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The Christmas Blessing

(Christmas Hope #2)

Donna VanLiere (Goodreads Author)

4.25 · Rating details · 4,562 ratings · 392 reviews

In The Christmas Shoes, young Nathan Andrews was a child who lost his mother to cancer. Now his deepest wish is to become a doctor. When a stranger named Robert gave him the money to buy his mother a pair of shoes for her last Christmas, both Robert and Nathan learned the deepest lessons of love and giving. Now a medical student in his third year, Nathan realizes there are ...more

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Hardcover, 212 pages

Published October 28th 2003 by St. Martin's Press (first published September 30th 2003)

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· 4,562 ratings · 392 reviews

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Dec 29, 2018 Britany rated it liked it

Shelves: own, 2018

This book has been sitting on my physical bookshelf for at least a couple of years. I figured it would be a good choice to try to fit it in to hit my reading goal for this year.

What I didn't know was that it's the second book in a series (luckily, the author loops you in so you don't really need to read the first one). Nathan Andrews lost his mom to cancer and now (20 years later) he's struggling through medical school and trying to figure out if his life path is the right one. Enter love inter ...more

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Nov 06, 2013 Nancy Steinle gummel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: drama, first-read-win, fiction, holiday, 2013-reading-challenge

The Christmas Blessing by Donna VanLiere is a first read win. This is my honest opinion. This is a cute read and another tear jerker. This book is a continuation of The Christmas Shoe with about 10 years later. It's the story of Nathan. He's now a med student at a hospital about an hour away from home. Nathan has a certain way with his patients, especially the children. He meets Charlie a little boy with a bad heart. Eventually he meets Meghan who turns out to be the love of his life. Meghan is ...more

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Aug 27, 2015 Camilla rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: winter-reads, my-unfinished-series, own-and-read, 2015, my-book-collection, keepers, favorites

3.5 stars. // Bok #1 in #CramaThon2015.

(Read an Audiobook or Ebook.)

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Jan 31, 2016 Sandra Bašić rated it it was amazing

Those stories remind me that's always the Light out of the tunnel and the Hope at the bottom of the box. Nice, warm, sad but hopeful sequel of Christmas Shoes!

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Dec 28, 2018 Christina Claypool rated it it was amazing

This was a powerful Christmas novel filled with hidden truth and wisdom about illness, death, and finding purpose in life. After reading, "The Christmas Shoes," last year, I assumed this sequel would be an excellent follow-up for a inspiring Christmas read. Yet, it was so much more than that. Donna VanLiere is a storyteller extraordinaire who flushes out characters with such depth, in addition to doing obvious detailed research about what their lives would be like.
Plus, medical issues can become ...more

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Dec 04, 2017 Mom2triplets04 rated it really liked it

This book is the 2nd book in the Christmas Hope series. It is told by Nathan (the boy who gave the Christmas shoes to his mom in the first book), however, fast forward many years to when he's in college and studying to become a doctor. I enjoyed this book but not as much as the first book. No tears were shed in this one but still it was heartbreaking and touching story.

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Dec 13, 2018 Patricia rated it really liked it

I really liked this book very much! You must understand that this is a sequel to The Christmas Shoes (Christmas Hope #1). It is important to read BOTH books, preferably The Christmas Shoes first! This will enable you to fall in love with the characters in Book #1. What's not to love about and eight-year-old boy who loses his beloved mother and also to meet the other supporting characters in that book? Then in Book #2, you see the boy as a medical student wanting to help others! Many of the chara ...more

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Nov 11, 2015 Carolina rated it really liked it

This one was as good as the first. It really showed how far Nathan had come after his mother had died and how he could love people more because of it. I cried most of the way through it but it showed what real friendship is. I can't wait to finish the rest of the series.

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Dec 07, 2017 Sarah rated it liked it

Shelves: 2017, christmas

3 Stars

I enjoyed this book. Not as tearful as the first, but enjoyable.

