Christmas List (Evans)

The Christmas List 
Richard Paul Evans, 2009
Simon & Schuster
368 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781439150009


Summary
Dear Reader,

When I was in seventh grade, my English teacher, Mrs. Johnson, gave our class the intriguing (if somewhat macabre) assignment of writing our own obituaries. Oddly, I don't remember much of what I wrote about my life, but I do remember how I died: in first place on the final lap of the Daytona 500. At the time, I hadn't considered writing as an occupation, a field with a remarkably low on-the-job casualty rate.

What intrigues me most about Mrs. Johnson's assignment is the opportunity she gave us to confront our own legacy. How do we want to be remembered? That question has motivated our species since the beginning of time: from building pyramids to putting our names on skyscrapers.

As I began to write this book, I had two objectives: First, I wanted to explore what could happen if someone read their obituary before they died and saw, firsthand, what the world really thought of them. Their legacy.

Second, I wanted to write a Christmas story of true redemption. One of my family's holiday traditions is to see a local production of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. I don't know how many times I've seen it (perhaps a dozen), but it still thrills me to see the change that comes over Ebenezer Scrooge as he transforms from a dull, tight-fisted miser into a penitent, "giddy-as-aschoolboy" man with love in his heart. I always leave the show with a smile on my face and a resolve to be a better person. That's what I wanted to share with you, my dear readers, this Christmas—a holiday tale to warm your season, your homes, and your hearts.

Merry Christmas. (From the author.)

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Author Bio
• Birth—October 11, 1962
• Where—Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
• Education—B.A., University of Utah
• Awards—American Mother Book Award; two Story Telling
  World Awards (2000, 2001)
• Currently—lives in Salt Lake City, Utah

The story of Richard Paul Evans's massive success is so miraculous that it could have been the subject of one of his inspirational stories if it hadn't been true. He'd written his very first book The Christmas Box as a holiday gift for his daughters in 1993. As he saw it, this story of a widow and the young family that moves into her home was a tangible, timeless expression of his fatherly love. So, Evans produced twenty copies of the novella, which he then handed out to a select group of friends and family as Christmas gifts.

Incredibly, those mere twenty books began to circulate. And circulate. And circulate. By the following month, copies of The Christmas Box had passed through no less than 160 pairs of hands, some of which belonged to people who were rather influential. Amazingly, book stores began calling Evans at home, asking for copies of his little homemade opus.

The story of The Christmas Box does not end there. This moving tale about the meaning of Christmas was soon picked up by Simon & Schuster and went on to make publishing history when it simultaneously became both the bestselling hardcover and the bestselling paperback book in America. Suddenly, former advertising executive and clay animator Evans was a bestselling writer with a whole new career ahead of him.

Evans followed up The Christmas Box with a prequel titled Timepiece in 1996. Timepiece was another major hit with readers, as was The Letter, the final installment in the Christmas Box trilogy. From there, Evans expanded his repertoire while continuing to focus on the themes dearest to him: faith, family, forgiveness, love, and loyalty. He published The Christmas Candle, his first book for kids.

His work also often became subject to small-screen adaptations. In fact, a 1995 production of The Christmas Box starring Maureen O'Hara and Richard Thomas snared an Emmy for best costuming in a miniseries or special. The following year, a version of Timepiece featured an early appearance by future superstar Naomi Watts, not to mention choice performances by James Earl Jones and Ellen Burstyn, as well as an associate producer credit for the author, himself.

Meanwhile, Evans continued penning and publishing heart-warming mega-sellers like The Locket, The Looking Glass, and The Carousel. In 2001, he took some time to reflect on his stunning success in The Christmas Box Miracle, which recounted his most unusual journey to the top of the bestseller list.

Another string of crowd pleasers followed, including the romantic The Last Promise, A Perfect Day, and The Sunflower, a critically acclaimed account of blossoming love at a humanitarian mission in Peru. Now, Evans is back with Finding Noel, the story of Mark Smart, whose pained life is completely turned around after a chance encounter in a coffee shop. Fans of Evans—and there are legions of them—will no doubt be delighted and deeply touched by his latest work.

