ONE HOLY NIGHT by J. M. Hochstetler
ONE HOLY NIGHT is a book filled with religious overtones, but it is also a novel filled with unforgettable characters. Author J. M. Hochstetler has crafted a story that will drive us to tears but also lift our spirits at the same time. It is a “family” story that all readers can enjoy and one to which they can relate in some way.
The McRae family is a family in crisis. Maggie McRae is suffering from ovarian cancer and is undergoing strong treatments for the disease. Her husband Frank is overly protective of her and totally dependent on her at the same time. Their daughter Julie is a nurse and lives close by which is a blessing.
Julie is married to Dan, a preacher, and all the McRae’s attend his church. Maggie, Julie, and Julie’s daughter Amy are all faithful in their attendance. Maggie’s husband and their son Mike are more sporadic. Now their son Mike is leaving for a tour in Vietnam. The time is 1966 and the war is at its height. Frank and Maggie support their son and they support the military.
While Mike is in Vietnam he meets and falls in love with a Vietnamese woman. Frank is horrified. He served in World War II and sees all Asian people as the enemy. Maggie supports her son’s choice and tries to work on a reconciliation between Frank and Mike. Meanwhile her disease takes a turn for the worse.
Julie is the focal character in the book. She is the one who nurses her mother; she is the one who counsels her father; and she is the one who strengthens the family ties with her brother. The other characters are important but it is Julie who is the most important. She is the glue that holds the plot together.
Hochstetler takes us on a journey with these characters as they move through times of joy and times of sadness. Each person described in the story comes alive and takes his/her place in the order of things. The author even brings in side characters to flesh out the story and she does it with inventiveness and skill.
If you do not enjoy or appreciate a story of faith then this is not the book for you. But for those who do like this type of religious material as the backdrop for a good story, this is an excellent choice.
ONE HOLY NIGHT is published by Sheath House. It contains 272 pages and sells for $12.99.