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    Remembering Christmas: A Novel
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    Remembering Christmas: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Remembering Christmas: A Novel
    Ebook288 pages4 hours

    Remembering Christmas: A Novel

    By Dan Walsh

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Rick Denton lives his life on his terms. He works hard, plays hard, and answers to no one. So when his mother calls on Thanksgiving weekend begging him to come home after his stepfather has a stroke, Rick is more than a little reluctant. He's never liked Art and resents the man's presence in his life, despite the fact that his own father abandoned the family when Rick was just twelve. When what was supposed to be just a couple days helping out at the family bookstore turns into weeks of cashing out old ladies and running off the homeless man who keep hanging about, Rick's attitude sours even more.

    Still, slowly but surely, the little bookstore and its quirky patrons--as well as the lovely young woman who works at his side each day--work their magic on him, revealing to Rick the truth about his family, his own life, and the true meaning of Christmas. With skillful storytelling, Dan Walsh creates a Christmas story will have readers remembering every good and perfect gift of Christmas.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBaker Publishing Group
    Release dateSep 1, 2011
    ISBN9781441234155
    Unavailable
    Remembering Christmas: A Novel
    Author

    Dan Walsh

    Dan Walsh is the award-winning author of several books, including The Unfinished Gift, The Deepest Waters, and The Discovery. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for 25 years. He lives with his wife in the Daytona Beach area, where he’s busy researching and writing his next novel.

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    Reviews for Remembering Christmas

    4/5

    53 ratings12 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Rick, a Charlotte CPA, responds to his mother's urgent request for assistance running the family's Seabreeze, Florida, bookstore when his stepfather falls ill. A homeless man seeking the Egg McMuffin they provided him daily discovered the man. It's a heartwarming story in which reassesses his life as he learns more about his family and discovers what is truly important. Although the novel opens and closes in the present, most of the book is a look back at the period from Thanksgiving to Christmas 1980. The news still counts the days of the Iraq hostage crisis. Americans hope the newly elected incoming actor president can do something about that situation. Americans are discussing "Who shot J.R.?" John Lennon is shot. It brought back memories of late adolescence. Faith plays an important part in the novel, but the novel is not evangelistic in nature. Recommended for persons who enjoy heartwarming Christmas stories of reconciliation.
    • 5/5
      by Dan WalshArt, the book store owner, along with his wife, Leslie, was found on the floor, unconscious by the homeless man JD who would get a McMuffin every morning from Art.They thought he had a heart attack but it was an aneurysm . She spends days in ICU with him not waking up. The doctor discusses a surgery that another doctor can do at another hospital but the swelling has to go down first.She called her accountant son in NC and he came down to help run the store, he thought for a few days.Rick Denton was glad the store part timer was there to help, Andrea and her 6 yo daughter Amy. He struggles with some of the chores and is not sure how much longer he can stay. He is missing out on his skiing trip...As the days go on he's forced to stay at the shop as his step father needs further surgery when the swelling has gone down. His mother is staying in the hospital room 24/7.Rick likes Anderea, the part timer with a daughter and he visits for lunch at the diner she works at. He's figured out the bookkeeping system of the store and that they are not doing so well when he goes to place orders.He also phones his boss to let him know of where he is and when he plans to be back in town...When the store is robbed he accuses the homeless man because the teen said it was him...There are many times he remembers his past, growing up with his mother and his new step father and they were not happy times for him as a teen.The store caters to religious music and many of the customers are very religious people and they love how Art would always talk to them, as Rick is doing now.Everything is in God's hands and I love the mystery of who Rick's father is...Loved hearing of the Beatles songs at such a sad time over the years...Rick knew he had to get back north and do his job, finish up the year but he wanted to be there for Christmas also.Love how the book got it's title! Such a caring loving story.
    • 5/5
      Often we leave behind our family, our childhood, the things that we want to forget and forge for ourselves a new path. We long to reconcile the aching in our hearts, to fill the void that is in our lives. So we search out success and wealth, relationships and fun to fill our days. We build up walls around the past, the pain, the hurt, the memories we just can't seem to put into a proper place or make fit into a perfect world that we seek.This is the case with Rick. Leaving home years ago he had found success in the business world, including wealth and relationships. By all worldly standards he had attained what all seek. A life separate from his childhood - carefully removed from the imperfect memories that he could not make fit into his ideal world. He had shut off his mother, created a life that was suitable, and workable by his standards. Then came the call to return home and help his mother while his step-father was in the hospital.In this time Rick comes face to face with the memories he had carefully constructed and the truth. The longer he stays the more his eyes are opened. He is asked to run the bookstore that his mother and step-father had - little did he know that this seemingly simple task would cause his carefully constructed world to unravel piece by piece.The journey begins with the introduction of two completely opposite people - a homeless man and a single mother. Both of these people bring about a change so complete and so absolute that Rick is never the same. The things he held as truth and the world he had created come crashing down and a peace and forgiveness that he had never known follows this breaking.Dan Walsh has a way of unfolding a story that draws a reader into the very midst of it. It is as if you, the reader are more than just an onlooker. This story is so powerful in its simplicity that it is nothing short of amazing.Thanks to Revell for this review copy.
    • 4/5
      This tells the story of Rick who reluctantly goes to work at his parents Christian bookshop after his stepfather falls ill.

