Remembering Christmas by Dan Walsh

          Move over, Nicholas Sparks! I just read my first book by Dan Walsh on my Kindle. I immediately went to Amazon.com and ordered four more books that he has authored! I enjoy Nicholas Sparks--have read most of his books, but Dan Walsh can compete with his writing style, and he is a Christian author. I would love to see this book about Christmas as a Hallmark movie.

          This was about a man named Rick, whose parents divorced when he was eight. His mother remarried, but Rick kept his heart closed and wouldn't let his step-father in. Finally, he grew up and moved away from his home in Florida, his heart still filled with bitterness because of the loss of relationship with his real father, whom he adored.

          Rick finished college and earned his MBA in accounting. He had worked in a productice office for about ten years when his mother called him for help. Art, his step-father, was in the hospital with what doctors thought to be a stroke. It was the week after Thanksgiving. Rick reluctantly went home, counting the days until he could get back to his life, and hoping not to "waste" too many vacation days helping his mom.

         While he worked in his mother and step-father's bookstore, along with an attractive single mother who worked there part-time, he began to see his mother and her husband as those who came into the store saw them--people who cared about others and wanted to help them.  The quirky book store customers add much to the book, as the reader is introduced to each of them.
He was attracted to the young woman who worked there part-time and to her delightful little daughter, but he knew they didn't have the same lifestyles. He was on the fast-track to success and she just wanted a much slower life.
         As time went by and Art remained in the hospital, Rick kept having to call his boss for more time off.  He realized he was about to get fired if he didn't get back to Charlotte.

         Rick's heart began to mellow and he understood more about Christmas as he interacted with all the characters. An unexpected twist near the end of the book helped him realize that his best life might not be about becoming a millionaire, having expensive skiing vacations, and drinking bouts with his friends.

           Be ready to laugh and to cry as you read Remembering Christmas. I won't give away the ending, but if you choose to read this book, you will be blessed. It is one of the best books I have read in a long time.

           Download this on your Kindle or you can order it from Amazon. It was published in 2011.