John of The Book Mine Set, reviewed this short story a couple of weeks ago and peeked my curiosity, so I decided to read it.
We never learn the name of the protagonist in this story but she lives in a blended faith home. She is Christian, while her husband David is Jewish. They practice both Christmas and Hanukkah with their children, with mixed results.
It seems that David does not show the same support for his wife over Christmas, as she shows him support over Hanukkah.
Deborah Rochford-Kellerman captures the lights of the menorah and mood of the story in a stunning way. Her writing is clean, crisp, and awesome. I could relate to her story somewhat. One of the protagonist’s children decides not to take part in Christmas. It is not clear if he does take part in Hanukkah. As a child, by the time I was 12, I did not “buy in” to the Jewish faith of which I was raised. I went through the motions of the holidays and enjoyed the festivities but I did not believe. I was honest with my parents and they we very upset, as you can imagine. I think they would have preferred to be blissfully ignorantof my dis-beliefs.
To this day, I don’t practice a religion but I do take part in and contribute to the festivities, which now include both Christmas and Hanukkah. I married a Christian as did my brother, who also lives in Vancouver. Our families get together for Christmas every year when Hanukkah happens to still be going we light the candles together. My brother and SIL like to expose my niece to both holidays.
This is a short story worth checking out no matter what you believe.
If you would like to participate in Short Story Mondays or just find out about some great short stories, go to John of The Book Mine Set. He has a short story review every Monday and a place for you to link your short story reviews. Come join in the fun!
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