MY REVIEW:

The Unfinished Gift is a beautifully told story perfect for the Christmas season but relevant for any time of the year. With a historical setting during World War Two, it nevertheless relates spiritual truths that span the generations. While there are times when the reader will definitely want a box of tissues close at hand, there are other moments filled with humor and joy that will prompt a smile or even a chuckle.

The story centers around Patrick, a boy who has just lost his mother to a tragic accident shortly before Christmas. Because his father is a pilot fighting in the war overseas, he is taken to live with the grandfather he has never met – an embittered and grumpy old man who does not know what to do with Patrick. The Unfinished Gift recounts the misunderstandings that caused the estrangement between Patrick’s grandfather and father, the pride and stubborness that kept them apart, and the unexpected circumstances that brought about restoration to a family.

Dan Walsh has penned an extraordinary first novel that left me wanting more. I hope to see future books by this author soon.

“Available at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Patrick Collins is seven years old, and on his Christmas list are only three items. He wants the army to find his father. He wants to leave his grandfather’s house. And, for reasons even he doesn’t understand, he wants the soldier that’s tucked away in his grandfather’s attic. Set at Christmastime in 1943, The Unfinished Gift tells in an engaging, simple style the story of a family, and reminds us of the surprising things that affect powerful change in our hearts–like a young boy’s prayers, a shoebox full of love letters, and even an old wooden soldier, long forgotten. This nostalgic story of forgiveness will engage readers everywhere.

Read the first two chapters of The Unfinished Gift here on Scribd or download a pdf here:

View a Sample of The Unfinished Gift on Scribd