Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Christmas Shoes (Christmas Hope #1)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The Christmas Shoes

(Christmas Hope #1)

Donna VanLiere (Goodreads Author)

4.23 · Rating details · 31,972 ratings · 953 reviews

Sometimes, the things that can change your life will cross your path in one instant-and then, in a fleeting moment, they're gone. But if you open your eyes, and watch carefully, you will believe....

Robert is a successful attorney who has everything in life-and nothing at all. Focused on professional achievement and material rewards, Robert is on the brink of losing his mar ...more

Get A Copy

Or buy for

Hardcover, 132 pages

Published November 9th 2001 by St. Martin's Press (first published 2001)

More Details... edit details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Christmas Shoes, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore

Best Christmas Holiday Books

477 books — 553 voters

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

Favorite Christmas Books

1,050 books — 1,330 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

4.23 ·

Rating details

· 31,972 ratings · 953 reviews

Filter

Sort order

Dec 09, 2009 Julianna rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Anyone Looking for a Good Holiday Story or a Real Tear-Jerker

Shelves: desert-island-keepers, holiday-stories, read-2009, inspirational-fiction, general-fiction

Reviewed for THC Reviews
I had recently been lamenting the fact that I hadn't read a true tear-jerker yet this year. I have been know to get a bit misty-eyed at certain scenes, but it is a rare book that makes me actually shed tears. The Christmas Shoes did exactly that and more. It made me cry buckets both while reading it and afterwards while merely thinking about it, and again while trying to write this review. There is a profound and beautiful message packed into this simple short story. It m ...more

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Dec 11, 2015 Lizzie rated it it was amazing

LOVED this book! So heartwarming and such great messages! Most people have heard the song, but the book is even better! Completely recommend!

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Dec 26, 2015 Karlyflower *The Vampire Ninja, Luminescent Monster & Wendigo Nerd Goddess of Canada (according to The Hulk)* rated it liked it

Shelves: willow-says-bored-now

2.5 Stars

I’ve never been much of a seasonal reader. I believe 2014 was the first year I read any books set at Christmas time during the holidays (other than children’s books), but when I saw that my 2015 PopSugar challenge had such an entry, I knew 2014 wouldn’t be the last year I did it.

I don’t know how familiar you guys are with the song “The Christmas Shoes”, I know I’ve heard it and the general message is one that I know pretty well but it’s not a favourite or anything. So imagine my surprise when I was scouring my shelves looking for a Christmas book to complete this entry and saw this slim volume tucked in there… I actually have no idea where it came from, oh well.

The Christmas Shoes follows two different families, one which is falling apart due to illness and another due to a lack of effort. The two families cross paths on several occasions (some pleasant and some not so much) but never converge. It’s a fairly accurate reality for most people who live in the same community. And truthfully some of the most impactful moments in my life will probably never be understood by the seemingly random people who were present.

For me this book is pretty religious, which I actually don’t mind seeing as how it is set at Christmas, and it does a lovely job of tightroping that line and never becoming actually preachy. I appreciate that; preachy prose is one of my least favourite things in literature.

Probably my biggest disappointment in this book was the text itself; it gives a whole new meaning to the term “bland”. With all the heart-string pulling ammunition available in this story (and a fabulous message to boot) you would think it would invoke some feelings in me. It didn’t. It was sweet and a bit sad but overall it just sort of felt like regurgita of the same message that is in pretty much every holiday book; people are more precious than gifts.

And THAT is a message I completely agree with. However, this book bored me overall.

Category: A Book set at Christmas.
...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

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.

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Oct 17, 2016 Laura rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christmas, read-2016

Yes, this is a teary eyed read, but I am not ashamed to say that I really enjoyed it. It reminded me a lot of the theme expressed in Jimmy Stewart's movie, It's a Wonderful Life. It will remind you of what's really important in your life. I know, while I was reading it today, I blew up my husband's phone with random text messages telling him how much I loved him. I like books that inspire me to love my family more and to appreciate them and this book did exactly that. I look forward to reading t ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jun 26, 2013 Elizabeth rated it did not like it

Shelves: christian, christmas

This novel follows two different characters during a difficult Christmas season: A boy, Nathan, learns that his mother is dying of cancer, while a hard-working lawyer, Robert, realizes that he has become distanced from his wife and children. When a chance encounter brings the boy and the lawyer to the same department store check-out line, Robert learns something beautiful about the true meaning of Christmas.