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Dec 17, 2017 Angie rated it really liked it

Shelves: christmas, feel-good

3.5 stars
Tear-jerker and feel-good rolled into one

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Dec 11, 2017 Lori Musick rated it really liked it

“Where there is great love, there are always miracles.”

🎄 😇 💖

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Dec 01, 2017 Linda Collings rated it it was amazing

I am not crying honest lol !

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Mar 30, 2010 Bitsy rated it did not like it

Shelves: romance, contemporary

This book is a sequel to the New York Times Bestseller The Christmas Shoes. I had no problems picking up the storyline though as it cut back and did back story constantly throughout The Christmas Blessing to cover pertinent areas for this new book. The book is about the star of The Christmas Shoes a little boy named Nathan that wanted to buy shoes for his mother dying of cancer. In The Christmas Blessing Nathan is now all grown up and, in the wake of his mother’s death, is now a third year medic This book is a sequel to the New York Times Bestseller The Christmas Shoes. I had no problems picking up the storyline though as it cut back and did back story constantly throughout The Christmas Blessing to cover pertinent areas for this new book. The book is about the star of The Christmas Shoes a little boy named Nathan that wanted to buy shoes for his mother dying of cancer. In The Christmas Blessing Nathan is now all grown up and, in the wake of his mother’s death, is now a third year medical student and is facing some difficult decisions. He is wondering if this is really his calling, and is having a tough time during a rotation in cardiology at a nearby hospital. While there he meets a young woman who has conquered her health problems, or so she thinks, and a little boy dying of them. Can these two give him the hope he needs to push towards his dreams?

As a warning, I will say that this turned out to be a Christian novel, with a lot of discussions of faith, some bible quotes, and prayer. Some people like to know these things before getting into a book. So, consider yourself warned. It wasn’t enough to turn me off of the book, at least not the Christian angle alone, though I will say I did find a lot of the arguments and discussions about faith and death to fall terribly flat. It was preaching to the choir.

I did not like this book. I could not believe that The Christmas Shoes made it on to the New York Times Bestseller list if this is how the author honestly writes. I noticed a reviewer on Amazon mentioned that this book seemed like it was written to be made into a movie, and perhaps that was my problem with it. It read more like a screenplay than like a novel.

The dialogue was stilted, wooden and often superfluous. It's like this author wrote how they thought people talked, and not how they actually do. I could tell that there were jokes being said by the characters but the delivery, while perhaps successful if done through an actor's inflection and maybe hand gestures instead of solely through the medium it was provided in, fell flat on the page. There was also a lot of conversation that just didn't do anything. It didn't advance the plot, illuminate a character, or even serve to be amusing, it was just filler and dull filler at that.

Then there was the amount of telling going on in the story, and the lack of showing. Two reasons for this could be that, first off, this was written more like a screenplay than a novel, and secondly that the author needed to explain it because more than just myself was completely lost by the way these people acted and spoke. Again, it was more like how the author thought people did things, not how things are actually done, or at least it seemed so to me. I was frustrated by the amount of telling, but I also admit that without it this book wouldn't have had very much meat at all, and might have been incomprehensible.

Foreshadowing was another thing that bothered me. I would read something that I was certain was going to foreshadow something else, just to find out actually it was just a useless tidbit included for no reason. When they finally did foreshadow, it wasn't foreshadow as much as more or less give away the plot for the next several chapters. Granted, the author did not give away the ending at least. In fact, the reverse, the author pretty much flat out told the reader things were going to end one way, doing everything but wave a flag and point and shout to look the other way and then, bam, pulled out a different ending. It wasn't really surprising, I only briefly entertained the notion that she might end it the first way simply because, by that point, I thought that little of her.

The book was redeemed somewhat by the ending. I was surprised once, by one twist, and so that made me feel a little better about the book overall. In the end though I felt like I was reading a book about some other parallel world where people thought and spoke and acted very differently from us. I couldn't relate to these people, I couldn't get their jokes, I couldn't understand their inferences, or place myself in a position where I could sympathize with their problems. I was completely at a loss to understand them or their world.

