The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck
When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that somehow his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning.
What he got from her instead was a sweater. "A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater" that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.
Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell -- to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.
What he got from her instead was a sweater. "A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater" that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.
Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell -- to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.
This was my Book Club read for December and I must say it was definitely what I needed to read right now. This is based on a true story from Glenn Beck's life and makes the reader really step back and take a look at our own lives. It makes us pause and think about the relationships we have with other family members, about forgiveness, about our relationship with God, and how we feel about our own self-worth. The story takes twists and turns you don't expect and is a definite page-turner. What I appreciated was Beck's response at the end of the story. It will make everything more clear after reading the story.
No matter what your political views are, this is a story that must be read. This book has also been written in picture book format for children. I will be picking that up for our children as I believe they need to hear this story as well. I give this 5 out of 5 stars.
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