Michael Malone's The Last Noel is a fantastic novel. The novel is about two unlikely friends and 12 Christmases that they spend together throughout the years, beginning in 1963. It is heart warming and heart breaking, funny and emotional. The story grips you from the beginning with a tenderness that is truly felt by the reader, and has excellent character development.
Kaye & Noni are both seven years old. One is a child of privilege, living in the town's grandest home. The other is the grandson of the maid of that home. The two become fast friends one Christmas Eve and their unlikely, but deep, friendship continues across the years. They deal with their families issues, the prejudices of the small North Carolina town, other relationships that threaten to tear them apart and their own stubbornness. This story masterfully weaves through the decades by focusing on the Christmas season, as that is where their story began. As each of them grows, ages, experiences joys and sorrows, their relationship only deepens even when those outside forces do push them apart.
This is a book worth reading. It had me laughing, crying and whole-heartedly cheering for Noni & Kaye throughout their individual struggles, as well as some of the supporting characters. The deep friendship that these characters develop is something that not many of us get to experience. There are so many things to discuss in this book that I was sorry it wasn't a book club reading selection. This is the kind of book that you want your friends to read so you can talk about it. It touches on historical events, physiological and psychological issues, family dynamics, discrimination, womens' liberation, war and peace. The Last Noel is a book that will not be easily forgotten. I highly recommend it.
Happy Reading!
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