The last third of the book all of the characters spent in tears and I couldn't even get a little choked up about it. Sure, what they were going through was trying, horrible and devastating. But, it was not written in any sort of way to make me empathize with that. Could this author tell a story? Absolutely. Could this author write a book? No way. ...more

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Oct 09, 2010 Julianna rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Anyone Looking for a Good Christmas-Themed and/or Inspirational Story

Shelves: desert-island-keepers, general-fiction, holiday-stories, inspirational-fiction, read-2010

Reviewed for THC Reviews
The Christmas Blessing is a lovely follow-up to the first book of the Christmas Hope series, The Christmas Shoes. Nathan Andrews, the little boy from that story who had been so desperate to buy a pair of shoes for his dying mother, is all grown up and studying to be a doctor, but is doubting whether that is the right course for his life. Every time he looses a patient, it's like reliving his mother's death, and he isn't getting along very well with the doctor in charge of Reviewed for THC Reviews
The Christmas Blessing is a lovely follow-up to the first book of the Christmas Hope series, The Christmas Shoes. Nathan Andrews, the little boy from that story who had been so desperate to buy a pair of shoes for his dying mother, is all grown up and studying to be a doctor, but is doubting whether that is the right course for his life. Every time he looses a patient, it's like reliving his mother's death, and he isn't getting along very well with the doctor in charge of his rotation either. Then he meets a young woman whose zest for life, in spite of being born with a hole in her heart, is absolutely infectious, and his whole life changes.

I really liked the grown-up Nathan. His doubts and fears were very relatable. He is such a sensitive young man, and I have to agree with everyone who kept telling him he'd make a great doctor. Caring so much about his patients was really hard on him, but it made him so much more genuine. Doctors who truly care seem to be few and far between, so I really liked this aspect of his character. His struggle with his belief in whether miracles can really happen was very understandable too. I could also relate to his quiet, unassuming nature, and his difficulty talking with some people which made his immediate connection to Meghan all the more special. Their love was so sweet and their relationship reminded me of the beginnings of my own romance with my husband. I also loved the closeness he shared with his father, sister and grandmother which was just a more mature version of their family ties in The Christmas Shoes.

I couldn't help but admire Meghan for her indomitable spirit. She never let her medical condition get in the way of following her dreams, and her determination led her to be a first-class runner. It was really hard to read about such a vibrant young woman becoming so sick almost instantly, but her illness was the catalyst which helped Nathan finally realize his own destiny. Meghan's young friend, Charlie, a fellow heart patient who acted as her unofficial coach was a big inspiration to her and others. I loved how Meghan and Charlie's families were always there supporting them unconditionally. They, along with Nathan's family, gave the story a great deal of warmth. The spirit of Nathan's mother lived on in the beautiful letters she wrote to her son before she died which was another lovely aspect to the story, as were the sweet little letters that Nathan's grandmother encouraged him to write to his mother over the years.

What I think I liked most about The Christmas Blessing and Donna VanLiere's writing in general is that she has a way with imparting a wonderful message of Christian faith without being too trite or preachy. It's done in a gentle, almost philosophical way through an object lesson that I think readers from many walks of life and faiths could relate to. I have to admit to being on pins and needles wondering how the story would turn out, and although there was definitely some sadness, there was also great joy in the end too. Overall, The Christmas Blessing was a great companion novel to The Christmas Shoes that has also earned a spot on my keeper shelf. There is television movie of the same name based on the book which I look forward to checking out, and although I'm not sure if the remaining books in the Christmas Hope series are related to these two books by characters or plot, I'm eager to read them during future holiday seasons. ...more

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Oct 22, 2011 Amanda rated it it was ok

If you like characters with depth, riveting plots, and original storytelling -- this book is not for you.

If you like flat characters, a predictable plot, and Lifetime original movies, then you'll love this book.