      There he meets Andrea who works in the shop and also JD a homeless man who hangs around, both of whom force him to reconsider his life goals.

      An enjoyable read which makes you think about what is important in life but without being too preachy in style. The little girl Amy is adorable but just a bit too perfect at times.

      Set at Christmas, it is perfect for now.
    • 5/5
      Often we leave behind our family, our childhood, the things that we want to forget and forge for ourselves a new path. We long to reconcile the aching in our hearts, to fill the void that is in our lives. So we search out success and wealth, relationships and fun to fill our days. We build up walls around the past, the pain, the hurt, the memories we just can't seem to put into a proper place or make fit into a perfect world that we seek.

      This is the case with Rick. Leaving home years ago he had found success in the business world, including wealth and relationships. By all worldly standards he had attained what all seek. A life separate from his childhood - carefully removed from the imperfect memories that he could not make fit into his ideal world. He had shut off his mother, created a life that was suitable, and workable by his standards. Then came the call to return home and help his mother while his step-father was in the hospital.

      In this time Rick comes face to face with the memories he had carefully constructed and the truth. The longer he stays the more his eyes are opened. He is asked to run the bookstore that his mother and step-father had - little did he know that this seemingly simple task would cause his carefully constructed world to unravel piece by piece.

      The journey begins with the introduction of two completely opposite people - a homeless man and a single mother. Both of these people bring about a change so complete and so absolute that Rick is never the same. The things he held as truth and the world he had created come crashing down and a peace and forgiveness that he had never known follows this breaking.

      Dan Walsh has a way of unfolding a story that draws a reader into the very midst of it. It is as if you, the reader are more than just an onlooker. This story is so powerful in its simplicity that it is nothing short of amazing.

      Thanks to Revell for this review copy.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this simple, yet moving, Christmas novel. There were no real surprises, but the author really pulls you into the story and makes you care about the characters. If you are looking for a nice Christmas read, you really can't go wrong with Remembering Christmas.
    • 2/5
      This isn't a book I would normally read, but it popped up in a few different places where I read recommendations for it. My library had it so I gave it a shot. At first it was bland, but it did get better.
      Rick has a poor me, hard heart, attitude. What matters most him are materialistic. His mom's husband Art, is found on the floor of their book store, and Rick is called in to help at the store. He thinks everyone there is weird, especially the homeless guys Rick dubbed Columbo. The homeless guy goes by the initials JD, and he comes in the morning wanting egg mcmuffins and coffee, because this is what Art did.
      Rick's heart doesn't soften until he learns a few truths and accepts them. His life gets better when he gets his priorities in order.
    • 5/5
      As the story opens, Rick Denton is looking back on the holiday season of 1980. At that time, he was successful with his career, and living his life on on his own terms. When his mother calls on Thanksgiving weekend, begging him to come home after his step father suffers what at first appears to be a stoke, Rick is more than a little reluctant. He has never liked Art and always resented his presence in his life, despite the fact that Rick's father abandoned him when he was 12. He has also always blamed his mother for his father leaving, thinking it was something she did.What was supposed to be just a couple of days helping out in the family bookstore turns into weeks of dealing with quirky customers, and running off the homeless man that seems to be always hanging around. Rick's attitude sours even more, but slowly, the little bookstore and it's patrons, as well as the young woman who works there also, begin to work their magic on him, revealing to Rick the truth about his family, his own life, and the real meaning of Christmas.I really enjoyed this story, and the reminders of what life was like back in 1980; I was a teenager back at that time. The author did a great job of blending references to the 80's into the story to give a feeling for what it was like in the age before computers and the cell phone. I also liked that the story had an interesting twist towards the end that I did not see coming.
    • 3/5
      life changing circumstances confronting several characters kept my attention. a crazy twist took me entirely by surprise, unexpectedly adding depth and meaning and pulling heart strings well satisfied with this seasonal read. Grab a few hours to EnJoy it for yourself!
    • 4/5
      This was a book about an estranged family coming together again through an odd set of circumstances and how it changes one particular member of the family.

