Christmas in Heaven

by Carol Lynch Williams

For Honey DeLoach, getting to Heaven should be easy--after all, she already lives there. In Heaven, Florida, that is--a fly-speck on a map with a population of 6. But Honey's grandfather is the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399234365
• ISBN13: 9780399234361
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.7" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

"Goodbye Christmas, See You In Heaven"

Honey lives in a small country town named Heaven.A very small town.And she is pretty lonely.Till a new family moves there. She becomes best friends with the daughter, a girl named Christmas. Christmas is crazy and spontaneous but also sad, feeling neglected by her mother. She also has a wild sister named Easter who becomes a bad influence on Honey's big brother, Willie-Bill...Leading to a fatal car smash that begins the end of Honey and Christmas' inseperable friendship. Linda M Rowe

Perhaps A Perfect Place

A highly dramatic, intimate, and unforgettable story unfolds in the novel Christmas in Heaven, by Carol Lynch Williams. A young girl, Honey DeLoach, dreams of one day meeting a special friend who will visit her deserted hometown of Heaven, Florida. Life gets pretty lonely for Honey while living with her parents, Mandy and Joe, and older brother, Willy-Bill, especially since the only other people in town are annoying, Taylor Hiatt and his father. Soon, after the unexpected arrival of movie star, Miriam Season and her two daughters, Christmas and Easter, everything would change for the DeLoachs. Honey's grandfather and preacher, Pop-Pop, encourages Christmas to be saved after she realizes that her life is depressing and empty. Now, Honey's long-lasting, close friendship with Christmas, causes chaos and trauma for Willy-Bill and the rest of his family. His crush on troublemaker, Easter Season, disrupts his family's morals and creates hostility amongst one another. Author, Carol Williams, did an exceptional job depicting life in a small American town where the general mentality of people can be narrow-minded. I found the setting, characters, and conflict to fit well within the framework of what the author wanted to convey. Mandy DeLoach painted a great big sign that said, "You're entering and leaving Heaven- right this very second (population: 6)." Heaven, Florida is a tiny place a billion miles from anywhere! It is so small that it is not even a town. However, the setting of this story played a major role in the development of the characters and their lives. The DeLoach family owns the local diner, and Willy-Bill resents his family for bringing him to what he considered an awful place. He refuses to work for that reason. So, when Easter moved there, it was no wonder that Willy-Bill took off, because he was very bored with his life. Also, having lived in Heaven for so long, it was a handicap to Willy-Bill and Honey's social and academic development. They were speaking with a colloquial dialect, indigenous to their area, but again, still a detriment and stifling to their growth. For example, they speak in incomplete sentences, "Used to be only three families lived here," said Honey. Willy-Bill lived in an encapsulated world, unlike myself, who is exposed to good and bad daily. He did not have the opportunity to make decisions on right and wrong, which is crucial in the maturing process. The characters in this novel are unique and distinct. For instance, Christmas grew up in a dysfunctional family, leaving her extremely sad and depressed. Christmas witnessed the love and compassion that Honey received from her parents, and suddenly realized she was truly in Heaven. Ironically though, when Christmas met Honey, she was able to gain inner strength while nurturing her new friend through difficult times. She was positive and encouraging toward Honey in helping to build her self-esteem. On the other hand, Easter, Christmas's sister, portrayed the extreme

Great Characters

Williams' voice is authentic and unique. This story of friendship is filled with moments of fear, moments of triumph and moments of laughter. The bitter-sweet ending is one that readers will find surprising, but believable. The rich descriptions and use of language will keep readers involved in the story of the unlikely friendship that is the central theme.

A perfect mix of humor and pathos!

In this book set in Heaven, Florida, you won't forget Honey DeLoach, her brother Willie-Bill, and actress Miriam Season, and Miriam's daughters Christmas and Easter. What memorable characters to live up to these outlandish names! Carol Lynch Williams has another winner in this novel. Just the right mix of humor to capture even the most reluctant readers. Who can help but wonder what will happen to Easter and Willie-Bill in their Romeo- & -Juliet-like young love; will Christmas find happiness in her own home after meeting her idol, Reverend Gaynor T. McKenna at Honey's house; and will Honey learn to accept Taylor Hiatt's undying professions of love toward her? Settle in for a good night's read, but keep a tissue handy just in case.