I have not read "The Christmas Shoes" (and after reading this book, I will not). However, I have heard Newsong's recording of the song dozens of times, and I know the gist of the story. "The Christmas Blessing" picks up where "The Christmas Shoes" left off, except now Nathan is a grown ad If you like characters with depth, riveting plots, and original storytelling -- this book is not for you.

If you like flat characters, a predictable plot, and Lifetime original movies, then you'll love this book.

I have not read "The Christmas Shoes" (and after reading this book, I will not). However, I have heard Newsong's recording of the song dozens of times, and I know the gist of the story. "The Christmas Blessing" picks up where "The Christmas Shoes" left off, except now Nathan is a grown adult who is deciding whether or not to continue his path in medicine.

This story was very formulaic, so it doesn't surprise me that it's gotten high ratings and been on the best-seller list. First off, it's not a chick flick unless everyone is beautiful, right? That's just the way it is. Every single character in the book is physically attractive, even when they are about to die (or already dead). I guess some people can't fall in love with average-looking people. Secondly, everyone falls in love in exactly the same way. Love sneaks up, sweeps people off their feet, and they fall passionately in love in a very short time -- and then stay in love and never have any problems. The third ingredient in a successful chick flick is at least one character who cries constantly. I was beginning to wish Allison was a real person so I could slap her and say "SNAP OUT OF IT!" Of course, by the last 1/3 of the book, everyone was crying all the time anyway, so I guess to be fair, I'd have to slap them all.

Part of the problem with this book is its predictability. You know from the first couple of chapters who's going to die -- it's just a matter of when it's going to happen. I honestly wasn't surprised by anything that I read, including the overly sappy ending (complete with more crying from Allison).

The biggest problem, to me, was the complete lack of character development. I didn't care about any of them. The only one who undergoes any type of transformation at all is Nathan, and even he gets irritating. The rest of the characters are just stock characters. You have the wise grandmother, the brave little boy with a terminal illness, the perfect/beautiful/sweet love interest, the woman who cries at everything -- it's all there. They are the same on page 212 as they are on page 1. No real changes (except for the ones that die).

Anyway, I rated this two stars because I actually made it to the end. The writing style is easy and accessible, and for that it can get a second star. ...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Jintana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-audio-collection

เรืองราวตอจาก The Christmas Shoes

Nathan กำลังเปนแพทยฝึกหัดทีกำลังตอสูกับความคิดทีวาเขาจะเปนหมอทีดีไดหรือไม ขณะทีเขากำลังฝึกงานอยูในแผนกโรคหัวใจเดก เขาไดพบกับ Meghan และ Charlie ทีมีหัวใจผิดปกติตังแตเกิดแตพวกเขากลับเปนนักวิงทีไมเคยยอทอหรือยอมแพกับความโชครายของตัวเอง

Nathan และ Robert ไดกลับมาพบกันอีกครังทีสุสาน ทังคูทักทายกันกจำกันไมไดเพราะผานมาหลายสิบปีแลว Robert ไมเคยลืมเลยวาเดกผูชายคนหนึงกับรองเทาคูหนึงไดชวยกอบกูชีวิตครอบครัวของเขาเอาไว จนเมือเขากำลังจะกลับออกจากสุสานเขาเหลือบไปเหนรองเทาทีหลุม เรื่องราวต่อจาก The Christmas Shoes

Nathan กำลังเป็นแพทย์ฝึกหัดที่กำลังต่อสู้กับความคิดที่ว่าเขาจะเป็นหมอที่ดีได้หรือไม่ ขณะที่เขากำลังฝึกงานอยู่ในแผนกโรคหัวใจเด็ก เขาได้พบกับ Meghan และ Charlie ที่มีหัวใจผิดปกติตั้งแต่เกิดแต่พวกเขากลับเป็นนักวิ่งที่ไม่เคยย่อท้อหรือยอมแพ้กับความโชคร้ายของตัวเอง

