The Krank family is doing Christmas a little differently this year. Luther and Nora’s only child just left for the Peace Corps overseas and they just aren’t in the mood to do the big commercial Christmas. Instead of buying all the expense gifts and attending all the fancy parties, they are saving their money for a beautiful, tropical vacation for the holiday. And since they are leaving on Christmas Day, there’s really no reason to put effort into all the decorations either. Will their friends and neighbors understand the Kranks’ decision to avoid all things Christmas or will this divide the community?
Award-winning author John Grisham switches gears from legal drama to quirky family Christmas drama with Skipping Christmas. Developed into the 2024 movie “Christmas With the Kranks” staring Tim Allen, this holiday novel focuses on a group you don’t normally see in this genre….the empty nest parents. Grisham expertly shows both the impact of the commercialism of the holidays and of peer pressure to celebrate the way those around us do, too. This is a novel about leaning into doing things your own way, but above all, the power of having a strong community for when things get tough.
I give Skipping Christmas 5 out of 5 stars. This is a cute and fun read to get you ready for the holiday season. I appreciate the way Grisham navigates the drama of going around the society norms to do things your own way. I do wish the ending was a little different, but this was a great story – I can see why it was made into a movie! One of my favorite parts of this is the neighborhood HOA and their decoration requirements – we left the city for the country because of HOA pressure like this. And, with classic Grisham style, I could picture each scene of this book through his vivid descriptions!
If you’re looking for a quick read this holiday season, this is another great option – I read it in just a few hours this past Saturday morning. If you are a Gresham fan, this might not be your typical read from this author, but you will love it! I would also recommend this as a book club selection for the holidays – you could easily add on some decorations, crafts, or food items from the book to bring your group into the book!
I chose Skipping Christmas as my TBR stack read for December. I’ve had this one on my Kindle for the past 2 years and I’m excited I finally got a chance to read it! I am a huge fan of John Grisham’s work, but haven’t read many. I hope you’ve had a great holiday week – I’m still offline, but will be back tomorrow! Happy Holidays, friends!
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