Since Glenn Beck is coming to the area tomorrow, I wanted to read The Christmas Sweater and possibly get him to sign it. I have never felt compelled to do that for an author before, though I am sure I would love it if Orson Scott Card or Jeffrey Archer was in the area. Still, Glenn Beck wrote what he described as a very personal story that sounded like it held some special insight into life, and I wanted to see what he meant.
I loved it, though not as much as Zanna's Gift. It was harder to read - probably because of the greater focus on grief and angst. But I could still identify with exactly how the main character felt. The guilt over things said to or about a loved one just before they die can weigh on a person, especially a young person. The night my brother died, when someone wondered why he was late, I joked, "Maybe he's dead." Those words haunted me for years. In high school, the last time I saw a good friend, one of us said, "See you later." and somehow I just knew it wasn't to be. He flipped his car the first day he got his license, a week or so later.
I can completely connect with the anguish the young boy in the story felt. I know such guilt can tear a person apart. It nearly did that to me, until I finally faced my own "storm" (read the book). I have never regretted "walking through" and seeing how much better life is on the other side.
So yes, I would recommend this wonderful book. It just might not go down easy for the first 230 pages or so (the story itself is around 250). Still the message rings solid and true, and it deserves to be heard. It needs to be heard. So many need to hear it.
-- Robert
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2 comments:
I hope we go tomorrow to see him and have him sign our book. I hope to finish it tonight before we go.
We'll do our best. Depends on how well the kids handle being down there all day.
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