Reviews
One Holy Night offers so much more story than the title infers. Hochstetler’s writing enables you to suspend disbelief and enter the 60’s, that era of awakening from small-town innocence to the awareness all is not right with the world. The author is a master at building complex characters that will steal your heart. This poignant tale of forgiveness and healing is a far cry from predictable. And it definitely wasn’t what I was expecting, but so much more.
The faith journey is a realistic one. I loved how Hochstetler portrays Julie questioning God. Too often writers give us plastic icons, bearers of strength and platitudes. Not so in One Holy Night. But how they deal with the hurt is something I could relate to. And isn’t that what we want in inspirational fiction? I give One Holy Night a very high recommendation.
—Ane Mulligan, Novel Journey, Affictionado
Endorsements and Reader Feedback
J. M. Hochstetler makes another mark on Christian fiction with One Holy Night, a moving and inspirational tale of family, love, war, prejudice, and heart-wrenching loss. Though I'm not usually interested in stories set during the Vietnam war, I quickly became caught up in the lives of Hochstetler's characters and felt their joy, pain, and struggle to either hold tight to their faith or open their heart to God. Warning: The deeper you journey into this painfully honest tale, the more you'll need a ginormous box of tissues close by. Very recommended!
—Tamara Leigh, author of Splitting Harriet
One Holy Night is a stunning first release from Sheaf House, a new boutique publisher based in Tennessee. One of the best things about this book is its reader friendly design. The font size and legibility, along with premium paper, contribute to easy reading, even in low light. Kudos to the design team at Sheaf House!
Since savoring the last page of J. M. Hochstetler’s story, I have found myself revisiting the characters regularly as if they were members of my own family. The rich characterization and lush description place the reader comfortably in the midst of the story setting: the heartland of America near the end of the Vietnam War. Any reader who can’t relate to this turbulent era in U.S. history will grow in understanding, and those who lived during that time will be reminded of the division it created.
Amazingly, Hochstetler tackles several big issues—love, loyalty, war and death—while maintaining a positive thesis. Family can survive. Human love is grander in weakness than in strength. And faith is, by necessity, stronger in tragedy than in triumph.
One Holy Night is a soon-to-be-classic “miracle story” with an inspirational message that will warm your heart with love. It is a wonderful statement of faith and a gift of hope.
—Kathy Harris, author and agent for Joe Bonsall
of the Oak Ridge Boys
One Holy Night is powerful yet gentle in both its method and message. Set in the 1960s amidst the divisiveness of an unpopular war, a family’s very faith and foundations are tested as memories and cultures collide. Hochstetler’s “lighting the past . . . and leading you home” signature couldn’t be more appropriate than in this sacred tale of hope rising sweetly from the ashes of sorrow. . . .
—Kathi Macias, author of Beyond Me: Modeling a You-First Love in a Me-First World.
One Holy Night is a heartwarming story of forgiveness. But this is the gritty kind of forgiveness—the kind that must first endure the deepest despair imaginable. In 1967, Frank McRae still nurses bitter hatred toward all Asians after witnessing unspeakable atrocities on the battlefields of the South Pacific during World War II. When Frank’s only son, Mike, falls in love with a young Vietnamese girl while fighting in the war there, then marries her, Frank disowns his soldier son.
With his family torn apart, Frank comes face to face with the ugliness of his hatred in an unforgettable moment of truth. What happens next is one of the most touching scenes I’ve ever read in a novel. This is a very different kind of Christmas story and one that stayed with me long after I reached the end.
—Diane Moody, author and columnist
Provocative and insightful, One Holy Night shows in rich detail how God can use the most trying circumstances to bring people around until they see how much they need each other, and need Him. This life-changing story will move you to tears as you experience the humility of a young Vietnamese woman, her husband's desire to see his father heal, and the trials that bring them together in one desperate attempt to save another’s life.
—Michelle Sutton, author of It's Not About Me
Author J. M. Hochstetler depicts a family in crisis during the Vietnam years. Tenderly written and poignant, One Holy Night is relevant to our lives today. The ending moved me to tears.
—Kacy Barnett-Gramckow, author of The Heavens Before.
A heart-wrenching story of a war few believed in, a son's duty, a mother's fight to survive cancer, and the devastating results of prejudice. One family's faith is tested to the limit . . . and beyond.
—A. K. Arenz, author of The Case of the Bouncing Grandma
One Holy Night is a story of true forgiveness, but not easy forgiveness. Frank McRae’s losses span over 20 years and go so deep that he will probably never change and he doesn’t want to change. His family won’t give up hope though, and they continue to pray for this devoted husband and family man. What they need is a miracle, a true miracle of the heart. Set in the Vietnam War era, One Holy Night takes you back to the real story, not the protests or the politics, but the story of a family with a son and brother on tour of duty in Nam. J.M. Hochstetler weaves a captivating and often heart-wrenching story that is well worth the read.
—Karen Eve
One Holy Night offers a poignant look into the lives of one family touched by war and loss. The McRae’s are a real- to-life family, struggling to cope with the range of emotions and experiences that humans encounter. While Maggie (mother) battles cancer, Mike (son) fights for his life in Vietnam. While Dan and Julie (daughter) teach their parishioners and community to love through their ministry and example, Frank (father) struggles with deep-seated bitterness and hate that threatens to tear them all apart. Each member of the family has his or her personal demons to face, while working to relate to the family as a whole. The plotlines combine to create a touching story with characters that you will feel like you know. Be prepared with tissues. You will need them as you follow their stories through to the end.
—Lisa Tuttle, author