Keeping Christmas ~ Review

Keeping Christmas
By Dan Walsh

Dan Walsh is superb when it comes to delving into the heart of the family and Keeping Christmas is no exception.  The Winters family has just spent its first Thanksgiving with the kids all grown and away from home.  A two person Thanksgiving is not Judith's ideal holiday celebration and Christmas is promising to be the same.

With just her semi-retired husband Stan around, Judith can't seem to find any holiday joy this year. Her decorating was always shared with the kids and grand-kids, but this year it is just her.

Judith's depression has Stan worried, but he comes up with the perfect present to help her.

Keeping Christmas examines and celebrates family and the love that they share.  Often what we have is enjoyed, but until it is no longer a certainty in our life we often do not fully appreciate what we have.

Keeping Christmas  takes us from Thanksgiving to Christmas.  All too often there are those around us and in our daily life who struggle with Christmas, not because they hate Christmas but rather because they miss what they once had.  This is a lovely and touching story that you'll want to share with friends and family.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher, Revell, in exchange for my honest review.

Keeping Christmas
by Dan Walsh

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 . . .


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 atwww.danwalshbooks.com.