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The Christmas Gift
In Australia, Rosie is preparing for a family Christmas like no other. Across the world in Dublin, another family's holiday plans are about to go in an unexpected direction.
Filled with Monica McInerney's trademark warmth, heart and humour, these two beautiful new short stories will delight readers this Christmas.
Filled with Monica McInerney's trademark warmth, heart and humour, these two beautiful new short stories will delight readers this Christmas.
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 28, 2013
36 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
About the author
Monica McInerney
48 books1,138 followerswww.monicamcinerney.com
facebook.com/monicamcinerneyauthor
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Monica McInerney is the internationally bestselling author of twelve novels including The Godmothers, The Trip of a Lifetime, Hello from the Gillespies, The House of Memories, Lola's Secret, At Home with the Templetons, Family Baggage, The Alphabet Sisters and Those Faraday Girls (named General Fiction Book of the Year in the 2008 Australian Book Industry Awards) and a short story collection, All Together Now. Her first children's book, Marcie Gill and the Caravan Park Cat, will be published in Australia/NZ in November 2021.
Monica, 56, grew up in a family of seven children in the Clare Valley wine region of South Australia, where her father was the railway stationmaster and her mother worked in the local library. Before becoming a full-time writer she worked in children’s television, tourism festivals, book publishing, arts marketing, the music industry and as a waitress, a hotel cleaner, a Kindergym instructor and a temp. For nearly thirty years she and her Irish husband have been moving back and forth between Australia and Ireland. They are currently in Australia.
Visit her website at www.monicamcinerney.com
facebook.com/monicamcinerneyauthor
instagram.com/monicamcinerneyauthor
Monica McInerney is the internationally bestselling author of twelve novels including The Godmothers, The Trip of a Lifetime, Hello from the Gillespies, The House of Memories, Lola's Secret, At Home with the Templetons, Family Baggage, The Alphabet Sisters and Those Faraday Girls (named General Fiction Book of the Year in the 2008 Australian Book Industry Awards) and a short story collection, All Together Now. Her first children's book, Marcie Gill and the Caravan Park Cat, will be published in Australia/NZ in November 2021.
Monica, 56, grew up in a family of seven children in the Clare Valley wine region of South Australia, where her father was the railway stationmaster and her mother worked in the local library. Before becoming a full-time writer she worked in children’s television, tourism festivals, book publishing, arts marketing, the music industry and as a waitress, a hotel cleaner, a Kindergym instructor and a temp. For nearly thirty years she and her Irish husband have been moving back and forth between Australia and Ireland. They are currently in Australia.
Visit her website at www.monicamcinerney.com
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 30, 2013
I really enjoyed these two short stories which were very quick to read.
The first story is The Christmas List: Two years after Rosie and Dan are married they celebrate the birth of their daughter Amy. Although Rosie and Dan love being parents they also learn very quickly just how exhausting it can be. The year that Amy starts school is the year that Rosie and Dan are to host the Christmas celebrations. For Rosie controlling a five year old was hard enough so she had no idea how she was going to organise and host a Christmas party. Rosie decides the only way to cope with everything is to make herself a list, but before she knows it the list is spiralling out of control.
Then in the middle of their very hectic lives Rosie and Dan receive devastating news. So will their plans and celebrations still go ahead?
The second story is The Holiday: The holiday tin sits on top of the fridge which the family add to as regularly as they can. The family have been saving up for holiday which they have been doing for a long time now. So as the tin gets fuller they book their holiday which is for Spain. Of course as the time it gets closer the family get more excited. And just before the holiday things suddenly change. So will the family get to have the holiday that they have been waiting so long for?
These two short stories were quite enjoyable and a very quick to read. So if you're looking for a light quick read look no further as I'm sure you will enjoy these two.
The first story is The Christmas List: Two years after Rosie and Dan are married they celebrate the birth of their daughter Amy. Although Rosie and Dan love being parents they also learn very quickly just how exhausting it can be. The year that Amy starts school is the year that Rosie and Dan are to host the Christmas celebrations. For Rosie controlling a five year old was hard enough so she had no idea how she was going to organise and host a Christmas party. Rosie decides the only way to cope with everything is to make herself a list, but before she knows it the list is spiralling out of control.
Then in the middle of their very hectic lives Rosie and Dan receive devastating news. So will their plans and celebrations still go ahead?
The second story is The Holiday: The holiday tin sits on top of the fridge which the family add to as regularly as they can. The family have been saving up for holiday which they have been doing for a long time now. So as the tin gets fuller they book their holiday which is for Spain. Of course as the time it gets closer the family get more excited. And just before the holiday things suddenly change. So will the family get to have the holiday that they have been waiting so long for?
