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    A Marriage Carol
    A Marriage Carol
    A Marriage Carol
    Ebook106 pages1 hour

    A Marriage Carol

    By Chris Fabry and Gary Chapman

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    On Christmas Eve twenty years earlier, Marlee and Jacob were married in a snowstorm.   This Christmas Eve, they are ready to quit, divorce is imminent. Their relationship is as icy as the road they’re traveling and as blocked with troubles as the piling snow. They take a shortcut to get to the lawyer’s office, on a slippery, no-fault path. She thinks they need to stay on the main road. He disagrees. They fight. Story of their lives and they slam into a bank of snow , spinning, drifting, falling, out of control. Just like their lives. Reluctantly, freezing cold, hungry, scared, she trudges up the hill. Jacob is nowhere to be found. Her ears frozen, fingers and hands red, she comes to a house on the hillside, built like a Bed and Breakfast, a green wreath on the red door and the door-knocker is in the shape of a wedding ring.

    The red door opens and the first thing she notices is the fire in the room, blazing hot, a warm, inviting, friendly place and the voice of an old man welcomes her in. There are three golden pots on the hearth, shining, glimmering things. The old man claims that they are used to restore marriages. She laughs—and begins a journey through her past, present, and future that will test how she views her lifelong love. There are two futures available. Which will she choose?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMoody Publishers
    Release dateSep 1, 2011
    ISBN9780802478375
    Author

    Chris Fabry

    CHRIS FABRY is a graduate of W. Page Pitt School of Journalism at Marshall University and Moody bible Institute's Advanced Studies Program. Chris can be heard daily on Love Worth Finding, featuring the teaching of the late Dr. Adrian Rogers. He received the 2008 "Talk Personality of the Year" Award from the National Religious Broadcasters. He has published more than 60 books since 1995, many of them fiction for younger readers. Chris collaborated with Jerry B. Jenkins and Dr. Tim LaHaye on the children's series Left Behind: The Kids. His two novels for adults, Dogwood and June Bug, are published by Tyndale House Publishers. Chris is married to his wife Andrea and they have five daughters and four sons.

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    Reviews for A Marriage Carol

