MY REVIEW:
What a beautiful book! The cover is gorgeous and I love the flaps, the rough-cut page edges, and the tree border illustrations at the bottom of the pages.
The story itself was not at all what I expected. It is a narrative about Arlene Santana who has suffered a traumatic brain injury as well as the loss of her husband in the same accident. For her each day is a new experience because she doesn’t remember the previous one. She still has memories of her life before the injury but usually doesn’t remember the visits from her sons. As the years go by, one Christmas after another, Arlene yearns to go home she misses. I liked the fact that although Arlene had such memory loss, she never forgot who she was and never lost her love for her family.
As is usual in Copeland’s books, it is beautifully and skillfully written. I have to admit though, much of this book depressed me. Yes, there were some quite humorous moments and the ending was encouraging. It was revealing to see the other side of memory loss and the frustration for the one experiencing it. The problem was not the book but perhaps my own frame of mind. I have seen too many friends and relatives with loved ones who suffered from dementia and recently watched as a friend and her husband experienced his difficult and losing battle with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease. I feel sure that the author has a special purpose for this book and I sincerely hope that it reaches those whose lives will be touched by it.
This book was provided for review by Barbour Publishing.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Meet Arlene Santana, a vibrant wife and young grandmother whose life suddenly takes a confusing and often laughable turn into a new reality framed by a severe brain injury. As one holiday after another speeds by, Arlene takes comfort in the amusing old people who surround her in the rehabilitation center and one special friend who relates well to Arlene. But when will her husband, whose love is more real to her than anything, come to visit her? Treasure this Christmas novella from bestselling author Lori Copeland that demonstrates the healing power of true love.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lori lives in the beautiful Ozarks with her husband Lance. Lance and Lori have three sons, three daughter-in-laws, and six wonderful grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters.
Lori began her writing career in 1982, writing for the secular book market. In 1995, after many years of writing, Lori sensed that God was calling her to use her gift of writing to honor Him. It was at that time that Lori began writing for the Christian book market.
Lori is the author of more than 100 titles, both historical and contemporary fiction. With more than 3 million copies of her books in print, she has developed a loyal following among her rapidly growing fans in the inspirational market. She has been honored with the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award, The Holt Medallion, and Walden Books’ Best Seller award. In 2000, Lori was inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame.
Lance and Lori are very involved in their church, and active in supporting mission work through School to the Nations.
