After nearly a decade of being apart, tragedy brings together Hadley and Monroe. Take a break from the holiday busyness and settle in for a story of young love lost and second chances in Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall’s The Gift of Christmas Past. Years of secrets and anger beg to be set free as Hadley and Monroe try to push aside past hurts and find common ground in order to help the traumatized child and her family. Can the love of Christmas past drift into the present, bringing healing and hope for all?
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the LitFuse Publications book blogger campaign. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
ABOUT THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS PAST
The Gift of Christmas Past(Woodsmall Press, October 2017)
Arson wasn’t the only fire that ignited between them.
Promises shattered.
Lies spoken.
She was arrested.
He returned to the safety of his wealthy parents.
Almost ten years later, Hadley and Monroe are both specialists in the field of speech therapy. They meet again . . . thrown together to help a four-year-old-girl rendered mute after being rescued from a fire.
Years of secrets and anger beg to be set free as Hadley and Monroe try to push aside past hurts and find common ground in order to help the traumatized child and her family.
Can the love of Christmas past drift into the present, bringing healing and hope for all?
ABOUT CINDY AND ERIN WOODSMALL
Cindy Woodsmall is the “New York Times” and CBA best-selling author of eighteen works of fiction. She’s been featured in national media outlets such as ABC’s “Nightline” and the “Wall Street Journal.” Cindy has won numerous awards and has been finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards. Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in Flowery Branch, GA. ||**|| Erin Woodsmall is a writer, musician, wife, and mom of three. She has edited, brainstormed, and researched books with Cindy for almost a decade. She is very excited about their first coauthored book.
Dynamic Uno here: Wow! Talk about a book that grabs you by the throat and sucks you into the story... Hadley's life as a teenager had me in tears. To live such a crazy life as a foster-kid, never knowing if you were going to be allowed to stay in your home or be forced into another place must have been horrible. Then, to compare your life with that of your boyfriend who grew up with a silver spoon...I can only imagine the sense of unworthiness and frustration she felt.
Learning about the foster care system and how rough it can be was eye-opening.I have always assumed that once your kids were taken away, that you didn't get the chance to have them again. Reading about Hadley's experience in the system was heart-breaking because it seemed like she never had a fighting chance.
Meeting Hadley and Monroe as adults, I was interested in learning more about their work with children who have speech and language problems. As a former teacher, it has always fascinated me how crazy our bodies really can be when it comes to trauma and other added stressors. I could see on a daily basis the issues these could cause my students--and to think that Hadley lived through many of them. Yikes!
The unique relationships between the characters and the amazing backdrop of Asheville, North Carolina, make for a wonderful tale of perseverance and forgiveness.
Let me know what you think about the book in the comments section and Happy Reading!
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