I was not expecting this book to be the Great American Novel. I was expecting it to be sa This novel follows two different characters during a difficult Christmas season: A boy, Nathan, learns that his mother is dying of cancer, while a hard-working lawyer, Robert, realizes that he has become distanced from his wife and children. When a chance encounter brings the boy and the lawyer to the same department store check-out line, Robert learns something beautiful about the true meaning of Christmas.

I was not expecting this book to be the Great American Novel. I was expecting it to be sappy, saccharine even, and it was, and I don't have a problem with that. Sometimes I'm in the mood for something schmaltzy, and that's fine. If I hadn't wanted to read something sappy, I'd have quit after the first few pages. I was not expecting it to be Christian fiction, although that doesn't really surprise me. What did surprise me was this book's knack for making me angry.

First of all, the mom has been very sick for some time. She's tired and getting weaker. She's on hospice. She knew from the very beginning that she probably wouldn't make it. She's already done the chemotherapy, and she's got a hospital bed for her living room. She's come home to die. So I want to know why in the heck she and her husband wait until the day she dies to tell their eight-year-old son that the mother won't get better. Up until that day, he thought she wasn't seriously sick. I understand the parents wanting to protect the child, but they can't save the mother, so he's going to have to face this tragedy anyway. The least they could do was be honest with him. Moreover, during the mother's last hours of consciousness, the father and grandmother sit with her, read to her, talk to her. When she's safely dead, they decide it's okay for their son to come in and say goodbye. He's eight. He's not a baby. He's certainly old enough to understand what's going on, and they have robbed him of something he'll never regain. But Nathan is relieved, because apparently his father almost waited until the next day to tell the son. So hey, it could have been even worse.

Most of the cancer plot is done well enough. It's sappy and a little predictable, but that's okay for this style of book. There were even some things that I liked. For instance, I always thought shoes were a sort of strange gift to give to someone who could no longer walk, so I was wondering how VanLiere would introduce the idea. It turns out that Nathan heard his teacher saying that her favorite Christmas was the one on which she received, as a present, a new pair of shoes. So Nathan, who only just learned of his mother's impending death, dashes off to buy the only thing he knows of TO buy. It makes sense, and its both sweet and sad. That said, the teacher character isn't all that well-written: in 29 years of teaching, she's never had a student whose parent had died. Really? 29 years' worth of students all came from happy, two-parent homes? VanLiere did not have to make Nathan's surroundings artificially cheery in order to make his situation, which is intrinsically tragic, seem sad.

What really steamed me about this book is the other plot, the lawyer who has a chance encounter with the boy. He had a nice job. He bought a nice house. This, apparently, makes him a bad guy. His wife thinks that he works too many hours, and she wants a divorce, She doesn't suggest trying to reconnect, nor does she want counseling. No, the first indication that he has that she is in any way dissatisfied is when she says that she wants a divorce, which she then tries to justify with the flimsiest rationalization I can imagine: "Let's face it, you left this family a long time ago." Are we even supposed to like the wife? It's not that she's mean. In fact, outside this one scene (a page and a half), she doesn't really have any personality. What did he do that was so wrong? He embezzled! No, wait, that's not it. Maybe he had an affair? No? Did he just get drunk and make a pass at his mother-in-law? No? Really? You mean he only worked hard and lived honestly? Heck, I'd divorce him too.

But like I said, there isn't enough of the wife in the book to like or dislike her. She's just kind of there. Robert's mother, however, has a personality. Not a great one. She's nosy, arrogant, judgmental, mean-spirited, and she's one of the story's heroes because it was she (and not the wife) pointed out to Robert the error of his ways. She cornered him, and even though he did not want to discuss it with her, he listened to her ~~sermon~~ ~~lecture~~ conversation. But did it have to be so much like a catechism? What is the problem in your marriage? I'll tell you. You are the problem in your marriage. Why are you the problem in your marriage? And on. And on. The mother seems to have been endowed with the ability to know exactly what's troubling her daughter-in-law without ever having discussed anything with her, but is she psychic? No! Turns out she can speak for all women. Joy!

