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Christmas, Present Audiobook
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(2.93) - 336 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean comes this heartwarming Christmas story of a family who comes together during the holiday season as they learn a powerful lesson about love and to live each year of their lives as if it were their last.
A fourteenth wedding anniversary is nothing to sneeze at, Elliott Banner knows, but it's not exactly a landmark year—like fifteen, or twenty, when he plans to take his wife, Laura, to Paris. But when a headache on the drive home from their anniversary date—two days before Christmas—turns out to be more than a migraine, he wishes he had celebrated every year as though it were their last.
In this poignant, touching, uplifting story, a woman calmly gathers her family around her during the Christmas holiday to celebrate their lives together—both past and future—and to truly count their blessings.
A family history unfolds in a single night in this deeply affecting story that speaks volumes about love, trust, and letting go—a perfect holiday read that underscores the true meaning of the season.
“Mitchard’s gift is her ability to present her characters in a compassionate light, even when revealing them at their weakest moments.”—Us Weekly
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"An incredibly sad tale of a woman with a young family who finds out on Christmas Eve that she has just hours to live. Very moving and thought-provoking, but not for the faint-hearted."
— Tracy (4 out of 5 stars)
Christmas, Present Listener Reviews
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" Lame, just lame. Neither story nor characters rang true. This blather must have been published because shes an established and popular author, this book was not publish worthy on it's own merits. "
— Amy, 2/7/2014 -
" What an awful excuse for a Christmas book. Implausible, sappy, and decidedly unholiday in tone. Skip it!! "
— Margaret, 2/6/2014 -
" This one was a surprise. I liked AND didnt like it. It has stuck in my mind on so many levels. "
— Carolyn, 1/30/2014 -
" The last days of a wife/Momther with Cancer "
— Sharon, 1/25/2014 -
" Not a book I should have read after the 15months I have had with my husband so not a particular fair view.If you like books about people getting ill and the aftermath then I suppose it is not a bad read. "
— Pauline, 1/24/2014 -
" Good book, but very depressing - not a typical author's light holiday fare. "
— Georgia, 1/24/2014 -
" This is a good book that tells the story of a family who's mom suddenly only has hours to live because of a brain hemorrhage. This story gives the unique perspective of what it would feel like to be dieing and what you would think and what you would want to do and say to your family and friends and what you would know you would be missing in the future you wouldn't be a part of. It is a sad story, but ends hopeful. "
— Angie, 1/18/2014 -
" Sooo incredibly sad but wonderful. "
— Kristen, 1/17/2014 -
" a terribly sad story.The last few days of a mother and wife . There is no other alternative to her story but death. She put ll her things in order and leave this life terribly well . Too sad for me "
— Catherine, 1/17/2014 -
" I want my two hours back. "
— Star, 12/24/2013 -
" I think this is my least favorite Mitchard book so far, though it isn "
— Corinne, 12/23/2013 -
" This was a tough one! Not your typical lighthearded Christmas story that i prefer to read during the holidays. It was predictable knowing what the outcome was going to be. "
— Cecile, 12/22/2013 -
" This is so sad. I hope to never experience this. "
— Heather, 12/18/2013 -
" heartwarming tale, sad but good to read at the holidays. "
— Meg, 12/18/2013 -
" Not a fan at all. Luckily it's just a short little read. I'll leave it at that. "
— Charlene, 12/9/2013 -
" What a quick read! Barely worth the effort, since I really didn't like the main character, even though she's dying! "
— Ruth, 11/6/2013 -
" It is a tiny book and soo sad. It will make you weep. I really need to read something happy "
— Gaurett, 10/16/2013 -
" I want to like Jacquelyn Michard, but nothing is impressive. I've read 3 of her books now. She's from Madison, and my mother-in-law really likes her. This was kind of like a Lifetime movie...a quick little book. "
— Emily, 8/21/2013 -
" I skimmed the last 30 pages just to get over with it. "
— Shiloh, 7/9/2013 -
" It was just what I was looking for! I wanted a wonderful Christmas story and although it is sad, it was somehow uplifting and made me appreciate everything I have. "
— Cara, 4/15/2013 -
