In this delightful, present-day retelling of O'Henry's The Gift of the Magi, Anna and Michael's dreams of having a baby have come to an end. Amidst her heartache, Anna secretly struggles with strange health problems that have her very worried. But as each tries to give the other the perfect Christmas gift, the magic of Christmas is working its way into their lives in a surprising way.
Average Rating: 4 out of 5 stars(4 out of 5 stars)
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4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Deborah (Reston, VA), November 18, 2008
This is a sweet modern retelling of the classic story The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry. It makes one wonder if you knew this was going to be your last Christmas what would you do to make it one to remember for your loved ones. I really liked the way that Anna wanted to do everything to make her husband happy even to the point of giving up what she loved the most. It's refreshing to see a Christmas story where the focus is on others and not on one's own self. I also appreciated her outburst during the mom's group as people need to be aware that couples without children are not always childless by choice. The only negative thing about this book was the way that Anna acted when she first thought she had cancer. If someone has had a history of cancer in their family and they start to believe they have the same symptoms, now is not the time to be a protector from bad news. She should have told her husband immediately and gone to see a doctor. Even if funds were short, this was not something to push back. Further more by keeping such an important secret like this from her husband would also hurt their relationship in the future. Other than that, it is a great way to spend an afternoon to get yourself ready for the holidays. This is a wonderful addition to the Christmas short stories that Melody Carlson has written throughout the years. It's a story that takes only a day to read yet the spirit of the Christmas season will remain with you throughout the entire year.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Arlene (Gansevoort, NY), November 13, 2008
I thought the book was pretty good. The story lines held me at interest. I recently ordered 3 more of her books.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Patti (Batavia, NY), September 06, 2008
I love Melody Carlson's writing...especially at Christmas-time. Each year I wait to see what seasonal book she will write and this one was worth the wait.
All I Have to Give is about unrealistic expectations and how we let them affect us. The book is light and easy to ready, yet it has a significant message that I, for one, needed to here.
Get this one to read during this Christmas Season.
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