Snow Day

by Billy Coffey

In this debut novel, Peter is a simple man who lives by a simple truth--a person gains strength by leaning on his constants. To him, those constants are the factory where he works, the family he loves, and the God who sustains him. But when news of job cuts comes against the backdrop of an unexpected snowstorm, his life becomes filled with far more doubts than certainties.
With humor and a gift for storytelling, Billy Coffey brings you along as he spends his snow day encountering family, friends, and strangers of his small Virginia town. All have had their own battles with life's storms. Some have found redemption. Others are still seeking it. But each one offers a piece to the puzzle of why we must sometimes suffer loss, and each one will help Peter find a greater truth--our lives are made beautiful not by our big moments, but our little ones.

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christmas, Book Club, Holiday, Inspirational, Spirituality

208 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2010

About the author

Billy and his wife, Joanne, live with their two children in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. A product of his small-town locale, Billy counts as assets his rural authenticity, unwavering sense of purpose, and insatiable curiosity--all of which tend to make his front porch a comfortably crowded place.

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you rate a book that has helped you emotionally, has shown you the light in so many instances. Has opened up a whole new way of looking at things, and has sentences in it that stay with you for life, are now ingrained, branded, never to be forgotten? I have got to rate it with 5 stars. Its a short book but it packs a heavy punch and there are lessons a plenty!!

This book is about a man, who one snowy day, encounters strangers and a plume of situations. He looks at all of these encounters with everyone from a totally different eye. An inside eye. He views everything from the heart, yet from a totally different perspective than what a lot of us do.
He sees reason in everything that happens that day. He soul searches every encounter. In doing so, you the reader can identify with almost everything he says.

Each chapter is a different experience that one snowy day, and by the end of each chapter, I was either crying or sitting there with my mouth agape, shaking my head up and down realizing, internally speaking, "hey...that is me.. I really see that now! That makes total sense".

If you dont learn anything about life from this book, then there is no hope for you lol. Ok, there is always hope.

My favorite scene was the chapter called, "Beautiful Scars". I was swept away by it and cried silently for a long time. I even had to set the book down for a few days, in order to process everything that was meant in that chapter, for us to understand. It followed so closely with my life. I think everyone will find that the situations in this book will mimic many marker events or just random times in ones life. How we handle them all, is the question.

Mesmerized by this authors writing, in awe of his intelligence and heart, I feel there should be more books like this one available.

One of the things many things said in this book that will stay with me the most was, "Charlie told me once that my scars made me beautiful, that if I hadn't gone through all of that, then God couldn't have made me the person that I am.." "I had done plenty of things of which I wasn't proud. Harmful things, hurtful things. Things I wished I could take back and couldn't. Helen carried her scars on the outside but I carried mine on the inside. I would argue that they were much worse, but there was a God who still loved me...Little rotten, scarred me".

Now for those of you who are not Christian, I highly recommend this book anyway to you. It is so full of things that can help you to see things from a different prospective, perhaps one you have never considered before. It isn't about Christianity, it is about life, its lessons, where it takes us, where we wish to go, where we go that we never expected. This is a book for every single person alive. If we all read this book, society and the world would be a lovely place.

[window · Rating 2 out of 5]

A two-star rating seems to nicely sum up my reaction to this book: it was OK. It wasn't terrible, but I didn't really like it all that much and I really wanted to like it. I thought this would be inspiring and thought-provoking Christian fiction, based on the other reviews, but it's really more of a series of anecdotes that are forced together in the context of the main character's internal thoughts during an unexpected snow day. There is very little in the way of plot or characterization. Like some other reviewers have noted, the chapters would likely have worked better adapted into a series of devotionals.

For me, the main character Peter came across as alternately whiny and proselytizing to humble and philosophical. I couldn't really get a read on his character. His wife and children are more cardboard-ish than the box the book came in and somehow, just about everyone in his town is a strong Christian who openly discusses their faith. Many parts of the book came across as unrealistic and contrived. For example, in one scene, Peter runs into an older couple in the SuperMart (aka, Walmart) whom he had never met before. Of course, they have deep conversation in the aisle about how she got the scars on her face, why his leg was amputated and how they ended up meeting, falling in love, and getting married. In the same store, he strikes up conversation with a young couple who then relate their financial hardships and agony over disappointing their young son at Christmas. He starts yet another conversation with an older man who anonymously buys that couple's son a toy and leaves it for him in their unlocked car. All of this in a SuperMart during the mad scramble of the holiday season in the midst of a snow storm. Um, OK.

