Book Summary and Reviews of Christmas by the Book by Anne Marie Ryan

Book Summary

In small-town England, two booksellers facing tough times decide to spread some Christmas cheer through the magic of anonymous book deliveries in this uplifting holiday tale for book lovers everywhere.

Nora and her husband, Simon, have run the beautiful oak-beamed book shop in their small British village for thirty years. But times are tough and the shop is under threat of closure--this Christmas season will really decide their fate. When an elderly man visits the store and buys the one book they've never been able to sell, saying it's the perfect gift for his sick grandson, it gives Nora an idea. She and Simon will send out books to those feeling down this Christmas. Maybe they can't save their bookstore, but at least they'll have one final chance to lift people's spirits through the power of reading.

After gathering nominations online, Nora and Simon quietly deliver books to six residents of the village in need of some festive cheer, including a single dad of twins who is working hard to make ends meet, a teenage boy grieving for his big sister, a local Member of Parliament who is battling depression, and a teacher who's newly retired and living on her own. As the town prepares for a white Christmas, the books begin to give the recipients hope, one by one. But with the future of the bookshop still up in the air, Nora and Simon will need a Christmas miracle—or perhaps a little help from the people whose lives they've touched—to find a happy ending of their own....

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Christmas by the Book opens at The Stowford Bookshop. What were your first impressions? Did it remind you of any bookstores you have visited?
2. Nora and Simon are struggling financially at the start of the story, but when a man comes in and buys a book they've never been able to sell, it gives Simon an idea. Why does the couple decide to start the anonymous book deliveries? What six books would you choose to give away?
3. There are a number of great characters in this story, including Sam, Olwyn, Will, and Mateo. Discuss some of their backstories, and whether you connected with any in particular.
4. David Langdon is a complicated character in the book. How does he change, and how does the village's perception of him shift?...