The Christmas Box

Evans’s love for his two daughters, Jenna and Allyson, motivated him to write his novella. In doing so, he attempted to convey his inexpressible, enormous love for them: “In writing The Christmas Box, I hoped that at some future time they could read this book and know of their father’s love” (Pierce, Scott. “30 Years Later, Author Says ‘The Christmas Box’ Was Not About Dealing With a Child’s Death.” The Salt Lake Tribune, 20 Dec. 2023). 

Evans’s novel, which he initially self-published, was bought by Simon & Schuster. It has since sold millions of copies around the world. Evans wonders whether the novel’s success comes from the fact that it is written for individuals, rather than for the mass audience it has since been consumed by, and that people can discern an element of personal relevance to their own lives. Evans reflects that he believed the novel’s message to be “about spending time with your children,” even though many grieving parents have found immense comfort in terms of dealing with the loss of a child (Scott, 2023). Evans was surprised when a woman reached out to ask whether a part of the book could be read at her grandson’s funeral service. Another woman reached out to Evans to tell him that the novella helped her deal with the pain of losing a stillborn child. Evans is amazed and touched at these responses to his novella, explaining that—in terms of the story’s power in helping grieving parents—he “had to learn that from the readers” (Scott, 2023).