Nathan และ Robert ได้กลับมาพบกันอีกครั้งที่สุสาน ทั้งคู่ทักทายกันก็จำกันไม่ได้เพราะผ่านมาหลายสิบปีแล้ว Robert ไม่เคยลืมเลยว่าเด็กผู้ชายคนหนึ่งกับรองเท้าคู่หนึ่งได้ช่วยกอบกู้ชีวิตครอบครัวของเขาเอาไว้ จนเมื่อเขากำลังจะกลับออกจากสุสานเขาเหลือบไปเห็นรองเท้าที่หลุมศพของแม่ Nathan เป็นรองเท้าแบบเดียวกับที่เขาเคยซื้อให้เด็กชายคนหนึ่ง

Nathan ตกหลุมรัก Meghan แต่เธอกำลังจะตายหากไม่ได้หัวใจดวงใหม่มาแทน ทั้ง ๆ ที่ Meghan ก็รัก Nathan แต่เธอพยายามผลักไสเขาเพราะไม่อยากให้ Nathan ต้องสูญเสียคนที่ตนเองรักในเทศกาลคริสต์มาสอีกเหมือนครั้งที่เขาเคยสูญเสียแม่

ประโยคเด็ดจากเรื่องนี้ "Life is to be lived forward but it could only be understood backward." ...more

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Feb 25, 2011 Rayni rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads, christmas, christian, series, unputdownable

When I discovered there was a sequel to Christmas Shoes, I knew I HAD to read it. I couldn't put Christmas Shoes down & I couldn't put Christmas Blessing down either. Nathan has grown into a fine young man. I loved the letters from mom to son & from son to mom. I could never be as eloquent as Maggie (Nathan's mom) was or to think of others when I was so sick. I remember when I was having chemo, all I could think about was how sick I was & if I died my family would be left with a lega ...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Jana rated it it was amazing

This book deserves a 6 star rating! I had already given the 1st book in the series 5 stars, but this one is even better so I'll go with 6! It's a great story...all about the reason we are really here. It reminds us that it's not about how long we live, but how we live and who we love. Erma Bombeck says it best- "I hope that when I meet God at the Judgement bar that I don't have one single talent...and that's because I've used them all up!"

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Nov 01, 2015 Kathryn rated it liked it

Shelves: christmas, 2015

First sentence: It's Christmas Eve, and the lake in front of me is frozen hard.

Favorite quote: But I know that although we may never understand it, there is a plan, and though it may be traced in pain, in the end there will be joy, and it will be beautiful.

This is a bit of a sad Christmas story and the ending was a mixture of happiness and joy. It was just okay for me.

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Nov 26, 2016 Gazelle rated it really liked it

Another of Donna VanLiere's books to add in my read shelf. Been reading her books for years and it always pulls me back from my tendencies in complicating life. Her books have always have that simple approach in viewing life beautifully, despite the circumstances. A thought about life is always a good lesson. I think I'll make a habit of rereading her books now and then.

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Dec 21, 2014 Penelope rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 26, 2012 Fedora rated it really liked it

This was sweet--a sequel of sorts to The Christmas Shoes, we see Nathan, the boy now grown up, getting through his residency...

Some of his patients bring to mind what his mother tried to impress on him before she died, and remind him anew of the possibility of miracles.

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Oct 26, 2014 Sue rated it liked it

While some parts were moving, the medical facts were so far off base it was totally unbelievable (Have you heard of HIPAA?).

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Jan 02, 2017 Deanna rated it it was amazing

very emotional heart string tugging book-keep tissues close by

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Jan 19, 2019 Jennie Louwes rated it really liked it

Death has been a part of my life since I was 10 years old. For me, life has been equal parts pain and joy. This book represents the paradox well.

I didn't read "The Christmas Shoes" in novel form but am familiar with the song. This book is a sequel to the storyline that came before. Even though I hadn't read the first book it wasn't a hindrance to the progression of this story at all. This book stands on its own as long as you have some knowledge of "The Shoes".

