“There is nowhere better to spend Christmas than in the western North Carolina mountains, and Orson Scott Card is the perfect storyteller to take you there.” —Sharyn McCrumb, New York Times bestselling author of The Unquiet Grave
It began with a quarrel over which newborn should be the baby Jesus in the town’s Christmas pageant. Decades later, two scientists arrive to study small-town genetic patterns, only to run up against the invisible walls that split the leading citizens into two congregations that can only be joined by love and forgiveness. And maybe a little deception, because there might be some things that people just don’t need to know.
Runtime
2h 51m
Release
11-06-18
Abridgement
Unabridged
Genre
Fiction
Book Trailer
A Town Divided by Christmas by Orson Scott Card
Description
It began with a quarrel over which newborn should be the baby Jesus in the town’s Christmas pageant. Decades later, two scientists arrive to study small-town genetic patterns, only to run up against the invisible walls that split the leading citizens into two congregations that can only be joined by love and forgiveness. And maybe a little deception, because there might be some things that people just don’t need to know.
Praise
“The scientific method collides with southern small-town culture and a local mystery in Orson Scott Card’s charming and insightful novella A Town Divided by Christmas…The witty banter and humorous commentary make the leisurely journey a delight…A Town Divided by Christmas (originally passed out by the Cards in 2017 as a Christmas gift) has a timely message for our world, where so much focus is given to the things that divide us.” —Fantasy Literature
“A timely message about what divides people today: science and religion, logic and emotion, and urban and rural…Card’s strength as an author is his use of dialog and the characters’ introspection to tell a story…Small-town politician and sheltered academic; reclusive, socially awkward, logic-driven geneticist and small-town girl just out of high school—what could they possibly have in common? Just the human heart it turns out.” —Mercury (Manhattan, KS)
“A Town Divided by Christmas is a short tale that repays thoughtful reading. The characters are varied and engaging. It works through complex human concerns to arrive at answers that surprise and entertain. It is a compelling Hallmark Christmas movie in prose. It is a parable for our times.” —Deseret News
“This being a Christmas novel, there is, of course, a chance of romance, for both Spunky and—surprisingly—Elyon. Elyon’s courtship, especially, yields quite a bit of humor. There is also the mystery surrounding the feud that split the town, and a good dose of Christmas spirit. Card doesn’t take himself or his Christmas story too seriously. More than once, there are humorous references to Hallmark Christmas movies, even as it’s obvious that the book would make a fine one. The story is sweet, but not syrupy, and quirky enough to be thoroughly entertaining even if (satisfyingly) predictable.” —Greensboro News and Record (North Carolina)
Author Biography
Orson Scott Card, the author of the New York Times bestseller Ender’s Game, has won several Hugo and Nebula awards for his works of speculative fiction. His Ender novels are widely read by adults and younger readers and are increasingly used in schools. Besides these and other science fiction novels, Card writes contemporary fantasy, American-frontier fantasy, biblical novels, poetry, plays, and scripts.
Narrator Biography
Emily Janice Card (a.k.a. Emily Rankin) is an actor, writer, and singer from North Carolina, now residing in Los Angeles. In addition to being a narrator, she has directed numerous audiobooks, including the 2007 Audie and Earphones Award winner Hubris, Legacy of Ashes by Pulitzer Prize winner Tim Weiner, and Them by Nathan McCall. Her own audiobook narration has won her four Earphones Awards.
