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Saturday, October 27, 2012

The Ghost of Christmas Present - Book Review

The Ghost of Christmas Present: A Novel
Author:  Scott Abott
Publisher:  Howard Books

Book Description:
It’s the fourth Wednesday of November, and Patrick Guthrie is giving thanks. He’s giving thanks that his eight-year-old son, Braden, will finally have a procedure on his heart that will cure him of the same life-threatening condition that took Patrick’s wife several years earlier. But when Patrick suddenly loses his job teaching drama at a New York City high school, his already desperate financial situation becomes dire. Rebecca Brody, a social worker, shows up at his door with a judge’s order for him to appear before the city’s family court to determine if Patrick is financially fit, and Patrick realizes he is in danger of losing his son.
Patrick knows that he must somehow make it through the holiday season to a new job waiting for him in the new year. He also knows that Ted Cake, his former father-in-law, blames Patrick so much for the death of his daughter that he, a rich and disagreeable man, is the one pushing the city to call the custody hearing and give the boy over to him. Now Patrick has only three weeks before Christmas to somehow make enough money to pay his bills, present himself to the family court as a fit father, and keep Braden in his life.


My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this book from start to finish. I completely sympathized with Patrick in that he only wanted what was best for his son. It was bad enough to lose his wife to a heart condition and then find out his son has it too. Ted just made me see red in trying to get custody of Braden. You would think that he would be like Patrick and just want the best for Braden.

Why are there so many parents and grandparents that can’t get along for the children’s sake?
 
Disclosure: Many thanks to Howard Books for the opportunity to review The Ghost of Christmas Present. I received a complimentary copy of this book for purposes of  facilitating this review.

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