Despite being a book that was predi ...more

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Apr 27, 2018 Arlington Leatham rated it it was amazing

The book “The Christmas Blessing”, by Donna VanLiere is an AMAZING STORY! This book is about a man who is working towards being a doctor but when he begins to see people dying he feels that he can't do it anymore. He begins to believe that people are dying because he cannot save them. When he finally decides to take a break his mind begins to change when he meets a girl named Megan. Megan is a very popular runner who has a dangerous and growing disease. She begins to show him the good in being a ...more

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Sep 01, 2017 Angie rated it really liked it

Shelves: advent-reads, contemporary

Synposis: "In The Christmas Shoes, young Nathan Andrews was a child who lost his mother to cancer. Now his deepest wish is to become a doctor. When a stranger named Robert gave him the money to buy his mother a pair of shoes for her last Christmas, both Robert and Nathan learned the deepest lessons of love and giving. Now a medical student in his third year, Nathan realizes there are still things to be learned about faith, blessings, and sacrifice. Lessons he will learn from Meghan Sullivan-a yo ...more

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Dec 01, 2018 Chloe rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christmas-winter

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I loved this book!! This is about Nathan, the little boy from the first book. He’s grown up now and he’s going through his rotations in medical school. He’s working in cardiology under a doctor who gives him a hard time and he considers dropping out of med school. However, he meets a patient, Meghan, who just enchants him. She’s 19 and she’s a very good runner, despite having a hole in her heart. The book follows their friendship turned relationship as well as Nathan’s journey in med school. Int ...more

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Sep 28, 2017 Marie Bungard rated it it was amazing

Is there something special you do that until you've done it the Christmas Season isn't quite what you need it to be? Perhaps a movie that you watch? A kind of cookie you bake? A special ornament on the tree? I just finished reading a book that is going to be on my Christmas list for years to come.

The Christmas Blessing wraps its arms around you and draws you into a world that has snowy sprinkles all over it. It grabs your attention and gives all the awesome emotions that are present at Christma ...more

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Dec 06, 2017 Sharon Forbes rated it really liked it

This is the second book in the Christmas Hope series, and while it was a very enjoyable read, it didn't move me quite as much as the first book did. This book is told through the perspective of Nathan, who was the little boy who bought his mother the pretty shoes, as she was dying, on Christmas. This story is about fifteen years in the future, and Nathan is in med school, studying to become a pediactric cardiologist. It tells about his life now, and how he and Robert Layton, the man who helped h ...more

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About Donna VanLiere

Donna VanLiere

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Donna is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She's an in-demand conference speaker and gifted teacher and has 14 published books including four that have been adapted into movies.

Donna is the recipient of multiple industry awards including a Retailer's Choice Award for Fiction, a Dove Award, a Silver Angel Award, two Audie Awards for best inspirational fiction, a nominee for a Gold ...more

Other books in the series

Christmas Hope (9 books)

Books by Donna VanLiere

The Christmas Secret (Christmas Hope, #5)

The Christmas Promise (Christmas Hope, #4)

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Trivia About The Christmas Ble...

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Quotes from The Christmas Ble...

“Meghan and I talked about music - she loved Ella Fitzgerald. "What about all the hip acts that college kids love? Do you like any of them?"

"Like who?"

"I don't know all their names. Snoop Diggity Do and all those hip cats." Meghan shook her head and laughed. We talked about movies - she loved anything made before 1964. No wonder I thought she was older; she was an old soul in a young body.

"So what's your favorite movie?" I asked.

"To Kill a Mockingbird." My mother would have liked Meghan. She made my father and me watch To Kill a Mockingbird with her when I was in first grade. It must have been the twentieth time she'd seen it, but she still cried at the parts that made her weepy-eyed the first nineteen times.” — 3 likes

“Donna VanLiere's "A Christmas Blessing"
“Don’t ever take your EYES off the FINISH line. If you take your eyes off the GOAL, you’ll never make it to the END.” — 3 likes

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