These two short stories were quite enjoyable and a very quick to read. So if you're looking for a light quick read look no further as I'm sure you will enjoy these two.
December 8, 2013
The Christmas List
Rosie was an only child, so when she married Dan she had an instant family. Dan was one of eight, and every year a different family would host the Christmas celebrations. Rosie was initially terrified, but after realizing she had seven years until it was their turn, she felt she would be able to cope.
During the intervening years, they were blessed with a daughter, Amy. Amy was the delight of the celebrations each Christmas, a beautiful child always happy and smiling. But suddenly, in a few months, it would be Rosie and Dan’s turn to be the Host Controllers; Rosie began making lists for everything she could think of.
When tragedy threatened to derail their lives, Rosie’s lists kept her on track. Would their Christmas be the best they had ever had?
The Holiday
The holiday tin was beginning to fill up – their big holiday which the whole family had been saving for for so long, looked like it would finally happen. Sad that their grandpa was determined to remain home, nevertheless they were delighted, the arrangements were made, their holiday to Spain was booked. But the unexpected happened in their lives – what would happen to their holiday?
Two delightful short stories which were quick to read, easy to absorb and enjoy. Monica McInerney writes beautifully and this was no exception. Recommended.
Rosie was an only child, so when she married Dan she had an instant family. Dan was one of eight, and every year a different family would host the Christmas celebrations. Rosie was initially terrified, but after realizing she had seven years until it was their turn, she felt she would be able to cope.
During the intervening years, they were blessed with a daughter, Amy. Amy was the delight of the celebrations each Christmas, a beautiful child always happy and smiling. But suddenly, in a few months, it would be Rosie and Dan’s turn to be the Host Controllers; Rosie began making lists for everything she could think of.
When tragedy threatened to derail their lives, Rosie’s lists kept her on track. Would their Christmas be the best they had ever had?
The Holiday
The holiday tin was beginning to fill up – their big holiday which the whole family had been saving for for so long, looked like it would finally happen. Sad that their grandpa was determined to remain home, nevertheless they were delighted, the arrangements were made, their holiday to Spain was booked. But the unexpected happened in their lives – what would happen to their holiday?
Two delightful short stories which were quick to read, easy to absorb and enjoy. Monica McInerney writes beautifully and this was no exception. Recommended.
December 23, 2018
Loved these two short stories by one of my favourite authors.
December 8, 2013
I love Monica McInerney, but not a huge fan of short stories, but when Monica gave a shout out the other day that she had a short story ebook gift, i grabbed it as a gift for Christmas! These stories are very short - there are two in the book and took me 20 mins to read them both. Christmas themed stories of course, these books are just grab a cuppa and some Christmas cake - by the time you are finished the cuppa, the books will be also. Just quick easy reads.......nice feelgood stories though. Merry Christmas!!!
December 18, 2013
Very quick and easy read. So quick, it can be read in 1 sitting! There are 2 short stories - certainly not of the quality of Monica McInerney's regular length novels, but sweet little tales that may help get you in the mood for Christmas.
August 4, 2017
Nice feel good short story
January 2, 2018
I foolishly thought it was a full novel/collection so was left underwhelmed
April 20, 2018
Short story
The shortest short story I have ever read
10 minutes at most
A little disappointing
Not up to her usual standards
The shortest short story I have ever read
10 minutes at most
A little disappointing
Not up to her usual standards
November 27, 2018
Short story it definitely is...
I doubt that you could even define it as a story, there is a lot of substance missing
I doubt that you could even define it as a story, there is a lot of substance missing
December 8, 2018
Not worth the time - which is nothing anyway. I didn't realise this wasn't a book but two brief outlines really. To call them short stories would be misleading indeed.
October 6, 2019
Not up to her usual standard. Dissapointed.
August 7, 2016
The Christmas Gift consist of two short stories by Best Selling Australian Author Monica McInerney: The Christmas List; The Holiday.
The Christmas List
The Christmas List is a short story that puts the meaning of Christmas and Family into perspective. It’s the story of how a young couple, Rosie and Dan, fall in love and get married. It’s about Dan’s family’s Christmas traditions and how at first Rosie is both pertified and perplexed by them. It’s about how time passes and the pair have a child, Amy, who on the year they are meant to host Christmas falls very ill. It’s a story about family strength, about love, and about the little things that help us get through hard times.
