(Bestselling author Debbie Macomber's Shirley, Goodness and Mercy follows a few weeks in the life of capitalist slime-ball Greg Bennett as he hits rock bottom. When Greg's desperate prayers for guidance reach heaven, angels Shirley, Goodness, and (you guessed it) Mercy are given the less-than-ideal assignment of aiding him on the path to redemption. With Greg's history of abandoning his pregnant girlfriend, betraying his brother and business partner, and ignoring his dying mother, the angels have their work cut out for them. Like Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather of Sleeping Beauty fame, these winged women flit about with as much success as silliness, but the novel pulls off a feel-good spirit that befits the Christmas season. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien

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