Reviewed for THC ReviewsI had recently been lamenting the fact that I hadn't read a true tear-jerker yet this year. I have been know to get a bit misty-eyed at certain scenes, but it is a rare book that makes me actually shed tears. The Christmas Shoes did exactly that and more. It made me cry buckets both while reading it and afterwards while merely thinking about it, and again while trying to write this review. There is a profound and beautiful message packed into this simple short story. It may have been difficult to read at times, evoking many deep and heartfelt emotions, but it was worth every moment. I have been left thinking about it long after turning the last page, which is what I hope for every time I pick up a book to read. My favorite movie at Christmastime is It's a Wonderful Life, and The Christmas Shoes reminded me of it in some ways. Both stories are about the serendipitous nature of life and how each of our lives are important, intertwined with the lives of others, and can affect anyone with whom we come in contact in unexpected ways. It may not seem like some small thing we've done even mattered, but it's possible that it was the thing that utterly changed another person's life, all by us merely being in the right place at the right time. The meeting between Robert and Nathan in The Christmas Shoes was very brief, but during that short encounter, Nathan gave Robert a much-needed wake-up call, while Robert opened his heart enough to fulfill Nathan's Christmas wish for his dying mother. It all makes me wonder in what mysterious and unknown ways I might have affected the life of someone with whom I've come in contact, over the forty years of my own life.I believe that The Christmas Shoes is the first book I've read that alternates between first and third person perspective. Robert's scenes are written in his first-person voice, while the rest of the book is written from the third-person point of view of various other characters. I didn't really have any difficulty following it, but it did take a little getting used to. Overall, I think this style worked well. Robert was the character whose life seemed to be the most affected, so it made sense to have his part be in first person. No matter what voice they were speaking in, all the characters were vividly brought to life in a touching and realistic way. In the beginning, Robert is difficult to like. He is a rather selfish workaholic attorney who has become very materialistic and cynical (think shades of Scrooge from A Christmas Carol). His life is about to fall apart with his wife asking for a divorce after Christmas, but he still can't seem to figure out what he truly wants in life or how to make it happen. He also isn't very nice to some of the other characters in the story, and never really spends any time with his family. Once I came to the realization that Robert is a man who has lost his way and doesn't comprehend what is truly important in life, I was able to feel more sympathetic toward him, but real change doesn't come for him until he meets up with an eight-year-old little boy while doing last minute Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve.While Robert's lifestyle is one of wealth bereft of human connections, Nathan's family has lived very simply, barely making ends meet on his father's salary as a mechanic, yet they have a home that is brimming full of love. His mother, Maggie made it that way, but now she is dying of cancer. I thoroughly admired Maggie's strength and dignity in the face of death. She didn't complain or ask “Why me?”. She chose to live her final days giving as much as she was physically able to her family. Maggie and Jack had a tragic romance to be sure, but one that was filled with more love in the seemingly short time they had together than some couples experience in a lifetime. That love was obviously passed on to their children, especially Nathan who was thoughtful enough to want to give his mother a very special present for her last Christmas with them and in doing so opened the eyes of a man who was lost to help him rediscover his way in life.Death can be a very difficult topic for some people, and even I have to admit to being a former death phobic. I have slowly been challenged in my thinking on the subject, first by the death of both my parents more than ten years ago, and more recently by the death of two beloved pets who, through their final moments, taught me some very important lessons. It may seem strange to some, but I found a certain peace and beauty in these creature's passings and know that I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else but helping them to make that transition. I mention these things, because I absolutely loved the way Donna