Meanwhile, the rich lawyer is contrasted with Nathan's family, where money is "tight," and they "can barely make ends meet." They bought a ranch house, put in a new roof, new floors, new carpeting, and new plumbing. And I don't mean they fixed a leak; they ripped out the pipes and put in new ones, and they made repairs to the foundation as well. They made it "the nicest" home on the block. Then, the wife went nuts buying all kinds of new plants for the garden. Meanwhile, her husband had a steady job, and she worked part-time. But, oh, by the way, they're so poor. The husband is kept awake nights feeling guilty for not being a better provider, and the wife consoles him by saying that there is a difference between wants and needs, and at least they have their needs. Heck, if a sprawling ranch house, remodel, and plants are needs, I'd hate to see their wants. Of course, by the end of the story, the lawyer learns how misguided he has has been. He says, "We all have questions in this life. It's taken me a long time to figure out what the really important question are. NotHow am I going to make enough money?[. . .]No, more like What are flowers thinking beneath the snow?" That about says it all, I think. Years from now, I can tell my own kids, "Aw, gee, Sport. I'm sorry you're having the seizures/chest pains/asthma attacks/allergies/near-sightedness/any-kind-of-ailment, but son, that's just not important. You should focus instead on the emotions of last summer's dead plants. That really matters." (I assume VanLiere meant "seeds" or "bulbs," not flowers, but it's a moot point anyway since neither dead flowers nor live bulbs possess an amygdala.)

That's most of what bothered me with this book. It was too shallow, the characters were unlikeable (except for the unlikable lawyer--him I understood). It tries too hard. It presents a moving scene, but then it spells out why it's moving, and then it has the characters narrate their own process of discovering the beauty/sorrow/love of the season. It's the kind of Christian book that gives Christian fiction a bad reputation, and I'm not even sure how Christian it is. I didn't appreciate VanLiere insulting Easter, the holiest of our festivals, just to make Christmas look better by comparison, nor did I enjoy her interpretation of the star that guided the magi as being the light at the end of the tunnel. Look at the light! Go into the star! It's a death star! Oh, please.

Life is too short to read bad books. Save yourself from this one. ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Feb 10, 2009 Nathan rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: People who own tables that have one leg shorter than the others.

Recommended to Nathan by: Dagny

This was given to me as a gag gift, and (spoiler alert!) it sucks. I suppose you could say that it is somewhat capably written, much in the same way that a high school essay takes a few scattered facts and stretches them out into a full research page paper. That's where the positives end. The book is filled with enough sugary schmaltz and false sentimentality to send cookie monster into a diabetic coma. The character development (if you could call it that) of secondary characters serves little p ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Nov 28, 2017 Simply. Sarah rated it it was amazing

I had to take breaks from this book just so I could cry.

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Dec 15, 2008 Antof9 rated it liked it

Shelves: 2008-read, made-me-cry

I'm not sure why I'd start reading a book like this on the anniversary of the day my dad died, but I started it yesterday. After sobbing through the first half, I put it down to finish it this evening. It's one of those short, heartwarming stories where a hardened workaholic learns the true meaning of Christmas, someone dies (actually multiple people die), and you really wish it was snowing outside. In short, it was lovely, and I cried all the way through it.

The perspective change throughout was ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Nov 30, 2017 Haley S rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2017-reading-resolution, books-i-would-recommend, favorites, reviewed

Pardon me while I cry my eyes out.
This book was so good but so sad. I definitely cried more than once while reading this short and sweet little story. For anyone looking for a Christmas story, this is it. All of the plots and characters in it were amazingly written out. Donna VanLiere is a great author. As soon as I finished this story, I decided that I wanted to read the next book in this series, The Christmas Blessing. This second book in the series is about Nathan. However, he is grown up no ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 12, 2015 Sandra Bašić rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Sadness and pain mixed with warmth and gratitude. Right book at the right time - Christmas time! Christmas is not only decorations and gifts underneath the tree, Christmas is love, family and faith. Books like this one are here to remind us that, over and over again. Don't celebrate holidays for material causes, stay still for a moment and be grateful - for life and for persons beside you.

All of us have something to believe in, so have faith and BELIEVE!

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 26, 2008 Becky rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-own, christmas-stories, tear-jerker

This book was a huge tear jerker. I think I cried through almost the entire book. Thank goodness it was only 140 pages. ;) But the story was great and it was a real heart felt book. Made you think about what's really important in life and the true meaning of Christmas.

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 03, 2017 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017, christmas, literary-fiction

4 Stars

I did enjoy this story a lot. It was inspirational and lovely and showed how just a little kindness can truly change someone's life.

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 03, 2018 R.A. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christmas-reads, reading-through-the-holidays-challe, my-books, must-reads, my-top-top-favourites, five-stars, young-adult

Wow! How do I even review this? The cover is lovely, but the story was just amazing!

