Título: Christmas Bells: A Novel
Autor: Jennifer Chiaverini
Sinopse: New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini celebrates Christmas, past and present, with a wondrous novel inspired by the classic poem “Christmas Bells,” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
I heard the bells on Christmas Day / Their old familiar carols play / And wild and sweet / The words repeat / Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
In 1860, the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow family celebrated Christmas at Craigie House, their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The publication of Longfellow’s classic Revolutionary War poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” was less than a month hence, and the country’s grave political unrest weighed heavily on his mind. Yet with his beloved wife, Fanny, and their five adored children at his side, the delights of the season prevailed.
In present-day Boston, a dedicated teacher in the Watertown public school system is stunned by somber holiday tidings. Sophia’s music program has been sacrificed to budget cuts, and she worries not only about her impending unemployment but also about the consequences to her underprivileged students. At the church where she volunteers as music director, Sophia tries to forget her cares as she leads the children’s choir in rehearsal for a Christmas Eve concert. Inspired to honor a local artist, Sophia has chosen a carol set to a poem by Longfellow, moved by the glorious words he penned one Christmas Day long ago, even as he suffered great loss.
Christmas Bells chronicles the events of 1863, when the peace and contentment of Longfellow’s family circle was suddenly, tragically broken, cutting even deeper than the privations of wartime. Through the pain of profound loss and hardship, Longfellow’s patriotism never failed, nor did the power of his language. “Christmas Bells,” the poem he wrote that holiday, lives on, spoken as verse and sung as a hymn.
Jennifer Chiaverini’s resonant and heartfelt novel for the season reminds us why we must continue to hear glad tidings, even as we are tested by strife. Reading Christmas Bells evokes the resplendent joy of a chorus of voices raised in reverent song.
Contexto da obra
Como livro em inglês, esta obra costuma ganhar também uma camada própria de interesse editorial e linguístico. “Christmas Bells: A Novel”, de Jennifer Chiaverini, publicado pela editora Dutton, em 2016 e com 352 páginas, integra a categoria Livros em Inglês. Por isso, o interesse da obra tende a se ampliar quando o leitor considera também a relação com a língua em que ela circula.
Editora: Dutton
Páginas: 352
Ano: 2016-10-11
Edição: Reprint
Linguagem: en
ISBN: 1101984791
ISBN13: 9781101984796
Sobre a editora
Os livros da editora Dutton costumam oferecer uma experiência de leitura marcada por narrativas intensas e envolventes, muitas vezes centradas em suspense, mistério e conflitos psicológicos. O catálogo apresenta histórias que exploram relações familiares complexas, segredos do passado e dilemas morais, com personagens frequentemente confrontados por ameaças reais ou internas, como em thrillers que envolvem investigações, desaparecimentos ou crimes. Além disso, há obras que se aprofundam em temas científicos e culturais, com textos que combinam rigor e acessibilidade, revelando uma preocupação em traduzir conteúdos complexos para leitores interessados em ciência e história contemporânea. O tom dessas publicações varia do sombrio e tenso ao reflexivo e informativo, sugerindo uma diversidade que vai do thriller psicológico à biografia e ao ensaio.
