Shepherds Abiding, including Esther's Gift and the Mitford Snowmen: Including Esther’s Gift and The Mitford Snowmen Audiobook

Since he was a boy growing up in Missisippi, Father Tim has lived what he calls “the life of the mind.”  Except for cooking and gardening and washing his dog, he never learned to savor the work of his hands.  And then he finds a derelict nativity scene—twenty figures, including a flock of sheep, that have suffered the indignities of time and neglect.Could he give the small company new life?  Restore the camel’s ear, repaint every piece, replace a missing nose on a wise man?  “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks!” he reminds himself.  It’s when he imagines the excitement in Cynthia’s eyes that he steps up to the plate—and begins a small journey of faith that touches everyone around him.The eighth novel in the bestselling Mitford Years series is a meditation on the best of all presents—the gift of one’s heart.  Lovingly written and beautifully illustrated, it seeks to restore the true Christmas spirit and give everyone a seat at Mitford’s holiday table.

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"Shepherds Abiding is a Christmas gift for the senses. Your imagination is given so much to work with as the story of the nativity is woven through the book. You visit Father Tim's boyhood Christmas and the tradition of setting up the nativity scene and having it advance through each Advent Sunday. All the regular Mitford friends are there as well. A warm hug, cup of cocoa story for the holidays."

— F. Janzen (5 out of 5 stars)