Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Back to Christmas by Dennis Canfield Narrator: Simon Vance
on November 1, 2016
Genres: Fantasy
Length: 2 hours, 51 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Author
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble
In the tradition of Christmas movies like Elf that can be enjoyed by the whole family comes the new book, Back to Christmas. Amazon, Goodreads & Audible reviewers agree: "One of the best Christmas stories I've ever read ..." "Fun and magical ..." "Perfect for the entire family ..."
"You and your whole family are about to go onto the Permanent Naughty List, and I'm required to give you the official warning ... even though, in the case of your family, the warning is merely a formality." Twelve year old Amanda Krumwerth can't believe her ears. Or her eyes. She's come face-to-face with an elf from the North Pole. And not just any elf; his name is Marmel, and he's head of Santa's Department for Labeling Humans Naughty or Nice. With just two days before the sun sets on Christmas, how can she prove Marmel wrong? Find out in this delightful story about an unhappy elf, an unpleasant family, and the magic of Christmas.
Tis the Season and so I wanted to try something new that would possibly be good for the entire family including my nieces. Let’s face it, we’ve all seen most of the Christmas movies out there what feels like hundreds of times. So, I thought I’d give a book with a disgruntled elf, Santa’s brother and a Family who have lost their Christmas Wonder a try.
Marmel is the head elf in Santa’s labeling department. It’s a very important job, his department helps pick out who goes on the naughty or nice list. But this year is different, Marmel feels like his team has been to lax in assessing who is naughty or nice and he has found a family that definitely belongs on the naughty list.
The Krumwerth family used to do a lot together and the holidays were always special. But over the years other things seem to have become more important. Marmel has to give the Krumwerths a shot at redemption and Amanda is the family member chosen to lead the charge. She has to find a way to help her family find a way back to the meaning of Christmas together and she needs to do it before the sun sets on Christmas.
I enjoyed this story. It shows how easy it is to get so caught up in what you are doing and forget to think about what is really important. How easy it is to become distracted by social media, the internet and the very electronic lifestyles most of us lead, we can forget all of the things that are the most important in our lives and how to cultivate those.
I really like the idea of Santa’s brother, reverse Santa who takes things away instead of giving people things. It is a good reminder that sometimes you need to set down the things in your life to just spend time with the people in your life.
This was a fun adventure that even though there was a good message in the story, it was just a fun story too. It is short enough you could fit it in easily over the holiday season with your family.
Narration:
When the author asked me to listen to Back To Christmas, I was excited because Simon Vance is the narrator and he is one of my favorites narrators. Simon did not disappoint and did a great job with all the voices in this. His voice lent perfectly to the cuddle up by the fire for a story cozy feel. The audio is a little under three hours making it perfect for kids during the holidays. I listened at my regular 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
About Simon Vance
Award winning audiobook narrator and actor. Winner of 14 Audio awards and 67 Earphone awards.
About Dennis Canfield
My wife and I live near Chicago, Illinois with our two daughters. I am a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Commerce, and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
I became interested in writing when my older daughter played ‘Wendy’ in ‘Peter Pan,’ and the theater needed someone to ‘fly’ her (that is, pull the rope to make her fly above the stage). That was my first ever experience in theater, and I loved it. But I can’t act or sing or dance, and I’m not handy, so if I’m going to have any more connection to theater, I’m going to have to write plays. Or maybe pass out programs.
My first printed book is Back to Christmas, followed by Ethan and the Key. My latest book is the crime novel Hardly Even Rich: A Short Story
| Rating Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Plot |
|
| Writing |
|
| Characters |
 |
| Dialogue |
|
| Narration (Audio) |
|
| Overall: | |
Friend me at Goodreads.
- 🎧 Bringer of Dust by JM Miro #JMMiro#BenOnwukwe @MacmillanAudio #LoveAudiobooks @SnyderBridge4 - September 16, 2024
- Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik @naominovik @DelReyBooks @SnyderBridge4 - September 9, 2024
- Coven of Consequence by SL Prater #SLPrater @booksirens @SnyderBridge4 #KindleUnlimited - September 2, 2024
Such a cute cover. And it does sound different and fun. I also enjoy an audible that isn’t 10+ hours long once in a while.
I totally wanted a fun Christmas story that I didn’t need to invest 10 hours into. This was perfect for that.
Simon Vance is a great narrator. This looks like a cute book. I love the cover. Great review.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
Thanks Melanie. Fun for all ages to be sure.
I love Simon Vance so this might be a good idea. Right now Audible is having a big member sale too.
He is really good. It was one of my biggest draws for a Christmas Story. But the play on Santa, a disgruntled elf and Santa’s little known brother was fun too.
I like Vance’s narrations and this looks like a fun listen for the season!??
Vance is great. I’ve enjoyed all of his audio narrations I’ve listen to so far.
This one sounds a wonderful read for everyone – especially those of us with families! Thank you for a lovely review:)
Thanks Sjhigbee. It really is good for all ages and fun for the whole family.
I always enjoy stories that remind us how easy it is to forget what’s important. Glad to hear you enjoyed this audiobook!
Yes, it is good to read a story that helps put things in perspective and helps us focus on the stuff that really matters during the holidays.
This sounds like fun. I really like Simon Vance’s narrations, too, so I want to see how much the audiobook costs. I like to read Christmas stories so this is one I’m going to look for. Good review.
The audio price seemed pretty reasonable during the Holidays so hopefully you’ll be able to pick it up.
This does sound like a fun one to listen to with family over the holidays. I think it would be perfect for one of those medium length car trips.