I am sorry to say that I found the story a bit too sappy and contrived for my taste. It's a sweet story, but almost to the point of syrupy sweet. I ended up skimming/skipping the last 1/3 or so of the book to see if there were any big revelations at the end that would make reading the rest of the book worthwhile. No such luck.

I appear to be in the minority of people who didn't love this book. I think it will appeal to those looking for a story that's an easy read with a strong Christian message. Readers who can get past the fact that many of the scenes seemed to be artificiality built to house a particular message will likely enjoy it.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snow Day is Billy Coffey's reminds us that the important things in life aren't things at all, this little book reminds us of what is important. Filled with little stories about faith, wisdom, and kindness, and the overwhelming Love of God.

Peter Boyd is just your average man, he has two children, a wife who works as a teacher, and a good job. But when the company sends a memo stating "Exciting Announcement" he fears the rumors that have been spreading are true, that he will be laid off at work. A major cause to worry when your job brings in 3/4ths of the family's income. So when the little town of Mattingly VA is blanketed with snow he decides that for one day he doesn't want to think about work, so he takes an emergency snow day.

As with any major weather issue bread and milk are a must so his wife sends him off to the super center, which sound suspiciously like my Super Walmart, to do a bit of shopping. We follow him on his shopping expedition as he meets a cast of characters that reminds us of little life lessons. So Peter spends his snow day taking stock of his life, and realizes what is most important.

Billy Coffey is a writer who was able to draw me right into the story and make me feel like I was right there with him, I could easily imagine him vying for the last loaves of bread, or the elderly gentleman yelling for help, I could just imagine the mad dash the workers made and the EMT hustling down the aisle to be of assistance!
This story was written like several mini stories, the one thing that tied it together was Peter.While beautifully written this story doesn't tax the brain, it is very easy to follow and somewhat predictable, but the lessons in this book are priceless!

I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more from this talented writer!

Even though I was provided a review copy of this book by Faith Words it in no way influenced my opinion of this book!

[Karen Ezra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspirational book looking at a
snow day and figuring out how to feel more blessed through the stories of those he meets

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw ¨Snow Day¨ by Billy Coffey on the bookshelf I knew I had to read it. I saw the book a few weeks before christmas break and I thought it was an appropriate time to read it. I was looking for a book to get me into the christmas spirit, and this book was the perfect choice. When I read the back of the book I knew that it was going to be a very light-hearted easy book. This book was perfect because it was set up differently than the books I have recently read. I felt like I had been reading books that were very similar to each other, and I wanted a change. Even though the genre of the book is fiction, the plot was very different from what I tend to read, and enjoy.

¨Snow Day¨ was a story about life, faith, and people. The main character, Peter, has a steady job at a factory, a wife, and two kids. His life is going pretty well until he hears a rumor that he might be getting laid off. Peters worries were held off by a huge snow storm that was hitting Virginia. He was forced to stay home from work that day and he couldn't get fired if he wasn't at work. Peters wife makes him go to the local supermarket to get milk and bread to have during the storm. Peter ends up spending the day people watching at the supermarket. He encounters many different people that all have a different story. All of the events he witnesses at the supermarket have an impact on Peter and his outlook on life. For example, Peter sees a man following a child around the store. He thinks that the man is going to hurt or take the child. As Peter was following him, he watched the man buy the toy that the kid asked his parents (who did not have enough money) for. The man snuck the toy into the kids car, and then watched how excited he was when he found it. Peter saw some amazing things and heard some very inspirational stories on his snow day trip. However, he also heard some stories of disappointment, and problems that were unresolved. When peter returned home he realized that it was the little things in life that matter the most, and everything will be okay if you have a strong sense of faith.

I really liked how this book was set up. The entire story was just one day of Peter's life. This made the story feel like a short story, when really it was a novel. I also liked how it made you feel like you were there at the supermarket. All of the stories were told very clearly and it made you feel like you were connected to the characters. I also liked that all of the little stories, both the good and the sad, taught you a new lesson in life. The book was very inspirational. It was a ¨feel-good¨ type of story and I really liked that. I definitely have a different outlook on life after reading this book.