Extras
From a 2003 Barnes & Noble interview:

• Evans is one of the few writers in history to place on both the fiction and nonfiction bestseller lists.

• When Evans is not writing bestsellers, he often makes public appearances as a motivational speaker. He has shared the stage with such notable people as director Ron Howard, writer Deepak Chopra, humorist Steven Allen, and both George Bush senior and George W. Bush.

• In 1997, Evans founded The Christmas Box House International, a foundation responsible for building shelters for abused, neglected, and homeless children throughout the world. More than 16,000 kids have found homes in one of Evans's shelters.

• Evans is the father of five children, who take up most of his time.

• He is the founder of The Christmas Box House International, which builds shelter assessment facilities for abused children. According to Evans, "The most interesting trip I have been on lately was in the jungles of Peru, where we hunted crocodiles in leaky canoes at midnight. I have lived in both China and Italy, which is why I often have characters from those lands."

• Evans loves playing the game Risk. Also Paintball. He says, "When possible, I round up my friends and go down to our ranch in southern Utah, where we play weekend soldiers."

• When asked what book most influenced his career as a writer, here is his response:

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. I was 20 years old when I read it. I was visiting my brother in Monterey, California, where the book takes place, and I became so enraptured by Steinbeck's writing that I decided then that I wanted to write a book someday. (Author bio and interview from Barnes & Noble.)

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Book Reviews
(This book has few mainstream press reviews online. See Amazon and Barnes & Noble for helpful customer reviews.)

It's possible that Santa just won't come if there isn't a new Evans (A Christmas Box) holiday tale in his bag. This year, it's the story of real-estate mogul James Kier, who gets the chance to read his obituary—before he dies. What he discovers unnerves him as the death notice portrays a ruthless, friendless man. James decides to make amends to the many people he's hurt over the years. Sure to be a best seller, so buy accordingly.
Library Journal

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Discussion Questions 
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:

• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)

Also consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started for The Christmas List:

1. Talk about James Kier—the kind of character he is at the beginning of this book. What are the numerous ways he has damaged peoples' lives and poisoned his relationships? Is there anything in his character that can be admired?

2. What is the irony behind the alleged "heart attack"?

3. Kier wants to make amends, but he depends on his secretary to draw up the list of those he has hurt. Why, if his desire for redemption is genuine, doesn't he create the list for himself? Shouldn't he have been the one to make it?

4. Why are there only five on the list? What makes them most significant offenses in Linda's eyes?

5. Of all the characters, which one moved you the most in this book? What about Sara, for instance? How would you characterize her love? Anyone else?

6. Much is made of this book in comparison to Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. Have you read Dickens's book, and if so, what similarities do you find?

7. The healing power of forgiveness is one of the strongest themes in the novel. Forgiveness is a mysterious force: how does it do its work in this book? Who is forgiven and who is healed? In your own life, how difficult/easy is it to forgive?

8. Does this book inspire you to take a deeper look at your own life—to give yourself a long look in the mirror? Have you ever considered writing your own obituary? What do you think others might say about you after you're gone?

9. In The Christmas List, Evans raises the issue of second chances in life. Absent a return from the grave or a bizarre chance occurrence like Kier has, are second chances possible in life? What would you do over again...or make amends for?

10. Were you surprised and engaged by the many twists and turns in story line—or did you find the plot contrived or predictable? What about the ending—does it satisfy and, if so, why? Or do you wish for a different outcome? If so, what?

11. In what way is James Kier transformed by the end of the book? Go back to the Kier at the beginning of the book—what deep down in his personality enabled the transformation to take hold in the first place? What do you foresee for him in the future?

12. Over all, what do you consider as the authentic Christmas message (or messages) found in Evans's book?

13. Have you read Evans's trilogy—The Christmas Box, The Timepiece, and The Letter? If so, how does this one compare with the others? Does List fit in, thematically, with the trilogy (creating a quartet)? Or is it a distinct stand-alone? If you have not read any of Paul Richard Evans books, does this one make you want to read his others?

(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)

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