Part of Christmas Hope, book 1
First published 2001
Robert has built a successful law practice but watches his marriage crumble. He focuses on professional wins and material gains while losing touch with his wife Kate and their two daughters. On Christmas Eve, he shops for a family he barely knows anymore. Eight-year-old Nathan also shops that night, but for different reasons. His mother Maggie is dying of cancer, and Nathan wants to buy her special Christmas shoes. The boy and his family treasure each moment together as Maggie's condition worsens. When Robert and Nathan meet in the store, their brief encounter changes both their lives. Robert discovers that small gestures carry more weight than he imagined. Through Nathan's love for his dying mother, Robert learns what truly matters. The meeting forces him to examine his own family relationships and the choices that led him away from the people he loves most.
Genres: fiction, inspirational, contemporary-romance, family-drama
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Period: Christmas Eve
132 pages · Hardcover · St. Martin's Press
Content warnings: terminal-illness