Jill who is estranged from her husband, has moved to a seaside town to run a mobile, beachside, vegetarian, snack bar.
She is caring for her young grandson, Jack but grieving for her son, Davey, Jack’s father. As Christmas nears; the anniversary of her son’s death, Jill struggles to cope with her conflicting emotions, trying to give Jack the best possible Christmas she can while dealing with the still rawness of her grief.
I am certain this story will stay with me for a very long time. It moved me in a way that surprised me. It is beautifully written, the characters are believable and well-drawn. The end is satisfying, living up to the title
The only other book that has affected me in the same way as A Gift Called Hope; is “The Catcher in the Rye” by J D Salinger.
That I remember so much of The Catcher in the Rye after reading it just once, fifty years ago, speaks volumes.
Like Catcher in the Rye, this story is about loss and the grief that accompanies the loss of a loved one.
Reaching an accommodation with loss is a bumpy road; this book describes that journey with tenderness and humanity.
It is a truly remarkable book.
Fenlandphil's Blog 
Posted by purplesandyh on November 12, 2022 at 5:46 pm
I enjoyed the book very much too and got caught up in the emotions. My type of book
Posted by Catwoman=^••^= on November 12, 2022 at 11:21 pm
This sounds like such a great book. I wonder if it’s available on Kindle?
Posted by fenlandphil on November 13, 2022 at 8:48 am
I think it is.
Posted by Cathy Cade on November 13, 2022 at 11:11 am
Yep – I read her other three books on kindle while in New Zealand visiting my daughter. This one I decided to buy in print, so I can add it to my ‘local’ bookshelf. About halfway through at the moment…
Posted by Catwoman=^••^= on November 28, 2022 at 10:02 am
Let me know your ultimate, overall impression of it.
Posted by Cathy Cade on November 28, 2022 at 12:01 pm
It isn’t my usual genre of reading (although I’m not sure what is…) but it kept me reading until the end.