" I listened to the audiobook version which was read by the author. Her mid-western accent was distracting and she should learn how to pronounce the names of the Massachusetts cities she writes about. The story was alright but a little too sappy for my taste. "
— chambejd, 3/23/2013 -
" This book is a poignant reminder of the brevity and preciousness of life. "
— Mary, 3/9/2013 -
" Listened to the audiobook. The author's voice is irritating and whiny. The story does not ring true and the ending is annoyingly predictable. "
— Mikie, 2/11/2013 -
" so depressing - don't know about you but I really don't like to read such depressing stuff - we have enough to deal with in real life - better than suffering though - she went fast. Christmas - not something I would recommend for this occasion "
— Janet, 10/2/2012 -
" Light isn't the word for this book. It was almost non-existent. The characters were flat and one-dimensional and nothing in it rang true to me. Contrived and shallow - a complete waste of my time. "
— Roberta, 3/11/2012 -
" Quick, slightly depressing read with too quick a conclusion. I felt the main character, Laura, was too perfect and unrealistic in her condition. "
— Kate, 1/22/2012 -
" This was a disappointing audiobook. The reader's voice was annoying, the plot was depressing and tedius; the elements seemed to be much too loosely joined. The characters were cardboard, and their actions not realistic. "
— Joan, 1/16/2012 -
" I liked this a lot, but it's the kind of book that one would either love or hate. "
— Kmshort, 11/22/2011 -
" Thought this would go into my Christmas Collection of books but it really was not much about Christmas and it was rather sad. It is about a mother who is dying and gets everything in order including presents for Christmas. It has an OK ending. Fast read. "
— Pam, 8/11/2011 -
" Nice bit o' fluff --- most impressively read by the author herself. It's one of those If-I-Had-Only-Twelve-Hours-to-Live (short) books. Excellent for driving in the rain on winding roads. "
— Beth, 2/20/2011 -
" Como é que um livro tão pequeno pode conter tanto amor, tantas emoções, uma sensibilidade tão grande? Um livro que marca qualquer vida! ( Um Natal que Não Esquecemos ) <br/> "
— Babete, 2/18/2011 -
" This book is a poignant reminder of the brevity and preciousness of life. "
— Mary, 1/19/2011 -
" This isn't horrible, it's just not worth reading. "
— Angie, 12/31/2010 -
" Quick, slightly depressing read with too quick a conclusion. I felt the main character, Laura, was too perfect and unrealistic in her condition. "
— Kate, 12/4/2010 -
" I want to like Jacquelyn Michard, but nothing is impressive. I've read 3 of her books now. She's from Madison, and my mother-in-law really likes her. This was kind of like a Lifetime movie...a quick little book. "
— Emily, 11/28/2010 -
" Beautifully written but depressing, unrealistic, and pointless. If there's a take-away message here I didn't see it! "
— JanB, 11/26/2010 -
" a terribly sad story.The last few days of a mother and wife . There is no other alternative to her story but death. She put ll her things in order and leave this life terribly well . Too sad for me "
— Catherine, 11/14/2010 -
" Depressing. Certainly not what a holiday story should be like. "
— Karen, 10/12/2010 -
" great story, but depressing. "
— Isabel, 1/29/2010 -
" It was just what I was looking for! I wanted a wonderful Christmas story and although it is sad, it was somehow uplifting and made me appreciate everything I have. "
— Cara, 1/2/2010 -
" It is a tiny book and soo sad. It will make you weep. I really need to read something happy "
— Gaurett, 11/23/2009 -
" Not a fan at all. Luckily it's just a short little read. I'll leave it at that. "
— Charlene, 11/22/2009 -
" What a quick read! Barely worth the effort, since I really didn't like the main character, even though she's dying! "
— Ruth, 11/5/2009
About Jacquelyn Mitchard
Jacquelyn Mitchard’s first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, launched Oprah’s Book Club and became an international bestseller, hitting #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Her other works, including The Most Wanted, Twelve Times Blessed, The Breakdown Lane, and Cage of Stars have also been well received. Mitchard has appeared on the Today show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, MSNBC, and numerous other local and national television and radio programs. She was a contributing editor for Parenting magazine and wrote a weekly syndicated column until 2007 which appeared in more than one hundred newspapers across the country. Her articles have appeared in Newsweek, Life, Reader’s Digest, TV Guide, Ladies’ Home Journal, and many other publications. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and nine children.