The Iconic CircleThe magazine for literatureREVIEW
Weihnachts-Countdown ins Glück – 24 Tage zu dir
Christmas Countdown to Happiness – 24 Days to You
Genre: Romance · Christmas novel
Publication year: 2023
ISBN: 978-3757957506
Introduction
A winter story about closeness, loss, hope and the question of what connects people when the familiar can suddenly no longer be taken for granted.
What the book is about
Weihnachts-Countdown ins Glück – 24 Tage zu dir combines the distinctive atmosphere of Advent with a story that goes beyond romance.
At its heart are human connections, memories and the search for direction. Christmas provides the emotional setting for a story about people who can give one another support when their lives are thrown out of their familiar order.
Our perspective
The contrast is particularly interesting: on one side are Advent, closeness and the familiar idea of comfort and security. On the other are uncertainty, loss and the vulnerability of human relationships.
The novel thus touches on a question that reaches well beyond a Christmas story:
What remains of the connection between two people when the familiar begins to falter?
And perhaps also:
Does closeness grow out of shared memories — or out of what people do for one another at a crucial moment?
It is this combination of a Christmas atmosphere and more serious themes of human connection that gives the book its distinctive appeal.
About the author
Gerd Schäfer lives with his wife and children in northern Rhineland-Palatinate. He began writing after experiencing burnout. Thoughts he recorded at the time later became his first book, “Mein kleiner Alien – Auf der Suche nach des Pudels Kern”. Since then, he has written about subjects that matter to him personally.
To date, he has published five solo books about love and personal development, as well as four feel-good novels written with his co-author Sina Land.
He describes his approach to writing as follows:
“I want to tell stories that make my readers laugh and cry and stay with them emotionally for a while, long after they have finished the book.”
Gerd Schäfer himself identifies two central ideas in “Weihnachts-Countdown ins Glück”:
Never give up hope. And: if you have friends, you are never alone and can achieve a great deal.
The book consists of 24 chapters and can therefore also be read as a literary Advent calendar — one chapter each day.
Key facts
- Publishing name
- Gerd Schäfer
- Region
- Grafschaft bei Ahrweiler
- Genre
- Romance · Christmas novel
- Publications
- 5 solo books · 4 feel-good novels co-written with Sina Land
- @gerdschaefer_autor
- TikTok
- @gerd.schaefer.autor
Find the book
One Minute with Gerd Schäfer
Weihnachts-Countdown ins Glück – 24 Tage zu dir
Christmas Countdown to Happiness – 24 Days to You
One minute. Two questions. A glimpse into the soul of a book.
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More interviews on The Iconic Circle’s YouTube channel.
Editorial note
Images courtesy of the author.
The Iconic Circle reviews books independently and deliberately chooses not to use star ratings.
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