Table of Contents
About The Book
Thirty years ago, Richard Paul Evans wrote a small Christmas tale for his two young daughters—an expression of love celebrating the joy of fatherhood and the beauty of childhood. Evans printed a couple dozen copies of his book and shared it with family and friends, which they began sharing with their loved ones. As demand for his book grew, Evans printed up copies of his sweet tale and began selling them at local stores in Salt Lake City. Within a few years, what began as a private expression of love for his two young daughters evolved into a beloved gift whose popularity quickly spread throughout the world. Soon, his masterpiece became a global phenomenon, becoming one of the most bestselling books of the century.
Now, this special anniversary edition brings this heartwarming novel to a new generation. The moving and unforgettable story of a widow and the young family who come to live with her is a modern classic you’ll want to share with all your loved ones from the “king of Christmas fiction” (The New York Times).
Reading Group Guide
Introduction
Thirty years ago, Richard Paul Evans wrote a small Christmas tale for his two young daughters—an expression of love celebrating the joy of fatherhood and the beauty of childhood. Within a few years, what began as a private expression of love for his daughters evolved into a beloved gift whose popularity quickly spread throughout the world. Soon, his masterpiece became a global phenomenon, becoming one of the best-selling books of the century.
Now, this special anniversary edition brings this heartwarming novel to a new generation. The moving and unforgettable story of a widow and the young family who come to live with her is a modern classic from the “king of Christmas fiction” (The New York Times) that you’ll want to share with all your loved ones.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. The book begins with a quote from Natalie Merchant. What did this quote mean to you before you read the book? Did the meaning of the quote change after you finished the story?
2. The story is written in the first-person point of view. Do you believe this decision impacted how you read and connected with the story? If yes, how?
3. Throughout the story, Richard Paul Evans includes vivid descriptions of the book’s settings—for example, the deep description of Mary’s house. How did this impact your reading experience? Do you believe this was intentional?
4. What was your impression of Mary when she first entered the story? Did that impression change by the end?
5. What was your first impression of the angel dream? What message did you believe it was sending? Did your opinion of the message change by the end of the story?
6. At one point in the story, Keri asks Mary what senses she believes are most affected by Christmas. Out of the five senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing), which do you believe are most affected by Christmas? If you don’t celebrate Christmas, answer according to your own favorite religious holiday.
7. How did your view of fatherhood, and the role of a father, change throughout the story? Is it different from the way you saw those things before you finished the book? How did Richard’s journey impact you?
8. At the end of the story, Richard makes the decision to burn Mary’s letters. Do you agree with this choice? Would you have done the same? Why or why not?
9. While the story focuses on Richard, how do you believe Keri was impacted by his journey? How did she evolve throughout the book?
10. A main theme of the story is child loss. After finishing the book and understanding Mary’s experience, what ways do you believe you can support someone going through the grief of child loss?
11. Traditional household roles had a major impact on Richard and Keri’s experiences, with Richard working outside the home and Keri taking care of the household responsibilities. How do you think the story would differ if these roles were switched?
12. This story has impacted the lives of millions of readers in different ways. What do you think was the most impactful scene, and why?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. At the beginning of the book, Richard Paul Evans discusses the Christmas Box Angel monuments around the world. Find the closest Angel monument to you and pay a visit, if possible.
2. One real-life impact of Richard Paul Evans’s story was the Christmas Box Houses that shelter abused and neglected children. If possible, find a children’s shelter near you and volunteer for a day.
3. The Christmas Box is an object that reminds you of what’s important in life. Go around the group and discuss what your object—your Christmas Box—would be, and why.
4. It’s crafting time! With your group, gather materials to build and decorate your own Christmas Box and discuss what you will fill it with.
About The Author
Richard Paul Evans is the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than forty novels. There are currently more than thirty-five million copies of his books in print worldwide, translated into more than twenty-four languages. Richard is the recipient of numerous awards, including two first place Storytelling World Awards, the Romantic Times Best Women’s Novel of the Year Award, and five Religion Communicators Council’s Wilbur Awards. Seven of Richard’s books have been produced as television movies. His first feature film, The Noel Diary, starring Justin Hartley (This Is Us) and acclaimed film director, Charles Shyer (Private Benjamin, Father of the Bride), premiered in 2022. In 2011 Richard began writing Michael Vey, a #1 New York Times bestselling young adult series which has won more than a dozen awards. Richard is the founder of The Christmas Box International, an organization devoted to maintaining emergency children’s shelters and providing services and resources for abused, neglected, or homeless children and young adults. To date, more than 125,000 youths have been helped by the charity. For his humanitarian work, Richard has received the Washington Times Humanitarian of the Century Award and the Volunteers of America National Empathy Award. Richard lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife, Keri, and their five children and two grandchildren. You can learn more about Richard on his website RichardPaulEvans.com.
About The Reader
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (December 1, 1995)
- Runtime: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- ISBN13: 9780743542814
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Christmas Box Unabridged Audio Download 9780743542814
- Author Photo (jpg): Richard Paul Evans Photo by Emily Drew.(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
