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    A Shiloh Christmas
    A Shiloh Christmas
    A Shiloh Christmas
    Audiobook5 hours

    A Shiloh Christmas

    Written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

    Narrated by Keith Nobbs

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    A rescued beagle and his boy owner seek love and understanding for their troubled small town in this holiday companion to the Newbery Medal–winning Shiloh, from Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

    Christmas is coming and Marty and his rescued pup Shiloh are sure glad about that—for their town is running low on love and understanding and they hope that the joy of the holiday will bring with it the generosity of spirit that’s so lacking.

    It’s been a year since Marty Preston rescued Shiloh from Judd Travers and his cruel ways, and since then, Marty and Shiloh have been inseparable. Anywhere Marty goes, the beagle’s at his side, and Marty couldn’t be happier about that. Even Judd has been working to improve his reputation.

    But just as the townsfolk grow more accepting of Judd, a fire in the woods destroys many homes, including Judd’s, and Judd’s newly formed reputation. Doubt, blame, and anger spread faster than the flames—flames that are fanned by the new minister, who seems fonder of fire and brimstone than love and mercy. And why are his daughters so skittish around him? And what’s happened to Judd’s dogs? With Christmas right around the corner, Marty has a lot of questions, and getting the right answers might just take a Christmas miracle.

    Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s fourth book in the Newbery Award–winning Shiloh series—following Shiloh, Shiloh Season, and Saving Shiloh—“seamlessly interlaces themes of tolerance, compassion, and forgiveness…[and] explores the interconnectedness of family members, communities, and the dogs they love” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateSep 22, 2015
    ISBN9781442391390
    Author

    Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

    Phyllis Reynolds Naylor has written more than 135 books, including the Newbery Award–winning Shiloh and its sequels, the Alice series, Roxie and the Hooligans, and Roxie and the Hooligans at Buzzard’s Roost. She lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland. To hear from Phyllis and find out more about Alice, visit AliceMcKinley.com.

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    Reviews for A Shiloh Christmas

    4.5/5

    21 ratings4 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Cute Christian story. Good for lesson teaching. Believable interesting characters with a good story.
    • 4/5
      Yes I wrote a review for you to read
    • 5/5
      This is a beautiful conclusion to the Shiloh series. In the last volume, the dog, Shiloh, takes the back seat. He's there, but not a major "character" as he was in the first three books.The story begins in the summer and carries (obviously) through Christmas. Marty is still working off his debt to the doctor, still helping at the vet's office, and still doing his damnedest to befriend Judd Travers. Added to the mix is a harsh new pastor at the church, who is a hell, fire, and damnation type preacher, and whose two daughters are terrified of him. There is a drought, then a fire that burns out several homes, including Judd's trailer.Although each individual book is primarily Marty's story, if you look at the whole quartet together, the main character may be Judd Travers. The one story-line that travels through all four books with progressive development, is the redemption of Judd, who is a horrid, mean old cuss in the first book, with only the slightest glimmers of hope for him. In the second book, we see him trying (and often failing) to be a better person. In the third book, he is becoming someone the Preston family has hope for, and in A Shiloh Christmas, Judd will redeem himself in the reader's eyes.
    • 4/5
      It's been years since I read Shiloh. In fact, I was probably in elementary school when I last read it. But the time span between having read Shiloh and reading A Shiloh Christmas did not at all affect my enjoyment of the book. It is a heart-warming holiday story about hope, family, holiday miracles, and friendly. And it is perfect for reading cuddled up with your own furry friend.I was surprised how little the story is actually about Shiloh. There are many references to the original classic novel so the reader doesn't need to worry about remembering what happened in Shiloh. But the story is largely about a person's ability to change. We see how Judd has changed from his abusive ways, and in the end, we see the new minister is capable of great change, too.While a fire tests the community's strength and resiliency, the Bible-thumping new minister brings his own kind of fire to the community. He preaches about sin and the fires of hell, warning of a vengeful God to those who stray from His path, as was common in the South at this time. Marty's family does not take well to his way of teaching the Bible. Though religion is a major theme, the characters do not encourage the readers to accept this way of thinking. Especially when the readers learn that the minister is as fiery at home with his children and wife as he is at church.Yes, child abuse is a startling theme of the novel. Besides the heavy religious themes in the long-winded Old Testament sermons from the preacher, parents and educators need to be aware that there is emotional/psychological child abuse. HOWEVER, the novel is set during early 20th century West Virginia. Marty's parents comment that while the preacher's discipline methods are frowned upon, they are NOT illegal and they consider it to be in his right, so long as he does not resort to violence. That is the accepted social thinking of the time period.Due to the mature content, I'd like to be clear about what is in this book:* The preacher never hits his children and has never hit his children. They never have marks or injuries to suggest physical abuse. The eldest daughter confirms he does NOT beat them* The abuse all takes place OFF-PAGE* The eldest child is locked in a cold shed with no coat and no bathroom, for an unknown amount of time* They used to own a chair with manacles of some sort to restrain the kids (the eldest daughter managed to throw it out)* The youngest was forced to put her feet in ice water as punishment* The youngest was forced to put all her food in her milk and drink it as punishment* The wife and children all show outward anxiety about defying the preacher. He is severely strict, limiting their social engagements with othersOverall, the content does not feel inappropriate for middle grade readers. It is NOT graphic or upsetting, I would advise it is best for ages 10 & up. As long as the reader can appreciate the historical cultural views and the fact that the protagonist's family sees this behaviour as wrong, I don't see it as being an issue.A Shiloh Christmas is the fourth book in The Shiloh Quartet. Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is an award-winning author whose stories are very much worth the read. The book ends with a warm-and-fuzzy hopeful Christmas moment for the minister's family. In a Christmas miracle, it seems he has seen the error of his ways. It is the holidays, after all!I very much enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to anyone looking for a new children's classic for middle grade readers! It is a heart-warming holiday tale about friendship, about a heroic dog, and the lesson that people can change for the better.