“A Shenandoah Christmas,” by Lisa Belcastro. Published by Washashore Publishing, Vineyard Haven, Mass. Copyright 2014 by Lisa Belcastro. Paperback and Kindle edition available online and at Bunch of Grapes Bookstore.
With her fifth book to date, Island resident Lisa Belcastro brings us A Shenandoah Christmas, a novella and Vineyard romance story just in time for Christmas on the Island. Her newest book comes on the heels of her Winds of Change trilogy, where we are first introduced to the Roberts, the fictitious family who own the centuries-old schooner Shenandoah. According to her website, Ms. Belcastrowas inspired to write Shenandoah Nights, the first book in the Winds of Change trilogy, while chaperoning two Tisbury School summer sails with her daughter, Kayla, aboard the real Shenandoah.
Earlier in the trilogy, Ms. Belcastro introduces Andrew Roberts, one of the Roberts sons, with a “roguish smile and kind heart.” In her second book, Shenandoah Crossings, Andy continues on to meet Allyson, the girl who unexpectedly steals his heart and propels him out of a life seemingly destined for bachelorhood. Andy and Allyson are secondary characters in the previous Shenandoah books, but A Shenandoah Christmas puts them front and center,as they work through the challenges of their relationship amidst the holidays on the Island.
A Shenandoah Christmas is a quick read, a mere 83 pages on the Kindle version, making it a suitable companion for an off-Island trip over the holidays. While the book is lightweight, the subject matter is not always. The story begins with Andy, still smitten with his girlfriend Allyson, but feeling a recent distance between them, and some reluctance from her that he can’t quite pinpoint. Andy is wracked by this uneasiness just before Christmas, when he plans to propose to her, and is longing for her acceptance. At first his heartache seems minor, as he yearns for Allyson’s love and attention again, like the gentle pawing of a puppy dog that wants not to be ignored. He becomes sick with the fear of her rejection, which is amplified by the newlywed bliss of his sister, and and the textbook love story of his parents’ forty year union.
Andy’s anxiety is lessened following a church sermon that helps him put his problems in perspective. Faith and religion are ever-present in the book, but they do not distract from the story or challenge the readers’ own beliefs. The power of love is the overriding message, coupled with the true meaning of giving and selflessness, the essence of the holidays.
Andy realizes that if he is going to be with Allyson, he must give her the space she needs. “He had to be willing to lay down his wants and needs for her, to lay down being right for the sake of the relationship, and to lay down what was good for him in order to have what was good for them.”
While Andy comes to terms with what he has to do, Allyson is still reserved, and the reason is unclear until a Christmas Eve gathering lands her in tears. When Allyson’s true reservations are brought to the surface, Andy must consider what it means to him and the future of their relationship.
A Shenandoah Christmas reminds us that life is not predictable, and that the unexpected obstacles we must face often serve as testing circumstances that bring us closer. In the wake of Christmas, remember these experiences, and focus not on what you want but what you’ve already been given.
For more information visit lisabelcastro.com.
