O, come, all ye faithful, to have your hearts broken again ... I can’t say that Brightly Shining does for the Christmas tree industry what Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle did for the meat industry, but Rishoi’s novella will definitely make you think more compassionately about those raw-handed attendants freezing in parking lots till the angels sing. Working early in the morning and late at night, Melissa endures all the crushing labor uncomplainingly, even while trying to stay in school and keep an eye on her little sister ... But Rishoi deftly lets an adult’s awareness seep through pinholes in Ronja’s childhood faith. By the end, burned hope hangs over these pages like the scent of smoke after a candle’s been blown out.
Told with the clear-eyed candor of young Ronja, this beautifully crafted novel explores the challenges of a child’s unpredictable life with an alcoholic father and the band of kind people who try to help, including an older neighbor and the tree-stand worker about to become a father himself. This moving tale, with not a single wasted word, asks how we keep going when hope fades and life’s burdens become too much to bear, leaning on the power of imagination and connection to find a way forward.
Rishøi’s choice to tell the story from the 10-year-old’s point of view proves fruitful, as Ronja conveys genuine hope amid the family’s dire circumstances along with hints of wisdom beyond her years. This has the feel of a classic holiday tale.