One thing I did not love about the book was it was very fluffy. There was not much depth to the story which I didn't hate, but it did make it a little boring at times. Each new chapter was a different little inspirational story, and that got a little repetitive. I liked how many lessons I learned during this book, but some of the stories were predictable. As I was reading, I usually knew what was going to come next or how it was going to end.

[Jack T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growing up as a kid I always loved the winter. I love to go sledding, have snowball fights, and snowboard. When I saw the book Snow day I was intrigued and decided to give it a try as it seemed like a bit of an easier read than my last book. It didn't take me long to notice this book was not really about snow days. It became more and more interesting as the author's main character talked about his life's troubles and how he searched for the answers. I then fully committed to the book after about two chapters of reading.
This book takes place in Virginia near a small town. The main character Peter decides to take off a day at work to take the mind of his works recent news of layoffs. As he goes running errands and travels around town he gets taught some valuable lessons. Peter has had some struggles in life and doesn't know really what matters in life. He meets this old couple who teaches the lessons of loving something even if it doesn't look good on the inside. They both have a disease that affects there life and this makes Peter realize something about life. He runs into a former classmate who used to be a loser and no one liked. Now he is going to college and trying to learn the cure for diabetes. He also spends his time with his kids who are 3 and 5. The 5-year-old teaches him by giving up her favorite bear to the homeless, that God gives us hope and faith, and we need to spread this throughout the world. Even though he gets fired he ends up finding new work and this day taught him so much and gave him new hope that he can make a difference and change his life around.
I thought this book had a good idea and structure. By this from first glance, this book seems like a happy snow day event. You do not expect to learn different ways to handle life when it gets tough. I feel like for a more advanced reader this is a simple but elegant book. There are many weird or odd experiences that go on in life but you learn and mature through them. This book also has a great setting. This is because the situations Peter faced are all decision regular humans could experience. This book can be like a self-help book for some people. It will teach you about seeing the real beauty in life.
This book even though this book can teach you a lot, it is not very well written. There are many sentences, phrases, and paragraph that may be confusing to a normal reading. I often found myself going back and re-reading lines to understand them more clearly. The book also often skipped the setting to often. There would be some points where they would just cut to a flashback and then sprinkle in some of the normal conversations between it. There was one time was at the end of a paragraph Peter was about to ring the doorbell of a neighbors house. Then switched over to the end of the conversation between the Neighbor and Peter.

[Charlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be thinking about this book for a while. I complain that there are few mentions of God & faith & their role in modern life in contemporary fiction. Now, with this book, I am going to complain that this novel is almost too much about those things. It is short, well written but there's not the depth I was hoping for in the main character. But then . . . character is in his early 30s and he goes as deep, or deeper, in his reflections than I was doing at that age so perhaps not a fair criticism.
I also thought perhaps the setting rang true -- a young couple with rural background and values who are just at the edge of a world morphing into subdivisions and lack of community.
The story that will stay with me is Bobby's and how he lost his faith after his mission trip to help out in New Orleans after Katrina. One of the few stories that doesn't wrap up sweetly in the epilogue.
Book really reads more like short vignettes or stories that have been put together. I was really expecting more from it as a novel.

[Ausjenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good read. Peter wakes up to snow the schools have called a snow day and Peter decides to take one also. Peter is looking at maybe having his job cut or decreased and things look bleak.
Being as I have never seen snow fall I found some of the things in this book interesting one being how everyone wants milk and bread. This leads to encounters with many different people during the day and little life lessons happen with many of these meetings. I found the insights and truths he found from the different encounters quite interesting and ones that can be applied to my own life. The different perspectives on the same idea, item or thought can be interesting also. Alot happens in one day but it was a day of discovery and a really good read with alot of humor in the story telling. For a debut book this was excellent would love to read more stories by Billy.

[Jane S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is a little gem in its own right - basically comprising the observations of a father-of-2 as he went about his day off doing errands and spending time with his kids. His reflections are unassuming and could easily echo any one of our own internal dialogues e.g. his thoughts about possible layoffs at work, about his neighbors and his small town community, what he has to be grateful for, how small acts parallel the larger circumstances and choices we make in life etc. Despite the clearly Christian theme of relating to God etc., the book isn't preachy or proselytizing in tone and could appeal to readers of any religion or none. In fact, I thought its appeal derives mainly from its home-grown sense of humanity and wisdom which I found very comforting. A highly recommended read.

