The Unfinished Gift : A Novel

If I lived up north, I'd save this book and read it on a cold weekend with a mug of hot chocolate nearby. It was full of nostalgia and memorable characters and reminded me what life looks like through the eyes of a child. Very enjoyable and has great nuggets of biblical truth woven throughout. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that is was not long enough! Looking forward to the sequel.

This book was an enjoyable and easy read. The story of a grumpy old man, full of bitterness, and a young boy who has lost his mother in a car accident and whose father is a bomber stationed in England. Through circumstances outside their control, the two are thrown together and forced to work through the issues of the past 10+ years.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing more books from Dan Walsh hit the shelves in the years to come. He writes in an easy-to-read style, yet brings the language and settings of time-period to life. This story has twists that are unexpected and will keep you turning the pages.

It's December 1943, and seven-year-old Patrick's world had been rocked by the sudden death of his mother in a car accident. Sent to live with Ian Collins, the paternal grandfather he's never even met, and who disowned Patrick's father for his marriage and renewed faith in Christ - Patrick's wishes are simple. He wants his father to come home and save him from his cold, unfeeling grandfather, and he wants the unfinished, hand carved wooden soldier hidden in his grandfather's attic. The wooden soldier just happens to be a very painful reminder to Ian of the long standing rift between him & son. Ian has no intention of giving up that very tangible symbol of years of anger and bitterness, until unexpected truths are revealed and he may have a chance to restore his fractured family. But has his change of heart come too late to save a wounded little boy?

The Unfinished Gift is a sweet little story, especially heart-tugging this time of year, when families tend to be uppermost in one's mind - those with us physically and those with us in spirit. This is the type of story that should definitely appeal to fans of Richard Paul Evans or even Nicholas Sparks's at their heartwarming best. Gift is a nice, light diversion but personally, the message of reconciliation and forgiveness got just a bit overly didactic. Also, I had real trouble buying Patrick's voice as that of a seven-year-old. He's an adorable kid, but he comes off as way, way too mature for his age and too completely, well, perfect. By the time we meet him in the novel, his mother's been dead just about a week - one week, and it felt like the narrative just barely scratched the surface of the pain and confusion that must surely be there, somewhere. However, as the impetus for facilitating reconciliation between father & son, Patrick's character fits the bill perfectly.

Walsh does a commendable job evoking the setting of America during World War II. It's a treat to read stories set in the homefront, especially ones like this that give you a real sense of the hardships war imposed on those left behind, waiting for and hoping loved ones would return safely from the conflict. That nostalgic sense of time and place is one of the novel's greatest strengths. I think this story would make an ideal made-for-TV movie. The story is a great little reminder of the importance of faith and family. Though stylistically it's a little too preachy for my tastes, Walsh does such a good job bringing the time period to life and introducing the Collins family that I want to check out the sequel - The Homecoming releases June 2010.

Some books grab your heart and won't let go. Such is the case of The Unfinished Gift by Dan Walsh. It's five days before Christmas in 1943, when Children's Services deposits seven-year-old Patrick on his grandfather's doorstep after his mother is killed in a car wreck. His father is dropping bombs on the bad guys in Germany, but Patrick just wants him to come home. His grandfather doesn't seem to want him and gets really angry a lot, especially when Patrick discovers a wondrous half-carved wooden soldier in the attic. The government lady promised Patrick that his father would be home right away, but things seem to be getting worse instead of better. Will things ever be made right? This is a beautiful, heart-warming story

I read the author's bio before I read this book and realized it is his first book. I have to say--I have read a lot of books this year and I have really come to appreciate how hard it is to write a book. When I blog, I only write short entries. Undertaking an entire novel would be a very different thing. All that said, I think Dan Walsh does a great job his first time around the block!

The story is set in the 40s during World War II. I believe it is set in Baltimore (I don't know of any other town with a Baltimore Pike). It made sense to me in light of the details included, because Baltimore is just south of the Mason Dixon line--it's not exactly in the North and not exactly in the south--but somewhere in between. A young boy has just come to live with his grandfather. His mother has died and his father is away at the war. The story centers around the young boy and the broken relationship between his widowed grandfather and his father. I don't like giving away details about stories because it's much more fun to read them for yourself. So, I don't want to say much more than that.

I enjoyed the historical details woven into the story. I learned a lot. The details about race relations during that time period were different than what I've read in most books, but they were different because they simply haven't been included in other stories I've read.

The only thing I wished had been different about the book was that things were wrapped up a little too quickly and a little too neatly at the end. But, that said, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book and I look forward to reading more by this author!

Powerful. Amazing. Fantastic. That is how I would describe this book. This book is packed full of lessons to be learned, but the most important lesson that I, myself, learned was this:the power of FORGIVENESS. God certainly used Dan Walsh's hands to let this lesson flow. I felt Him through the whole book. From the first heartfelt prayer little Patrick said to the very last chapter, you can feel God. It WILL make you cry. It will also make you smile and laugh a bit. But more importantly it will make you stop and think about the true meaning of forgiveness and God's path for your life.

I wouldn't normally have purchased this book if I saw it in a store as I have never read or heard of Dan Walsh before( I generally buy books by authors I have already read). But, now that I have read The Unfinished Gift, I will keep on my bookshelf and buy the other books that Mr. Walsh mentioned in his above interview and add them to my collection, too! He is truly talented!

Five stars and two thumbs up! Well done, Mr. Walsh!

**This book was provided for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group**

Do not miss this book!! It is so good you do not want to put it down!! I saved it to read on a weekend away and am so glad I did. I cannot wait for the sequel to come out. I also loved that it was written in the World War II era and filled with faith inspiring chapters.

Carol Thompson

This was my first book by Dan Walsh. I discovered it in the Sales Section of a bookshop and, after reading a few pages, decided to buy it and put it away for the Christmas season. I figured it might be just the right literature to help me refocus from the busyness of a long year to this season of kindness, goodwill and happy surprises.

Well, I was not disappointed. If you are searching for literature to set the mood for the true spirit of Christmas - here it is!
I also was pleasantly surprised by Dan Walsh`s style of writing, and have just ordered another book by him.

A GREAT read!

No matter how many Dan Walsh books you read - they are great!