Be prepared for tears: "Keeping Christmas" by Dan Walsh

about the book....

Stan opened the ugly ornaments box and pulled out the top three ornaments, the ones wrapped in green paper, the kids' favorites, and set them on the coffee table. He picked up the first one, the biggest one--Anna's blue pinecone--and began to unwrap it. Without thinking, Judith walked up, stopped him, and gently took it out of his hand. She wrapped it back up, set it carefully in the box. Then picked up the other two ornaments, put them in the box, and closed the flaps.

"What's the matter?" Stan said. "Did I do something wrong?"

"I don't think I can do this."


Nothing is more beautiful than family

For the first time since their children were born, empty nesters Judith and Stan Winters spent Thanksgiving without the kids, and it's looking like Christmas will be the same. Judith can't bring herself to even start decorating for the holiday; her kids always hung the first ornaments on the tree, ornaments they had made each year since they were toddlers. Sure, the ornaments were strange-looking--some were downright ugly--but they were tradition.

With Judith refusing to decorate the bare spruce tree in their living room, Stan's only hope for saving the holiday is found in a box of handmade ornaments . . .

my review....

I don't know about you, but as Christmas approaches and the cold weather sneaks in, there is nothing I like more than curling up with a good book. And Dan Walsh's latest novel, "Keeping Christmas", certainly fits the bill! I flew through the book in short order, partly as it's not too long at just over 200 pages, but also because it was simply so enjoyable that I wanted to stay in Stan and Judith's world until I could see how things ended. The characters have been drawn with depth and emotion, and readers who struggle with difficult emotions around Christmas time will find much in common with these characters' experience. Sadly, the truth is that what should be a joyful holiday for all is quite commonly one of the hardest times of the year for so many of us, as it can remind us of what we have lost or of what's missing in our lives. For readers dealing with these types of emotions, Walsh especially offers up a heartfelt story that will not only capture reader's hearts, but will infuse them with joy as they are reminded of what really matters in the Christmas season. The story also offers a good challenge to us male readers, as Stan is portrayed as a husband worth emulating as he puts his wife's needs before his own. As you can see, Walsh has penned a book with characters that you will grow to care about and even learn from, and for me this is the best type of fiction indeed. And for those of you who require a happy ending, especially in your Christmas themed books, well let me assure you that you are going to love this story.

A beautiful story that will put you in the mood for the Christmas season, "Keeping Christmas" is another keeper from Dan Walsh. I award it a solid rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

 about the author....

Dan Walsh is the bestselling author of several books, including The Unfinished Gift and The Restoration Series with Gary Smalley. He has won three Carol Awards, and three of his novels were finalists for the RT Book Reviews Inspirational Book of the Year. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for twenty-five years. He lives with his wife in the Daytona Beach area, where he's busy researching and writing his next novel. Learn more at www.danwalshbooks.com.

Buy now from Amazon.com:

  Keeping Christmas: A Novel