[K.M. Weiland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect to be so moved by this book, but I was. Billy Coffey takes a simple thing - a snow day - and turns it into a journey through life. In a series of gentle, folksy vignettes he presents a protagonist who is lost in the same, ordinary way we all are and uses his observations and discoveries to shed a little light on our common plight: life. This pretty lightweight stuff on the surface, but there's a lot of depth hiding underneath.

[Jennifer Nowak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a wonderful and powerful book! This profound book really makes you take stock of your life and what is really important. If everyone read and applied there wisdom of "Snow Day", the world would be a much more compassionate place.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's a very uplifting story about important lessons in everyday life and how God plays a roll in our lives.

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would you enjoy reading it again:
Probably not. I went into this book thinking it was going to be about kids enjoying a snow day but it is not that at all: it is about a father going to a grocery store and doing boring stuff; each chapter is essentially a new story where he learns a lesson at the end of the chapter, and the lessons are dumb things like learning to trust in God or appreciate what you have or whatnot. The concept is decent (for there to be a lesson at the end of every chapter) but it is very predictable and boring, and the lessons aren't anything you wouldn't expect- 2

Did you enjoy the plot:
It stunk, should have put it down/ I can do better. It seems like the only reason it is called 'Snow Day' is to be more marketable (and it worked). There is only two chapters where the father watches kids playing in a snow, and he tries way too hard to find a lesson which causes it to be boring and uninteresting. Since each chapter is essentially a new lesson, and thus basically a new story, there is no real flow to the book, and there is nothing encouraging you to continue reading. There should have been some overarching plot element that made you interested to continue reading to find out what would happen next - 1

Did you enjoy the writing style:
Not really. It was mostly him telling and not showing. The book could have been very magical if he went into more detail about the snowy environment and such. The dialogue between the characters was far-fetched (he would go up to random strangers and they would willingly explain their situation and everything; and by him doing this, it made him seem like he was prying and that ruined the Christmas magic of the story because it felt like we were reading a story about a creep who claims to be innocent - the author should have been more clever with how the character learned different lessons; the character should not have been outright told the lessons) - 2

Good ending?
Very predictable and boring. I could predict almost every chapter's lesson after reading the first page or two of the chapter. The book ended like I expected it to end and there was no reward or anything encouraging me to read further, but I decided to continue reading it in hopes that I was wrong, sadly I was not - 2

Format: e-book
Average rating: 1.75 stars. Round up: 2 stars.

[Renee Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book at a used book sale. I was drawn to the nostalgic cover. It reminded me of Norman Rockwell and memories of bygone childhood days. I picked it up, put it down, walked away, then back and picked it up again. For a buck I thought I could give it a shot. This book is magic. It is exactly what I needed at exactly this time. It has helped me gain perspective of daily life in this world and encouraged me to look beyond my immediate circumstances to notice others and the burdens they may be carrying.
This is the story of Peter Boyd, who has heard a rumor that he may be out of a job shortly. When he wakes the next morning instead of going into the office, he decides to take a snow day. As Peter moves throughout the day he comes in contact with his family and people in the community; and he learns something from each person he encounters that changes his perspective on life. This is a lovely, warm novel, filled with faith and finding purpose and contentment in your life. A hidden gem and the perfect read for Advent and the Christmas Season.

[Cheryl Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. For me it was "It's a wonderful life" meets Max Lucado. :) I really appreciated the author's journey in this book, that with each person he meets, there is a new lesson to be learned. To me that is where the "Max Lucado" comes in. If you have ever read any of his books, you will know that he is a master at bringing the scriptures alive in common place situations. I love that. I feel that Mr. Coffey does that equally as well and in story form, I love that too. I felt utterly encouraged as I listened to this book (I got the audiobook version), because I felt that if we open our "spiritual eyes" a bit that we too can truly learn some spiritual lessons from the folks that we encounter every day. We just have to take the time to truly see the people and hear God teach us the lessons. It's a slower paced story but it's truly worth it. Great novel!

4.5 stars.

[Katee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very reminiscent of It's a Wonderful Life. Loved the life lessons in it (value the time and place and people you have in your life, live without regrets, live intentionally, stick to your beliefs, etc.) Not nearly as cheesy as Tuesdays with Morrie, but still quite good.

