The Unfinished Gift by Dan Walsh

This book was brilliant!!! I loved hating Collins the curmudgeon of a man that sweet innocent Patrick had the misfortune of having for a grandfather. The loving next door neighbour Mrs Fortini who it seems is always giving Patrick cookies, easily endures herself to your heart. Miss Katherine Townsend the overly invested social worker that was handling Patrick's case was a joy to get to know. These characters and even the ones that pass through the story if only for a brief visit all became like family to me as I read. It was as if I was being transported into the story myself some how.
The story was so well crafted it captures your heart and mind and does not let go until the end. However, be forewarned, you are going to need a box of tissues near by!
Dan Walsh is a brilliant story teller and I was captivate by this book! I am looking forward to his future endeavour and the sequel to this book, The Homecoming!

Here is an excerpt from The Unfinished Gift to get you started.
http://www.revellbooks.com/Media/MediaManager/Excerpt_9780800719241.pdf

Can a gift from the past mend a broken heart?

Ian Collins is an old man without his son. Patrick Collins is a young boy without his father. On his Christmas list are only three items. He wants the army to find his father. He wants to leave his grandfather's house. And he wants the dusty wooden soldier in Grandfather's attic--the one he is forbidden to touch.

Set at Christmastime in 1943, The Unfinished Gift is the engaging story of a family in need of forgiveness. With simple grace, it reminds us of the small things that affect powerful change in our hearts--a young boy's prayers, a shoe box of love letters, and even a half-carved soldier, long forgotten. This nostalgic story of reconciliation will touch your heart.

Endorsements

"The Unfinished Gift is a poignant story about a grieving little boy and the estranged, angry grandfather who takes him in. Make sure you have a tissue nearby, because you're going to need it!"--Terri Blackstock, author of the Restoration and the Cape Refuge series

"The Unfinished Gift is one for the keeper shelf! Dan's book is a fabulous story of redemption and forgiveness. I couldn't put it down and it made me cry, which is hard to do. Loved it!"--Colleen Coble, author of the Rock Harbor and the Lonestar series

The Author

Dan Walsh is the author of The Unfinished Gift and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. He is a pastor and lives with his family in the Daytona Beach area, where he's busy researching and writing his next novel.

Available now at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.