VanLiere handles death in The Christmas Shoes. She treats it not as something to be feared, but as something that can be very beautiful, a mere step into the afterlife. I also greatly admired the way that Maggie and Jack handled the subject of her impending death with Nathan. It is my fervent opinion that in cases like this, kids should be treated intelligently and allowed to make their own decisions, which can lead to a better sense of peace and closure for them.Even though The Christmas Shoes was printed by a mainstream publisher, I have seen the book categorized as Christian fiction, and I suppose in some ways it is. The author is a Christian, and the characters talk about God, heaven, and how Christmas is the celebration of the Christ child's birth. Still, I think that the messages about love, life, death and how the choices we make can affect others, are universal ones that can be appreciated by anyone. In my opinion, the story is never preachy, nor does it seek to advance any sort of religious agenda. It merely tells an inspiring tale, leaving it up to the individual reader to discern the deeper meaning contained within its pages, which to me is the best kind of story, Christian or otherwise. In fact, I lost count of all the characters who were behaving in, what to my way of thinking, was a truly “Christ-like” manner which was very impressive to me. Although several main characters were shining beacons of light too, I was particularly taken by the kindness of some of the secondary characters like Nathan's teacher, Mrs. Patterson, the hospice nurse, Sylvia, and the anonymous lady who merely washed dishes and cleaned the kitchen the day after Maggie's death. They became a humble and sometimes silent expression of the real spirit of Christmas by showing God's love in service to those in need. The Christmas Shoes is the first book in the Christmas Hope series. There are currently five books in the series, and the next one, The Christmas Blessing, follows Nathan as a young man dealing with new challenges in his grown-up life. I may not get a chance to read The Christmas Blessing this holiday season, but I will definitely be reading it at some point in the future. For anyone who isn't aware, The Christmas Shoes is based on the song of the same name recorded by the group NewSong. I've heard it on the radio at Christmastime a few times, and it always makes me cry just like the book did. There was also a made-for-TV movie adapted from the book which aired on television a few years ago and is now available on DVD. While recently shopping, I chanced to find a copy at Target even though I wasn't specifically searching for it, and I am now looking forward to watching it soon. Overall, The Christmas Shoes is an amazing book that made me cry like I don't think any other story ever has, but also left me with some very profound food for thought. Enjoy isn't quite the right word for such a heart-wrenching read, but it was a beautiful and utterly moving experience that has touched my heart and mind in inexplicable ways with its pure and simple expression of the true meaning of the holiday season. I highly recommend this book to all readers. Just be sure to have a box of tissues handy for the inevitable flood of tears.Note: This book has no objectionable content, so in my opinion, would be suitable for teen readers and possibly even pre-teens as long as they wouldn't be bothered by the highly emotional nature of the subject matter.
ใครจะไปคิดว่ารองเท้าเพียงคู่เดียวจะเปลี่ยนชีวิตของครอบครัวหนึ่งไปอย่างสิ้นเชิงRobert กำลังจะเสียภรรยาและลูกสาว 2 คนไปหลังเทศกาลคริสต์มาสเสร็จสิ้น Kate ต้องการหย่าขาดจากสามีที่ทำแต่งานไม่เคยมีเวลาให้ครอบครัวในขณะที่ทุกคนกำลังมีความสุขกับเทศกาลคริสต์มาส Nathan กำลังโศกเศร้าเพราะใกล้จะสูญเสียแม่ที่ป่วยเป็นโรคมะเร็ง Robert และ Nathan มาที่ห้างในชั่วโมงสุดท้ายก่อนห้างปิดด้วยจุดประสงค์ที่ต่างกัน Robert มาหาของขวัญในนาทีสุดท้ายให้ภรรยาและลูกเพื่อกลบเกลื่อนความรู้สึกผิด ในขณะที่ Nathan มาหาของขวัญเพื่อให้แม่นำติดตัวไปเฝ้าพระผู้เป็นเจ้า เขาหยิบรองเท้าคู่ที่คิดว่าแม่ใส่แล้วจะสวยที่สุดมาที่เคาน์เตอร์แต่เงินที่มีมาไม่พอจ่าย เขาจึงขอ Robert ที่เข้าแถวอยู่ด้านหลัง ในตอนแรก Robert จะไม่ให้แต่เมื่อได้ฟังเหตุผลแล้วจึงยอมควักจ่ายให้ และเขาก็ทิ้งของขวัญที่เลือกมาไว้ที่เคาน์เตอร์และรีบเร่งกลับบ้านเพื่อที่จะไปขอให้ภรรยาให้โอกาสเขาอีกสักครั้งชอบมาก ๆ ตอนที่แม่ของ Nathan บอกว่า "God does not take me from you, He receives me." "It doesn't matter how long I live, it's how I live that matters. I've lived the best part of my life being your mother." เป็นมุมมองชีวิตด้านบวกที่เด็กน้อยอย่าง Nathan ยังไม่สามารถเข้าใจได้ในตอนนั้น แต่ด้วยความที่เป็นเด็กอ่อนน้อม เขาจึงเชื่อฟังแม่และพยายามอย่างยิ่งที่จะทำใจให้เข้มแข็งเป็นเรื่องที่ฟังไปร้องไห้ไปตลอด
What do You think about The Christmas Shoes (2001)?