I don't know anything about The Christmas Shoes song, so that wasn't the reason I bought this and read it! But I LOVE how the story is focused around the lyrics of that song (the lyrics are on a page at the end of the book).

It's a very powerful, spiritual book which made me love it more! It was so focused around God! There was forgiveness as well, along with the fact that married couples should stay together when ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 12, 2017 Caitlyn rated it it was amazing

This book is 132 pages of sadness. I hate cancer! I hate it! I hate it! I was upset when reading The Fault in Our Stars, but I cried reading this book.

We, as humans, become so focused and stressed during the holidays that greediness tends to get the best of us. We are never necessarily satisfied with 'having enough' during the holidays, but simply wanting or needing more.

This book not only places the reader in another individual's tragic situation, but also makes the reader realize that just b ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 26, 2017 Kate rated it liked it

3.5/5

A light and easy read. One of those heart-warming books about how a single event can alter the course of someone’s life. I found that it jumped back and forth between narrators in a way that was not always easy to follow.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 05, 2017 Latha Viknesh (betweenthecovers_sg) rated it it was ok

I would give this book a 2.5.
Touching book with a nice message but not my cup of tea. Story lacks character development, maybe because it's based on a song of the same name. People reviewed it as a tear-jerker. I didn't tear but some parts were heart-warming.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 12, 2018 Olivia rated it really liked it

Shelves: adult-readers-20, christmas, contemporary, late-teens-17-19, mid-teens-15-16, my-sisters-books

Precious and a beautiful refreshing Christmas read. There's tears and sadness, but oh so much hope in it too!

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 21, 2018 Shiloah rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2018-personal-reading-challenge, christmas

A bit too depressing for my taste.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 27, 2017 Manjushree’ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A short, simple and touching book. I chose to read this book because of the numerous reviews here that said it’s a tear-jerking book. I’ve never had a book that brought tears to my eyes and was both intrigued & skeptical that this book would be the first one to do it. So I went for it with a “Bring it on! Make me tear” attitude. Let’s just say you don’t want to be reading this book with mascara on cause you’re probably going to start looking like a raccoon by the end of it. Loved the book!

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 09, 2015 Dana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christmas, christmasreadchallenge2015, new-author-to-me-2015, read-in-2015

It's been awhile since I have read a tear jerker this book is simply heart wrenching yet absolutely wonderful. Love the message of it just beautiful and highly recommend
It to anyone who wants a good book with a good message that is an easy to read wonderful Christmas book! And PS make sure A. You aren't sitting in the dentist office while reading as they might think you are crying from tooth pain and B. Have a box of tissues handy

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Apr 25, 2015 Jennifer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: library-books, 2015-reads

This book was beautiful! I read it so quickly, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I want to read the sequel but it may have to wait till next year. I am going to watch the movie.. I might cry like I cried whilst reading the book.

Please read the book, it's a beautiful story with a beautiful message.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 12, 2018 Book Concierge rated it did not like it

Shelves: christmas, concierge, library, family, series

1.5*

I’m sure you’ve heard the Christmas song about the little boy who wants to buy a special pair of shoes for his Mama on Christmas. She’s dying and he wants her to feel special when she meets Jesus.

Well, VanLiere expands that song into this novella. The writing is trite and the story line, melodramatic and manipulative. There are a few redeeming qualities. I really did like the interactions of the Andrews family: Nathan, dad Jack and mom Maggie. I also really liked Nathan’s teacher and the w ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 11, 2018 Phylisha Stone rated it it was amazing

A wonderful Christian read featuring two families having difficult times during the Christmas season. You will need a box of tissues for this one.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 02, 2017 Mom2triplets04 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Read this for a readalong with Elizabeth from LizzieFayelovesbooks. This was a heartbreaking story that left me in tears. I’ve heard the song before but never knew the story behind it. Highly recommend everyone read this.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 25, 2018 Nina Hoppe rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018-christmas

I was crying through out the book. So much love showed through in the attitudes and generosity each character showed towards others.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 29, 2017 Nithiya Saher (betweenthecovers_sg) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Christmas Shoes is my first book by Donna VanLiere. It is a book with all the feels! The story is heartwarming and tear-jerking all at once and it is beautifully written in a way that makes me strongly relate to the storylines. I felt VanLiere really took the time to personalize each of the main characters and I could really feel for them. The story is remarkably touching and I found myself getting misty-eyed towards the end. What a great storyteller!

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 19, 2014 Lina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: christian-lit, drama, family, realistic-fiction

3.5 stars actually. Some parts of the translation bother me. The strange thing, there isn't any translator name in the book.