The story itself was really sweet, and I’m glad it ended the way it did. I would have liked to have seen the story a bit more elaborated on however as I thought the narrative leant itself to a longer length. Overall I was pleased to have read this little story that is designed to stop and mark you think about your only family at Christmas, while also warming your heart.
The Holiday Gift:
The Holiday Gift is set in Dublin and deals with a family who are struggling economically. The family had been all set to go on a bit holiday but when job cuts are made and the family falls on hard times things don’t go as they had planned. It’s about family intervention and help and the way we can help others through hard times. How a little bit of effort can make someone smile and the price we are willing to pay for our families.
I absolutely loved the ending of this short story. It was a feel good family story that left me with tears in my eyes.
Overall I highly recommend these two very short stories. Although they probably aren’t my favourite Christmas reads, they do hold messages about your family and this rather chaotic time of year. It was a pleasure to read both stories, and I recommend you track them down yourself when you get the chance. You could read them in about ten minutes without any issues.
Review originally posted at The Never Ending Bookshelf on Dec 30 2013 and can be found here: The Christmas Gift consist of two short stories by Best Selling Australian Author Monica McInerney: The Christmas List; The Holiday.
The Christmas List
The Christmas List is a short story that puts the meaning of Christmas and Family into perspective. It’s the story of how a young couple, Rosie and Dan, fall in love and get married. It’s about Dan’s family’s Christmas traditions and how at first Rosie is both pertified and perplexed by them. It’s about how time passes and the pair have a child, Amy, who on the year they are meant to host Christmas falls very ill. It’s a story about family strength, about love, and about the little things that help us get through hard times.
The story itself was really sweet, and I’m glad it ended the way it did. I would have liked to have seen the story a bit more elaborated on however as I thought the narrative leant itself to a longer length. Overall I was pleased to have read this little story that is designed to stop and mark you think about your only family at Christmas, while also warming your heart.
The Holiday Gift:
The Holiday Gift is set in Dublin and deals with a family who are struggling economically. The family had been all set to go on a bit holiday but when job cuts are made and the family falls on hard times things don’t go as they had planned. It’s about family intervention and help and the way we can help others through hard times. How a little bit of effort can make someone smile and the price we are willing to pay for our families.
I absolutely loved the ending of this short story. It was a feel good family story that left me with tears in my eyes.
Overall I highly recommend these two very short stories. Although they probably aren’t my favourite Christmas reads, they do hold messages about your family and this rather chaotic time of year. It was a pleasure to read both stories, and I recommend you track them down yourself when you get the chance. You could read them in about ten minutes without any issues.
The Christmas List
The Christmas List is a short story that puts the meaning of Christmas and Family into perspective. It’s the story of how a young couple, Rosie and Dan, fall in love and get married. It’s about Dan’s family’s Christmas traditions and how at first Rosie is both pertified and perplexed by them. It’s about how time passes and the pair have a child, Amy, who on the year they are meant to host Christmas falls very ill. It’s a story about family strength, about love, and about the little things that help us get through hard times.
The story itself was really sweet, and I’m glad it ended the way it did. I would have liked to have seen the story a bit more elaborated on however as I thought the narrative leant itself to a longer length. Overall I was pleased to have read this little story that is designed to stop and mark you think about your only family at Christmas, while also warming your heart.
The Holiday Gift:
The Holiday Gift is set in Dublin and deals with a family who are struggling economically. The family had been all set to go on a bit holiday but when job cuts are made and the family falls on hard times things don’t go as they had planned. It’s about family intervention and help and the way we can help others through hard times. How a little bit of effort can make someone smile and the price we are willing to pay for our families.
I absolutely loved the ending of this short story. It was a feel good family story that left me with tears in my eyes.
Overall I highly recommend these two very short stories. Although they probably aren’t my favourite Christmas reads, they do hold messages about your family and this rather chaotic time of year. It was a pleasure to read both stories, and I recommend you track them down yourself when you get the chance. You could read them in about ten minutes without any issues.
Review originally posted at The Never Ending Bookshelf on Dec 30 2013 and can be found here: The Christmas Gift consist of two short stories by Best Selling Australian Author Monica McInerney: The Christmas List; The Holiday.
The Christmas List
The Christmas List is a short story that puts the meaning of Christmas and Family into perspective. It’s the story of how a young couple, Rosie and Dan, fall in love and get married. It’s about Dan’s family’s Christmas traditions and how at first Rosie is both pertified and perplexed by them. It’s about how time passes and the pair have a child, Amy, who on the year they are meant to host Christmas falls very ill. It’s a story about family strength, about love, and about the little things that help us get through hard times.
