We will review the Dreamspinner Press advent calendar one review a day. At the end of the month THREE winners will be picked to receive some great prizes!
First prize is 10 books from your Dreamspinner wishlist .
Second prize is 5 books from your Dreamspinner wishlist.
Third prize is 3 books from your Dreamspinner wishlist.
December 14th
Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: The Orpheum Miracle
SERIES: 2016 Dreamspinner Press Advent Calendar – Bah Humbug
AUTHOR: Pat Henshaw
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 28 Pages
RELEASE DATE: December 1, 2016
BLURB:
Christmas joy is a matter of perspective. For some, it’s the happiest time of the year. For others, not so much.
Twenty-nine-year-old Mick, the son of crack addicts, isn’t exactly a dyed-in-the-wool Scrooge. Mick’s been on his own from childhood. As a teen, he lived in a shelter, where for a short time he had a boyfriend. After the boyfriend left, Mick moved to the Orpheum Theater. While squatting there and taking care of the grand old building, Mick watched others celebrate the holidays from a distance, never able to share in their merriment.
Only his Technicolor dreams liven his dull, mechanical life until one day the world around him begins to change. Mick is surprised when a man named Jim buys the vintage Orpheum and plans to restore it. Something about Jim makes Mick think they’ve met before. In fact, Jim rekindles Mick’s longing for a better life and a little holiday magic for himself.
A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2016 Advent Calendar “Bah Humbug.”
REVIEW:
I really liked this one. It tugged at the heartstrings in places. Especially one section.
“You forgot that not everyone was a child of kindness and wealth?
You forgot that Christmas is just a season of too much buying and too little love?
You forgot that some of us aren’t worthy of love?
You forgot that a child’s wonder doesn’t get to happen to every child, just select ones?”
Don’t those lines just make you put it in perspective? The M/C of this story is a young man who grew up hard. His mother was a crack addict and his father was gone. He grew up in a crack house, where I think bad things happened. It kind of referenced them in an aside, so I’m not sure, but regardless, he ended up in a shelter as a teen living on the street. He had a boyfriend for a short time, but the boy disappeared and no one ever knew where he went. He was rumored to be dead.
Since then his life hasn’t improved much. He is still homeless, but now lives in the theater he works in. It is a secret, but there is a new owner, who might not be as understanding.
This is nice little story. I really liked it and I would highly recommend it!
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
Sounds like a real Christmas miracle story.
This story sounds fantastic. Thank you for the review without spoilers. I am adding this book to my wishlist.
Sounds heartrending but lovely!
This book sounds great. I love the premise of a Christmas miracle.
Tug your heartstring is the perfect kind of holiday read for me. Thanks for the review
Sounds like a true Christmas story, thank you for you review.
Wow, for a short piece this seems to pack quite a punch. Thanks for the review!
I’ve got this one but haven’t had the time to read the ones I bought =( Thank you for the review! It’ll give me the push I need.
Thank you for the review, Dan. This one sounds really good!
Thanks for the review. I read this one earlier this month…for me it was an average read, but nice for Christmas time.
Thank you Dan, I want to kwnow what will happen to Mick, I’m curious.