and Other Stories shares the spirit of hope, generosity, acceptance, and love of the holiday season. They were stories that simply made me smile and I think other readers will enjoy reading them just as much. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

The Thursday Night Club

Five college friends, three men and two women, have been getting together every Thursday night to share humble meals and an abundance of laughter. But when tragedy takes one of them, leaving the others to question the fairness of life, the Thursday Night Club decides to embark on a contest in the memory of the generous spirit of their fallen brother. The objective of the contest is simple: whoever performs the kindest deed by Christmas night wins the pot – four quarters. And there are only two conditions: the benevolent deed must be anonymous, and it cannot cost a single penny to pull off.

As the four friends undertake the contest, the healing begins and they become inspired beyond their expectations. There might be a winner in this competition, but it is very clear there will be no losers.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Steven Manchester is an author with a sincere style that is epitomized in his new novella, The Thursday Night Club. The message is simple: help others as much as you can because wealth isn't measured monetarily. Four friends learn this when one of their own dies suddenly. The sorrow that follows revolves around the belief that he would have done great things with his life. He was such a giving soul who helped anyone in any way he could. As a tribute to their best friend, Ava, Kevin, Isabelle, and Randy make a bet that leads them to much more than the winnings. 

All four of these characters are likeable, kind, and thoughtful. Though readers don't learn much about their histories, their likes, or their dreams. The novella is focused on the good deeds that each character performs and readers are able to bond with them through their charitable nature. Ava volunteers with the elderly. This exemplifies that she's kind and grateful. Kevin starts a scholarship so that an inner-city kid can attend college. Kevin is paying it forward with his charity as he got into college through a scholarship. Isabelle starts an adult literacy program to get books in the hands of adults so they can learn to read or improve their skills. This shows that she believes knowledge and learning are important. Randy begins a student crime watch to help the understaffed campus police, demonstrating that he enjoys helping people and keeping them safe. 

So even though the book doesn't give in-depth character focus, readers will still draw conclusions about the four friends by what they do and what they achieve, therefore forming connections. The Thursday Night Club is a heart warming story about helping others, an action that is also its own reward. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

WWW Wednesday (130)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa. Still making my way through the Iron Fey series. It's so amazing; I could get lost in the Faery world and not have a care in the world, except for Jabberwocks and Phoukas and Wyrms and the like.

02. Recently Finished:
Thursday Night Club by Steven Manchester. A novella about a group of friends who challenge each other to give and be charitable in remembrance of a close friend.

03. Reading Next:
Just Not Ready Yet by Brooklyn James. A young widow gets a second chance at love when two men try to help her move on after her husband's death.


Note: I know that Should Be Reading has stopped hosting WWW Wednesdays, but I've always enjoyed posting them and reading other lists so The Coffee Pot will continue to participate.