    4/5

    27 ratings5 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A light Christmas read. Full of hope and Christmas magic. I read it without thinking about the author. After I finished the book it was obvious the author's biases towards marriage weighed heavy on the book. But it was interesting and I was glued from the beginning to the end.
    • 5/5
      Marlee and Jacob Ebenezer. I love it already! Marlee and Jacob are on their way on their twentieth wedding anniversary to sign the papers that will end their marriage when a car "accident" sends them careening off the road. And where oh where do they end up? When Marlee comes to, Jacob is no where to be seen. She starts off on a journey to find Jacob and comes across a cabin where she meets Jay and his wife. Now, this is no ordinary couple. You saw that coming, right?!It seems Jay is the "ghost" that will take Marlee on her visits to the past, the present and the future by using a great plot device...magic snowfall!! And like the Dickens' inspiration, this snowfall allows Marlee to see things in a different light, how our decisions in life affect our present and our future. In some ways, I also was reminded of the spirit of "It's A Wonderful Life" in that we can make or break our own world and the world of the others around us.Authors Chris Fabry and Gary Chapman have woven a magical tale in "A Marriage Carol", one that shows us that we can do great harm in our relationships with others and that we do have a "cause and effect" system in our lives, both for the good and the not-so-good. It shows us that in this cynical world, where we throw relationships away when they get difficult, that marriages are for ever, for better and for worse, and that God brings life into the marriage.Brilliantly written, this little book (under 130 pages) has more warmth and heart than others twice is length. I just can't tell you how much I enjoyed this magical story.This book will find its way under the Christmas trees and into the stockings of a lot of my friends this Christmas, and I think it will become my new favorite gift for friends about to be married. God bless us, everyone!5 out of 5 stars!This e-galley was provided to me at my request, by the publishers through NetGalley.
    • 5/5
      A Marriage CarolChris Fabry, Gary ChapmanThis is a story about a couple on their way to sign divorce papers. It was snowing heavily and due to an accident they do not make it. They are barely talking before the accident. Than Marlee, the wife, has a life altering experience at a home that is used as a marriage retreat by the elderly couple that lives there with their dog. Through out the story the problems and the actions of the couple in their life and family are realistic and it is easy to see how a couple falls into these patterns and resentments. It is with care, wit and warmth that the elderly couple have an influence on Marlee. Because the reality one person can make a difference in the marriage, whether it is the offended party or the offender. There are always exceptions to this, however given time and effort marriage is worth fighting for. This was a copy given to me by Net Galley in exchange for a review. Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book.
    • 1/5
      Marlee and Jacob Ebeneezer are on their way to their lawyer's office in a snowstorm to sign their divorce papers on Christmas Eve. An accident carries Marlee and Jacob through the past, present and possible futures of their lives depending on their impending divorce.What I Liked:I'm a fan of A Christmas Carol and enjoy watching and reading the many different ways the story can be told. I was intrigued by the synopsis I read on Net Galley and downloaded it because of that alone. I'd never heard of the book before then. The description of the snow, the couple driving and snarking with each other on the way to the lawyer's office was the most vivid scene to me. I think any couple has moments like these. The little twist at the end when Marlee meets the old man's wife...I didn't see this coming and it was a pleasant surprise since I had already decided I wasn't crazy about this version. The images of Marlee and Jacob's early life together and how their relationship changed over time. For anyone who is in a later stage of their marriage, these scenes will be true to heart. The early, lovey dovey years, the hectic years when the kids are babies, and the growing years as the kids begin to make their own way and you find yourselves looking back toward each other again hit close to home for me.Like the original A Christmas Carol, the book is very short. This was very important to me once I started skimming. I'm one of those people who has a hard time putting a book away once I've started reading it. The knowledge that the story was a quick one was enough to keep me going.What I Didn't Like:As good of a message this is, the story itself is too predictable for me to "like." The story is a faith based story, but the authors almost hit the reader over the head with religious tropes. I am a Christian, but I think some readers, who may really need to hear the overall message of this book, could be turned off by the preaching early on. Even I skimmed through a lot of it.I thought Marlee was too calm for a woman whose husband/soon to be ex-husband was out lost in the snowstorm after the accident. Even though they were on their way to be divorced, I didn't see her sitting around "waiting" on what to do next. If someone is lost in a snowstorm, seconds can mean the difference between life and death.Marlee was the only one who actually experienced the Christmas scenes from the past, present and future. From the synopsis, I expected them to go through that together. I was actually looking forward to that. Marriage takes two...and in any situation where a marriage is splitting apart, it is usually not a one-sided ordeal (except, of course, in extreme cases). In this story Marlee seemed to be the one who wanted the divorce...all bc of an old flame from high school who drank a lot of Coors? Again, too obvious and a ridiculous example. When Marlee saw her future with the high school dude demanding for her to bring him another beer, I had visions of the movie The Urban Cowboy where Debra Winger's character is living with the ex-convict after leaving John Travolta. She comes in from the grocery story and throws a pack of cigarettes at him; he takes her by the hair and makes her pick the carton of cigarettes up. I actually rolled my eyes when I read this part of the story. The obvious made the story feel on purpose and rushed and cheesy.Um, the melting snow as the visual for the scenes from the past, present and future was pretty silly and "magical" to me...unbelievable. Good grief.Marlee was worried that she might have gotten into a car with a serial killer, but she wasn't all that worried about being alone with an older many she's just met in his home during the night of a snowstorm. Huh? Again, completely unrealistic.Overall Response:This book was just ok to me...I do realize that it may very well be a wake-up call for some couples. Can this book stop a divorce...probably not. But, maybe, especially around the holidays, it might remind a husband and/or wife of all that they have together. Maybe. I also couldn't help but wondering what a great story this could have been had some of the simpler issues been worked out and even developed into a much richer storyline. If the authors don't have time to develop a story worth reading, what's the point?Recommendation:This little book might be a helpful gift for a couple in trouble who have a lot more together than they do apart...and just need a reminder. I don't review negatively much, and I always feel bad when I do...just because I didn't like this story doesn't mean someone else won't.
    • 5/5
      Don’t Miss This Touching Christmas Read!Maralee and Jacob have had it with their marriage. The final paperwork for the end will be signed on Christmas Eve. While driving to their destination the snow falls heavily and the roads are getting very slippery. Jacob decides to take a shortcut through a mountain pass and this is where Maralee’s journey begins.Can man/woman say when a marriage is over? What about God? I found this book to be very insightful, touching, and healing. If it doesn’t make you think about your own marriage something is wrong. There is always room for improvement. A gentler kinder voice, uplifting words, a praise or two when due, maybe even a loving touch.If you are reading this review, I urge you to pick up a copy of A Marriage Carol. You will not be disappointed!

    Book preview

    A Marriage Carol - Chris Fabry

    The Shortcut

    When do we tell the children?

    He said it without feeling, without emotion, without giving weight to the words. He said it as though he was asking the latest stock price for Microsoft or Google. These were his first words after nearly twenty minutes in the car together. On our anniversary.