      Rick's mom calls him when her husband falls seriously ill. She needs someone to run their business because they count on its holiday income to keep it running for the rest of the year. The experience causes Rick to question many of the beliefs he's held as gospel over the years and ends up drawing the family closer together.

      I want to go work in this bookstore that the family owns--or at least shop there and get to know Art, Leanne, Andrea (and eventually Rick too.)
    • 5/5
      I always try to read a few Christmas-themed novels during the holidays. I have quite a few downloaded on my Kindle, so the choice is sometimes difficult. As I was viewing the titles I had on hand, I found Remembering Christmas by Dan Walsh. I had forgotten all about buying this title, so I was excited about this treat by one of my favorite authors. Wow! This one is a great read and one that I will continually recommend.Rick Denton has a strained relationship with his mother and a non-existent one with stepfather, Art. He feels resentment for all the years he missed with his real father and believes they are the cause. When Art collapses in the family bookstore on the day after Thanksgiving, Rick must return to his hometown to help out. Over the course of the holiday season, Rick makes one discovery after another about his family and himself. What at first is a grudging chore for Rick, running the Book Nook during that Christmas season in 1980 becomes a turning point in Rick’s life.Remembering Christmas is one of the best Christmas-themed books I have read. Ever. This novella-length tale is filled with wonderful characters, the sights and sounds of a time gone by and a great message of forgiveness and grace. It is also pretty predictable, but that is what I wanted! I wanted the book to end how I wanted it to end, and Walsh delivered for me. I laughed and cried and reminisced. If you can read only one Christmas-themed book this year, then make sure it is Remembering Christmas.Highly Recommended.Audience: teens and adults.(I purchased this book for my Kindle. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
    • 3/5
      I enjoy reading Christmas novels—maybe it’s because I’m a “bah humbug” person and I think reading about it will get me in the spirit. Or maybe because Christmas novels are usually “feel good” books that warm the heart. I’m not sure what it is but I was excited to receive Remembering Christmas to get that feeling.There were several parts of Remembering Christmas that did give me the “feel good” feeling. I enjoyed that Rick came to the aid of his mom and stepfather without hesitation even though he wasn’t close to his stepfather. The down side to that was his attitude about it and thinking he would only be there for a few days. In my world, if my parents need me to help, I’m there in a heartbeat without the attitude. Some folks are different, of course, but I don’t really understand why.After learning how much the community respects and praises his mom and stepfather, Rick starts to think about his childhood with a different perspective. He realizes maybe it was HIM and not his family that had a bad attitude growing up. It’s amazing how when you finally get to know about someone, your perspective and memories are altered. What I wasn’t so excited about was the fact that he didn’t know his mom and stepfather after all those years. Rick was selfish and self-centered and only interested in how he could climb the corporate ladder.Because this is a Christian book, there are lots of faith references but nothing that is preachy. It was a good balance of antagonist and introspection. There was one aspect that did bother me a little. The title is Remembering Christmas but other than the weather, Walsh didn’t refer back to the spirit of Christmas. Yes, miracles happen at that time of year but they also happen throughout the year and the book didn’t really make me think of Christmas—spiritual or otherwise.Remembering Christmas is a “feel good” book but it didn’t make a huge impression on me. I wasn’t compelled to sit and read it all at one—not a page turner to me. It’s a nice story but nothing special. For that reason, I give Remembering Christmas 3 stars. I am, however, interested in reading his other novels to see what they are like.I received this book free from Revell as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.