I am incredibly impressed with “Christmas Lodge”, an old fashioned tale which is placed in a modern setting and brings to the story realistic and likable characters. In addition, there are obstacles placed in the paths of the main characters which end up resolved in realistic ways. This is a deeply rooted family and spiritual story and I found myself anticipating reading each new page and wondering how it would end and what the climax of the story would be. The authors are talented script writers and bring to life a rich and intelligent story which is well written.

We have the story of Mary Tobin, in her mid-thirties, a pretty outdoors-type woman, who is a character of strength with an adventurous spirit. She loves her grandpa dearly, and visits the ailing man as often as possible. She is dating a man named Kent who loves the city more than the country. Mary comes across a young girl named Charlene and helps her out when Charlene hurts her leg in the mountains. This leads to her crossing paths with Jack Rand, Charlene’s father, who lives at Christmas Lodge, a place filled with happy memories and the ghosts of good times. Unfortunately, it desperately needs repair and it becomes both Mary and Grampa’s dream for the lodge to be restored by the next Christmas. Grampa knew Jack’s family and has pleasant memories of the lodge, shared with his now-deceased wife. Jack is alone and not all is well in Kent and Mary’s relationship. When sparks fly between Jack and Mary, Mary becomes determined to get a grant to help restore the lodge and she gets her father and brothers involved, who run their own construction companies. A loyalty to the past, a bit of romance, a faith in God, and determination to move ahead in life are wonderful themes which this script effectively portrays.

Without giving the ending away, this story features likable characters, realistic dramatic occurrences, and sets up a story which could either result in happiness or disaster. This is a dramatic story that is written for the entire family, without strong language and with intelligent dialog. I thoroughly enjoyed this script and would love to see it turned into a film. Whether it winds up on The Hallmark Channel or in a movie theater, this story stirs up a longing for more of these faith-based and dramatic stories to be told. I am very pleased to award this manuscript our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal for all ages and to award it five Doves, our highest rating. When this is made into a movie, I will be there to watch it!