    After Christmas, I said, matching his evenness, his coldness. Not tonight or tomorrow.

    Don’t you think they know by now? At least that something’s up?

    Not David, he’s too young. Justin asks questions and just looks at me with those doe eyes, but he keeps it in. Becca is the one I worry about.

    Kids are resilient. If they don’t know, they’ll understand. It’s for the best. For all of us.

    I hope he’s right.

    Now they’ll have two Christmases, he said.

    The windshield wipers beat their own rhythm as wet snow fell like rain. The landscape had retreated under the white covering, adding to a previous snowfall that hadn’t fully melted. The roadway, where you could see it, shone black with treachery from the moisture and falling temperatures. Cars inched along ahead of us on an incline as Jacob drove faster, crowding the car in front of us, looking for a chance to pass.

    Are you sure he’ll be at his office? I said, looking out the window, bracing for impact. In this weather? On Christmas Eve?

    He’s still there. I called before we left. The papers are ready.

    Does he have a family? I said.

    What? He said it with a healthy dose of condescension, and added a look I couldn’t stand. The look I could live the rest of my life without seeing.

    Does he have a family. A wife? Kids?

    I have no idea. More condescension. I didn’t know that was a prerequisite for you.

    It’s not. I was just wondering. Working on Christmas Eve. No wonder he’s a divorce lawyer.

    So much for a congenial discussion. The silence was getting to him now and he flipped on a talk station. I was surprised he hadn’t done that earlier. The clock showed 3:18, and a delayed Rush Limbaugh was going into a break. A commercial about an adjustable bed. Local traffic and the forecast. Snarled intersections and cold weather reporting. Expect an even whiter Christmas. Several inches whiter. Maybe more. A cold front moving in and more precipitation at higher elevations.

    Can we listen to something else? I said.

    He suppressed a huff and pressed the FM button. This was his car so nothing on the FM dial was pre-set. He hit scan.

    He frowned. Punch it when you hear something you like.

    I passed on Gene Autry and Rudolph. The song brought an ache for the children. Especially David who still believed in Santa and reindeer. At the next station, José Feliciano was down to his last Feliz Navidad. On the left side of the dial, the local Christian station played yet another version of Silent Night. I couldn’t stay there because of the guilt of what we were doing.

    Paul McCartney said the mood was right and the spirit was up and he was simply having a wonderful Christmastime. I wished I could say the same. The band Journey sang Don’t Stop Believin’, but I had stopped long ago, at least concerning our marriage. This was not how we planned it twenty years ago, though the snowstorm felt similar. Twenty Christmas Eves after I walked the aisle in a dress my mother and I had picked out, I was wearing jeans, an old T-shirt, and an overcoat, cruising in sneakers down the slippery road to a no-fault divorce.

    Three children and the bird would live with me (a dog made too much mess and Jacob is allergic to cats), and he would move into an apartment after the New Year. Jacob promised to stay involved. There wasn’t another woman, as far as I knew, as far as he would let on. That wasn’t our problem. The problems were much deeper than infidelity.

    I hit the button on singer Imogen Heap. Nothing at all about Christmas. Just quirky music and a synthesized voice that took my mind off the present, which is supposed to be a gift, I know. I’ve heard that.

    I’m done with this road, Jacob said. I’m taking the shortcut.

    Over the hill? In this weather? Two interrogatives to his one statement of fact.

    It’ll cut the travel in half. Nobody takes County Line anymore.

    Don’t you think we should stay where they’ve plowed?

    He ignored my entreaty and turned left sharply. The rear of the car slid to the right. I grabbed the door handle instinctively as he corrected. He gave the Jacob head shake, and with shake you get eye roll and a sigh on the side.

    Trust me for once, will you? he said.

    I wanted to bring up a million little ways I’ve tried to trust him. A million little ways I’ve been let down. For twenty years I’ve searched for reasons to place my trust squarely on his shoulders. But how do you trust someone who has failed at the life you wanted? There were flashes of caring, a dozen roses to say I’m sorry, but the roses wilted and died. And then we started on this direction, him on the Interstate and me on the Frontage Road, separate but still traveling in a semblance of the same direction. Two moons orbiting the same planet, rarely intersecting.

    I don’t want the kids going to our funeral, I muttered.

    He slammed on the brakes and I yelped as we went into another slide. Passive-aggressive driving is his specialty.

    Fine, I’ll turn around.

    Both hands to my head, tears welling, I hit the power button on the radio and heard myself say, No, just keep going.

    County Line Road used to be one of my favorite drives. In summer when the hills were in full bloom and Becca was little, I would take the shortcut over the mountain to

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