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Christmas in Harmony is book # 2.5 in Philip Gulley’s “Harmony” series. Huh? 2.5? The .5 placement of this book fits in-between book #2 and book #3 chronologically. But since this installment is a novella (a.k.a. small book). Small in word count, page count and physical size, if reading the paperback, like I did. Therefore, it doesn’t receive a full book # status. You can call it book #3 if you want. (Great opening paragraph, Scott!) Regardless of size and arbitrary book numbering system, know that Christmas in Harmony is another tale of Quaker pastor, Sam Gardner and his eccentric flock of followers. The Harmony Friends meeting (church congregation) decide to host a progressive, multi-site Christmas nativity scene with live animals, robust sound systems and excessive (armed) security. Naturally, wackiness ensues. Here is my Christmas in Harmony book review.
Christmas In Harmony Summary
Christmas in Harmony by Philip Gulley is a delightful, small-town holiday comedy wrapped in a Quaker Christmas nativity scene that goes predictably off the rails. The protagonist from previous Harmony installments, Pastor Sam Gardner, is trying to shepherd his quirky congregation through the season in one piece. But this year, someone has the grand idea to host an over-the-top Christmas pageant. That someone is oblivious, overzealous church member Dale Hinshaw. Dale’s ridiculous schemes are typically exhaustive attempts to win over non-believers and perhaps win Dale some well-deserved fame and fortune along the way. Unsurprisingly, Dale’s Christmas nativity plan turns into a full-scale circus almost immediately.
This ad run in the community newspaper (The Herald) sets the tone for the entire story.
“…The Progressive Nativity Scene will be simulcast on WEAK (AM 1230). Additional volunteers are needed for security. Interested persons may phone Dale Hinshaw. Experience with firearms preferred.”
This book gave me Charlie Brown Christmas vibes. Sam Gardner is Harmony’s Charlie Brown – an often melancholy, yet hopeful soul searches for the true meaning of Christmas while his friends and family fumble through the season with excessive commercialism and pageantry. There are a few Linus characters helping to make sense of the holiday chaos for Sam (a.k.a. Charlie Brown.) Dale Hinshaw possesses some Snoopy-esque characteristics — mischievous curiosity, stubborn independence, etc. But Dale is nowhere near as cool as Snoopy, and things seldom work out in Dale’s plans, while Snoopy typically cruises to success with little effort. Despite the holiday hiccups, Sam eventually finds peace and meaning in the season.
Now onto the rating! Christmas in Harmony book review:
My innovative system for rating humor books is explained here
Wholesomeness Score: 5/5
More squeaky-clean humor from Philip Gulley.
Hilarity Score: 3.5/5
Subtle, quiet humor, as found in Gulley’s first 2 “Harmony” books. Lots of Nativity-scene-gone-wrong anecdotes. Like…
Overall Book Awesomeness Score: 3.5/5
This one didn’t quite capture my admiration like the first 2 books in the Harmony series. I still loved Sam Gardener as the protagonist, the clean slice-of-life humor, and the major Charlie Brown Christmas vibes of Christmas in Harmony. It just wasn’t quite the enveloping experience as prior installments. However, this was a very quick read and was absolutely worth the time hanging out with the Harmony folks.
Things I liked:
- Christmas (I’m just a Christmas guy – what can I say?)
- Major Charlie Brown Christmas vibes (I’m just a Peanuts guy – what can I say?)
Things I didn’t like:
- Sam planned to surprise his wife with a luxurious gift for Christmas: A 4-slot toaster. Don’t do it, Sam – it’s a trap!
- Book 1 (Home to Harmony) was told in 1st person from the perspective of Sam Gardner. Book 2 (Just Shy of Harmony) was told in 3rd person. Book 2.5 was back to 1st person. Not a big deal, but it did throw me off a bit.
Conclusion: Final Thoughts on Christmas In Harmony
I still love the subtle, warm humor from Philip Gulley’s Harmony. Like the first 2, this book was a light-hearted, cozy read heavy on nostalgia and sarcastic wit. This book was only a 0.5 sized installment. Maybe even 0.3. I didn’t connect with it quite as much as the first 2 books. I perhaps received 0.27ths worth of book enjoyment out of this quick read. Although it wasn’t my favorite in the series so far, it by no means deterred me from continuing the series.
On to book 3! Or book 4? 3.5? Whatever…on to “Signs and Wonders: A Harmony Novel”
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