Nancy Thayer’s LET IT SNOW takes place on Nantucket in December’s offseason when the summer tourists are nowhere in sight. Its main character is Christina Antonioni, who lives on the island year-round and has been running a toy shop there for five years.

As the novel opens, Christina spots a child, who looks to be about nine years old, sliding a small mermaid sticker book into her pocket. She considers letting her keep it, but feels that would be tantamount to condoning stealing, so she politely tells her to put it back. Much to her dismay, the would-be shoplifter bursts into tears and blurts out, “My parents are getting divorced…and I don’t have any toys or dolls here and we don’t even have a Christmas tree.” Moved by this outburst, she offers the girl, whose name is Wink, a job: helping the delivery man carry boxes into the shop.

"LET IT SNOW captures the meaning of love, friendships and the notion that all can change for better or worse in the blink of an eye. It’s a terrific read that could become a Christmas classic."

Christina is part of a small group of shop owners who call themselves the Shedders and meet at the largest shop for lunch every day. The sheds are not insulated, and the wind off the water is a steady presence inside the worn-out buildings. They must use an electric heater to dispel the frosty interior of each of their stores. Bad news prevails on this day as they each get a letter from their skinflint of a landlord, who plans to raise their rents by 20%. Not one of them can afford this increase, meaning they all will have to close their shops.

The narrative unfolds in a folksy manner, and the characters are limned perfectly as new relationships are fostered. When she was 25, Christina dated a great guy but turned down his marriage proposal. She has a romantic fantasy about meeting “the one” and something like rockets will go off. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, she befriends a man named Andy. They have a lot in common and eventually become a couple. Christina hears bells and whistles as their romance blossoms.

As the story progresses, more people are introduced, including Wink’s mother and grandfather when Christina is invited to their home. Wink is ecstatic whenever she is in the company of Christina, and especially so on this occasion. Thayer portrays her characters with a plethora of personality traits that bring each one to life and make the novel move along on a great trajectory.

LET IT SNOW captures the meaning of love, friendships and the notion that all can change for better or worse in the blink of an eye. It’s a terrific read that could become a Christmas classic.