This beautiful story is about a family who believes. Not only through Christmas but through life and tragedy. I cried many times. The family bond in this story reminded me of home and of holidays with my family as a little girl. There are many powerful quotes in this book, but the one that impacted me the most was one from a mother to her young son a few days before Christmas:"It's spectacular that God would want to leave the beauty of heaven to come to live here as a man. And you'd think that since Jesus was the King of Kings that he'd be born in a castle, not a barn. It's amazing! That's why Christmas is so special. Jesus came as a baby to Bethlehem. We set up the Nativity for as long as we can to remind us of the beauty and wonder of Christmas."
—Kristy
3.5 stars actually. Some parts of the translation bother me. The strange thing, there isn't any translator name in the book. Indah asked me if there is any emotion I felt after read this book, either sad or happy? Well some parts of the book really tear me up (after all I always weak when it comes with family drama, sacrifice or struggle and poverty) but the book not memorable, the story quite cliche & predictable. About workaholic man who put his works first after his family and about a nice family whose struggle because one of their family member dying of cancer. The characters are one dimensional event the main guy far from lovable. But this is perfect Christmas book because it have anything about Christmas value such as family, love, giving and bible verse. Anyway this song is really describe the story and I believe, the lyrics itself already make you sad.It was almost Christmas timeAnd there I stood in another lineTrying to buy that last gift or twoNot really in the Christmas moodAnd standin right in front of me was aLittle boy waiting anxiouslyPacin around like little boys doAnd in his hands he heldA pair of shoesAnd His clothes were worn and oldHe was dirty from head to toeAnd when it came his time to payI couldn't beleive what I heard him saySir I wanna buy these shoesFor my mama. pleaseIt's Christmas eve and these shoes are just her sizeCould you hurry sirDaddy says there's not much timeYou see,She's been sick for quite a while And Iknow these shoes will make her smile And IWant her to look beautifulIf mama meets Jesus tonightThey counted penny's for what seemed like years then theCashier said, "Son, there's not enough here."He searched his pockets franticallyThen he turned and he looked at me and he said"Mama made Christmas good at our house thoughMost years she just did without, Tell me sir,What am I gonna do?Some how I gotta buy her these Christmas shoes."So I laid the money downI just had to help him outAnd I'll never forget the look on his face when he said,"Mama's gonna look so great."Sir I wanna buy these shoesFor my mama. pleaseIt's Christmas eve and these shoes are just her sizeCould you hurry sirDaddy says there's not much timeYou see,She's been sick for quite a while And Iknow these shoes will make her smile And IWant her to look beautifulIf mama meets Jesus tonightI knew I'd caught a glimpse of heaven's love as he thanked me and ran outI knew that God had sent me that little boy to remind me what Christmas is all aboutSir I wanna buy these shoesFor my mama. pleaseIt's Christmas eve and these shoes are just her sizeCould you hurry sirDaddy says there's not much timeYou see,She's been sick for quite a while And Iknow these shoes will make her smile And IWant her to look beautifulIf mama meets Jesus tonightI Want her to look beautifulIf mama meets Jesus tonight
—Lina
Buku yang sangat bagus.... Begitu kesan ku setelah sampai ke halaman terakhir.Buku ini tentang drama keluarga yang mengajarkan kita untuk lebih menghargai hidup, lebih mementingkan keluarga daripada apapun. Bahkan uang pun tidak akan bisa membeli kebahagiaan.Disini di ceritakan tentang 2 keluarga yang bertolak belakang sekali kehidupannya. Robert yang workaholic dan mempunyai seglanya tapi tidak dengan kebahagiaan dan kehangatan keluarga. Dan Nathan, anak kecil berusia 8 tahun yang hidupnya sangat sederhana, tapi mempunyai keluarga yg sangat hangat bahagia.Sebuah kesempatan mempertemukan keduanya pada malam Natal. robert yang berbelanja kado natal buat keluarganya yang sudah tidak ia kenali lagi, dan Nathan yg berusaha memberikan Ibunya kado natal terindah yaitu Sepasang Sepatu cantik yang tak mampu ia beli. nathan ingin memberikan ibunya kado natal terindah karena Ibunya akan segera pergi meninggalkannya akibat Kanker rahim yg bersarang di tubuh Ibunya.Pertemuan keduanya, membuat kehidupan mereka berubah selamanya.mSungguh buku yg sangat indah dan mengharukan.... Dari pertengahan baca uda deres air mata ku :')
—Astri Nardi (Asuka Mai)