The story itself was really sweet, and I’m glad it ended the way it did. I would have liked to have seen the story a bit more elaborated on however as I thought the narrative leant itself to a longer length. Overall I was pleased to have read this little story that is designed to stop and mark you think about your only family at Christmas, while also warming your heart.
The Holiday Gift:
The Holiday Gift is set in Dublin and deals with a family who are struggling economically. The family had been all set to go on a bit holiday but when job cuts are made and the family falls on hard times things don’t go as they had planned. It’s about family intervention and help and the way we can help others through hard times. How a little bit of effort can make someone smile and the price we are willing to pay for our families.
I absolutely loved the ending of this short story. It was a feel good family story that left me with tears in my eyes.
Overall I highly recommend these two very short stories. Although they probably aren’t my favourite Christmas reads, they do hold messages about your family and this rather chaotic time of year. It was a pleasure to read both stories, and I recommend you track them down yourself when you get the chance. You could read them in about ten minutes without any issues.
March 5, 2016
Two short stories from the Irish Australian McInerney.
The Christmas List - List writing helps a mother deal with the worst news of all; her child is ill. Her only child.
It’s funny but I moved countries and arrived days before Christmas and the family all decided they would stay at my house. Literally the only way I got through that was with lists; incredibly detailed ones. So this really resonated.
***
The holiday - As times get tough, a family dips into their holiday savings until there is nothing left. But Grandpa has an idea.
Cute. Very sweet story.
***
Both stories were very short but quite readable. I’m not sure they give me enough of an idea of the author’s style though.
3 stars
The Christmas List - List writing helps a mother deal with the worst news of all; her child is ill. Her only child.
It’s funny but I moved countries and arrived days before Christmas and the family all decided they would stay at my house. Literally the only way I got through that was with lists; incredibly detailed ones. So this really resonated.
***
The holiday - As times get tough, a family dips into their holiday savings until there is nothing left. But Grandpa has an idea.
Cute. Very sweet story.
***
Both stories were very short but quite readable. I’m not sure they give me enough of an idea of the author’s style though.
3 stars
January 15, 2014
I haven't read any books by Monica McInerney before and thought that this would be a good introduction, but I found the short stories were just too short. I do enjoy a good novella but would have liked these stories to be a bit longer. Having said that, they are a free offering so they are a good intro to the author. There are two feel good Christmas stories in this edition that were rounded off nicely and I read them while having a cuppa.
copy kindly provided by Netgalley and the publisher
copy kindly provided by Netgalley and the publisher
November 12, 2015
I did download quite a few festive short stories. Even though I don't really like them. I think I might go on a deleting spree. Monica is an author I've read before and enjoyed, but these stories are both too brief to be of any really substance, and I find them sappy, too (which is, I guess, the point!). Full length stories for me from now on....
January 9, 2014
These two short stories are short, sweet and very nice - a very pleasant antidote to the craziness that is the Christmas season. If you find yourself too stressed out to continue, five minutes with one of these tales will bring a smile to your dial.
I received a copy of these short stories via Netgalley but these opinions are my own.
I received a copy of these short stories via Netgalley but these opinions are my own.
August 31, 2016
Two really short holiday stories. Both sweet and engaging. The second one even brought me to tears. Still one of my fave Aussie authors, though these stories were a little too short for my liking. Lucky they were free.
December 26, 2013
Not really a fan of short story books. You just start to get into the characters and then the book is finished. Loved the storyline though, just wish that it went for longer. Only read it because I love Monica's books.
December 8, 2013
Love the writing, but only 50% of the novella is two VERY brief stories. Stick to her full novels :-/
December 17, 2013
short and sweet.
August 5, 2016
Getting a taste for Ms McInerney with her free holiday read.
December 17, 2013
Two short and heart warming stories - you never know what's around the corner and those things in life you thought were HUGE before can pale into insignificance when faced with life's challenges.
December 30, 2013
A novellete with 2 short Christmas stories - sweet reads about making the best of circumstances and not loosing hope.
January 3, 2016
Two short and sweet stories. The first about a Christmas miracle. The second about improvising during a financially difficult time.
Very sweet stories but I felt that they were too short.
Very sweet stories but I felt that they were too short.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2014
Was ok for a novella! Not one you would reread though!
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April 30, 2019Love reading Monica Mclnerney books
Always a little smile, tear and giggle guaranteed.
Looking forward to the next book.
Thanks for always a good read.
Always a little smile, tear and giggle guaranteed.
Looking forward to the next book.
Thanks for always a good read.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews