Julie has always loved Christmas and all of the things that come with it. She loves trimming the tree, and holiday meals, and getting together with her family. This Christmas promises to be extra special as she is due with her first and much-anticipated child. When something unthinkable happens after the birth of her baby Julie is faced with her worst nightmare. Suddenly the only thing that she wants for Christmas is the thing that seems the least likely to happen.
This is the first thing that I have read by Joanne Clancy and I really enjoyed it. The novella was fast-paced and it had me at the edge of my seat! I loved the picture that she painted of a family getting ready for Christmas and all that comes with it. Those scenes were very well-done and remain vivid in my mind. The plot was one that we don't read about all of the time, so that was interesting as well.
My one criticism (and one that I often have about novellas) is that I wanted more. There was such an interesting back story present in the novella and it floated just beneath the surface. I definitely think that this story could have worked as a full-length novel as well as there were so many interesting angles to it!
The Gift certainly intrigued me and made me think about Christmas in an entirely different way. While it wasn't what I was expecting at first I found myself drawn in by it and I can recommend it as an interesting read both before and after the holidays. My thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for review.
Thank you for reviewing and featuring "The Gift" on your blog, Jonita! I really appreciate it :)
ReplyDelete