Indah asked me if there is any emotion I felt after read this book, either sad or happy?
Well some parts of the book really tear me up (after all I always weak when it comes with family drama, sacrifice or struggle and poverty) but the book not memorable, the story quite cliche & predictable. About workaholic man who put his works first after his family and about a nic 3.5 stars actually. Some parts of the translation bother me. The strange thing, there isn't any translator name in the book.

Indah asked me if there is any emotion I felt after read this book, either sad or happy?
Well some parts of the book really tear me up (after all I always weak when it comes with family drama, sacrifice or struggle and poverty) but the book not memorable, the story quite cliche & predictable. About workaholic man who put his works first after his family and about a nice family whose struggle because one of their family member dying of cancer.

The characters are one dimensional event the main guy far from lovable. But this is perfect Christmas book because it have anything about Christmas value such as family, love, giving and bible verse. Anyway this song is really describe the story and I believe, the lyrics itself already make you sad.

It was almost Christmas time
And there I stood in another line
Trying to buy that last gift or two
Not really in the Christmas mood
And standin right in front of me was a
Little boy waiting anxiously
Pacin around like little boys do
And in his hands he held
A pair of shoes

And His clothes were worn and old
He was dirty from head to toe
And when it came his time to pay
I couldn't beleive what I heard him say

Sir I wanna buy these shoes
For my mama. please
It's Christmas eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry sir
Daddy says there's not much time
You see,
She's been sick for quite a while And I
know these shoes will make her smile And I
Want her to look beautiful
If mama meets Jesus tonight

They counted penny's for what seemed like years then the
Cashier said, "Son, there's not enough here."
He searched his pockets frantically
Then he turned and he looked at me and he said
"Mama made Christmas good at our house though
Most years she just did without, Tell me sir,
What am I gonna do?
Some how I gotta buy her these Christmas shoes."

So I laid the money down
I just had to help him out
And I'll never forget the look on his face when he said,
"Mama's gonna look so great."

Sir I wanna buy these shoes
For my mama. please
It's Christmas eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry sir
Daddy says there's not much time
You see,
She's been sick for quite a while And I
know these shoes will make her smile And I
Want her to look beautiful
If mama meets Jesus tonight

I knew I'd caught a glimpse of heaven's love as he thanked me and ran out
I knew that God had sent me that little boy to remind me what Christmas is all about

Sir I wanna buy these shoes
For my mama. please
It's Christmas eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry sir
Daddy says there's not much time
You see,
She's been sick for quite a while And I
know these shoes will make her smile And I
Want her to look beautiful
If mama meets Jesus tonight

I Want her to look beautiful
If mama meets Jesus tonight

...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 18, 2012 Heather McKeon rated it it was ok

So I'm hosting book club in December this year, and so I am reading some Christmas books to find a good one to pick. I know it's only September, but I wanted to have plenty of time to read a few books before I make my decision. I asked the librarian for some suggestions of unusual Christmas books. Because I really didn't want to read any of those trite, dripping with obvious message type books. So naturally she recommended The Christmas Shoes. Really? I am not totally mad at her because she did ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 23, 2011 Jasmine Marie {#thebookishmama} rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christmas-reads, christian-fiction

I was in the mood for a Christmas read, so I finally picked up The Christmas Shoes after seeing it for years at Costco and other bookstores. The cover art and small-size of the book drew me into picking up the book and I'm glad I finally figured out what the fuss was all about with the "Christmas" books.

I loved this story. It was a very quick read and just what I wanted in a Christmas book - full of love, family and redemption. However, I think the deeper parts of the story were a bit unexpected ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Play Book Tag: The Christmas Shoes / Donna VanLiere - 1.5*	5	15	Mar 14, 2018 04:07PM
Christian Fiction...: November Book of the Month - The Christmas Shoes by Donna VanLiere	10	36	Nov 30, 2014 02:22PM
Clean Fiction: Discussion January 2015's Book of the Month	2	2	Jun 24, 2014 05:39PM
how does this little boy help Robet with his life?	3	24	Jan 26, 2012 05:10AM
Madison Mega-Mara...: The Christmas Shoes	1	5	Jan 13, 2012 04:32PM

Readers Also Enjoyed

Genres

Holiday > Christmas

430 users

Fiction

162 users

Holiday

76 users

Christian Fiction

47 users

See top shelves…

About Donna VanLiere

Donna VanLiere

641 followers

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