A Capital Christmas (Christmas in the Castle)
This sweet Christmas tale unfolds in the charged atmosphere of Washington, DC in 1859. John Brown has just conducted his raid, and the city is seething with hostility between abolitionists and slaveholder supporters. Dreading violence and still hoping for peace, many people in this story are still trying to be their best selves and live lives with meaning for themselves and others.
Fiona Ellicott, one such person, is the librarian at the Smithsonian Institution, the first woman to hold this position. She and her assistant Nicole are breaking new ground by working together as professional career women. Nicole, however, is preparing to leave her job to get married, because only unmarried women are considered suitable for career positions. Onto this stage comes Caleb Fox, a Quaker man who runs a local orphanage and is its head teacher. Fiona, an intelligent and compassionate woman, finds herself attracted to Caleb, his beliefs, and to the children under his care at the orphanage. One thing leads to another, and she is soon making arrangements for the children to give a Christmas concert at the Smithsonian. Also looming is the decision that Fiona will have to make concerning her own career and marriage.
This gentle tale shines a light on women’s roles, the beliefs of Quakers, and how ordinary people went about their lives in the swampy, disease-ridden city of Washington in the mid-19th century, all while teetering on the edge of war. Hope in the promise of Christmas finds a new outlet in this telling. Recommended for anyone looking for an uplifting read during the winter holidays.
