AUTHOR: Myra Johnson
BLURB: Graphic designer Natalie Pearce faces the most difficult Christmas of her life. For almost a year, her mother has lain in a nursing home, the victim of a massive stroke, and Natalie blames herself for not being there when it happened. Worse, she’s allowed the monstrous load of guilt to drive a wedge between her and everyone she loves—most of all her husband Daniel. Her marriage is on the verge of dissolving, her prayer life is suffering, and she’s one Christmas away from hitting rock bottom.
Junior-high basketball coach Daniel Pearce is at his wit’s end. Nothing he’s done has been able to break through the wall Natalie has erected between them. And their daughter Lissa’s adolescent rebellion isn’t helping matters. As Daniel’s hope reaches its lowest ebb, he wonders if this Christmas will spell the end of his marriage and the loss of everything he holds dear.
COVER: I'm a bit cool on the cover. The cream colored door is rather plain. I like the carrot that adds in the "im" to the title. The broken ornament is a nice touch. I would rather have seen a messy living room with a Christmas tree and some ornaments on the floor. If I were making a purchase based upon cover alone, I might have passed this one by.
FIRST CHAPTER: The story opens three weeks after Christmas. Natalie wishes her husband's schedule didn't take him away so much and hopes their daughter Lissa's adolescent rebellion can be kept under control. She's also dreading the arrival of her in-laws. Her mother-in-law is a total neat-nick. Natalie didn't inherit the cleaning gene from her mom, who also keeps everything tidy. When her mother calls and asks Natalie to help take down the Christmas decorations, Natalie explains how busy she is. It will be a decision she regrets.
KEEP READING?: Yes. Though at first, I felt the story started off a bit slow: wife feeling sorry for herself as her husband is rushing off in a different direction, feeling neglected by her daughter, and dreading the impending in-law visit. The pace picked up as I moved through the story, and it ended so strong, that I continued reading all of Chapter 2. I definitely want to see how this turns out!
Paperback: 274 pages
Publisher: Abingdon Press (September 2009)
ISBN-10: 1426700709
ISBN-13: 978-1426700705
This review first appeared at The Book Connection. I received no monetary compensation for this review.
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