The small town of Christmas Valley in the mountains of Oregon has always considered Christmas to be “their” holiday. The businesses focus on the holiday, but the townspeople are just a little tired of all of the fuss. A short time before Christmas, pregnant Amy and her husband, Collin, a young couple traveling to California in a wildly painted bus, rumble in to Christmas Valley. They are just looking for a place to stop for a bit before continuing on, but the bus is not running well.
Edith Ryan, who runs the local bed-and-breakfast called The Shepherd’s Inn, and her husband Charles, the pastor of the local church, are planning to be alone this Christmas. None of their children can make the trip home this year, so they are planning on a quiet holiday. Edith gets the idea to open up the inn to those looking for a place to go for the holiday. After advertising on her website, she soon has a full house.
Each of the people who have come to the inn have unique personalities and issues they are dealing with. Soon Collin and Amy are parked outside the inn, and the townspeople don’t know what to think about the crazy bus in their sleepy town. As Christmas draws nearer, the people of Christmas Valley must learn to cooperate with their visitors, and the two groups just might have something to teach each other.
The Christmas Bus is a sweet, heartwarming Christmas tale. It has the overall themes of the true meaning of Christmas and helps us to see that as we help others, we are reflecting God’s love to them, and it definitely isn’t one-sided because we get something in return. Throughout The Christmas Bus, Edith ponders the verse from Hebrews about entertaining strangers
since we might be entertaining angels unaware. She takes this verse to heart, and by the end of the story readers will be encouraged to do the same.
If you are looking for an uplifting holiday read, The Christmas Bus will fit your needs. The unique characters and quirky storyline will entertain and give an extra spark of joy during the Christmas season.