Joanne Huist Smith lost her husband of 20 years that September. By Christmas, she was ignoring all the ubiquitous happiness of Christmas she saw -- the trees, the lights, the music. Ignore, that is, until her 10 year old daughter starts constantly asking to get the family a Christmas tree and to start decorating the house.
Her eldest teenage son agreed with her, but her two youngest children as well as her "true friends" certainly didn't. The 13th Gift tells how this family overcame their grief enough to carry on; but only with some rather unconventional help.
Through the help of those "true friends", Smith comes to realize what affect her behavior is having on her children, specifically Megan, her youngest child.
Initially she resists the power of the gifts of those friends. And she becomes obsessed to discover their identity. But, over time, eventually, she realizes that these gifts are bringing the "broken ornament" of her family back together.
The 13th Gift is a true story about the random kindnesses that transform our lives. It's an admission that we need one another in those broken moments. It's an illustration of that beautiful truth that such random kindnesses encourage us to keep them going. In that way, The 13th Gift is a parable of "doing unto others ..." Or, as Smith writes, "What better way to honor our loved ones, past and present, than to reach out and change a life for the better?"
This is a lovely little book that you deserve to add to your reading list. Not just at the Christmas season, though, because -- well, as the front cover flap puts it, "Every day can be Christmas".
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I received this book free, from the Blogging for Books program, in exchange for my honest review.