"The Christmas List" by Richard Paul EvansOriginally published in 2009
My rating: 4.5 out 5
I've been reading as many Christmas novels as possible this holiday season and, not surprisingly, Richard Paul Evans' "The Christmas List" was my favorite so far. Evans makes a living predominantly by writing Christmas-themed books, so it's no shocker that I loved this fast-paced, feel-good story.
When we meet the main character, wealthy real estate developer James Kier, he's a total jerk with apparently no morals and no qualms about manipulating and destroying others to make a buck. He served his wife divorce papers on the same day as her first chemotherapy treatment for pancreatic cancer and he hasn't spoken to his son in months.
But James is forced to reevaluate his life when another man of the same name dies in an automobile accident and the city's newspaper mistakenly publishes an obituary for James Kier, ruthless real estate mogul. After Kier reads the hateful, vindictive and celebratory remarks people posted beneath his online obituary, he realizes that his current legacy is not the one he wants to leave behind. He is no longer the kind, generous and happy man he used to be. So he decides to make a change and sets out to rectify things, starting with the five people he's hurt the most -- his "Christmas list."
I've only read one other Richard Paul Evans book -- "The Gift" -- and though I enjoyed it I didn't go into "The Christmas List" expecting to love it. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of sentimental tear-jerker books. But, while this book was indeed sentimenal and a bit of a tear-jerker, it wasn't sappy. Despite the predictability of the plot, Evans' writing kept me turning the pages so quickly that I finished this book in just over two days. I closed the book thinking of second chances, family and love -- all perfect themes for this time of year. Happy reading!
(image source)
I also read this book. Very insightful I thought. Good read.
ReplyDelete