Peter Boyd is a man in his thirties who is marginally discontent with his life. He has a wonderful wife and two kids, but is growing bitter towards his factory type job. When his factory shuts down for a snow day, he learns some life lessons along the course of the day. Include people who don't have family or friends, say to others "Merry Christmas" and put aside political correctness, don't give up on people who may have wandered from the church. Totally recommend for a light hearted and quick read.

[Teri G · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked it up at the library before I realized it was inspirational/ Christian fiction. No problem, I've read some books that fall into that category, and we all need a little feel-good read from time to time, right?

Well, I was disappointed. It's a very fluffy book, and I read through it in a couple of hours. Each chapter was a little story with a lesson at the end. I do think I like Peter, except when he's being Mr Nosey, having unlikely and contrived conversations at the grocery store. I just don't know much about him - or anyone in the story, for that matter.

There were some good reminders in the book and I didn't walk away entirely empty-handed, but I don't think I can recommend it.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Mom read Snow Day and then passed it on to me, saying how much she enjoyed it. Before I finished the book, I was inspired to stop at a neighbor’s house on my way home from work and introduce myself to the elderly lady living there, giving her my phone number in case she needed anything. Now, I’d been meaning to do this for years but just never took the time to stop. It turns out her name is Eleanor, the same name of the elderly lady the main character met when he heard God tell him to go back and meet his neighbor. Oh. My. Goodness. I was brought to tears when I was reminded at the end of the book this was his neighbor’s name. Coincidence? I think not. This was all God working through the author to get to me. Thank you for doing what you’ve been called to do, Mr. Coffey!

[Jo Donoghue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a nice step into someone else’s life for a day and a snow day where the common rules don’t apply due to it’s unexpected appearance of. The day is yours what will you do with it or it with you? Commonness was a nice factor to relate to and another’s perceptive to every day activities. Life is how you look at things not what you do with your things. TKS for the reminder. Nice first time reading this author. Really enjoyed your truthful writing. Spoken from the heart. Wrapped it in a Trader Joe’s shopping bag for mailing and sent to my sister. Too good to not share a simple day with one another by your retelling Billy.

[Cheryl Okimoto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, but the chapter formula got old

The plot was good - man at risk of getting downsized at work takes a snow day and learns some lessons. Unfortunately, by the fifth chapter, what was going to happen at the end of the chapter was too easily predicted. A few inconsistencies were annoying, like a whole chapter was devoted to Peter, Sara and Josh's trek through the yard, with a swing set, sandbox and a creek, then later Peter thinks about his yard as half the size of a tennis court. But Coffey can spin a good yarn, so it was still enjoyable.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I wasn't already head-over-heels in love with Billy Coffey's writing from his other books, I would have put this one down as too preachy for my tastes. Still good, and in that sense you can see where he got a lot of his origin material for Mattingly and the people in it. If this is your first book of his, please read some others, his style blossoms delightfully in his other novels. This one is the bud.

[Patty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thought it would be a fun read for the season and the weather but it wasn’t. The message were good but the delivery was bad. Peter packs a lot into his snow day, each chapter has different people and a different message. No real character development. A little too preachy for me. Reminds me of a Hallmark movie.

[CindyHunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everybody needs a Snow Day...

So curl up in your favorite chair and meet some new friends, find out what's really important in our journey in this life and just enjoy the ride with all the bumps and curves and especially the detours.
I will read this book over and over. We all need to remember that we are here for a Reason.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not finish. I don’t have anything against Christian books but I don’t particularly want to read one. I’m not- not a believer but I don’t need it drilled into me. There’s sweetness here but too much of the The Lord. I’m having a hard time these days. The book has much to say without hitting anyone with a sledgehammer. Thanks for listening

[a_smidgen_of_life (Staci) · Rating 3 out of 5]

On a day of a big storm, Peter decides to take a snow Day from work to stay home with his wife and kids. What ensues is an otherwise benign day, going to the Super Mart for the proverbial storm-required "bread and milk", playing with his kids in the snow, etc. But in each of his tasks, there is a moral-of-the-story type lesson. Albeit cheesy, the messages are true and uplifting.

[Julie McCarthy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made the choice to cut my losses before investing any more of my precious free time. I won’t be recommending this book. I can understand it was written with good intentions, however, I did not enjoy this writer’s style nor the content/ storyline (if it even had one).

[Maureen · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF After more than half done, I knew this was not the book for me. While I agree with most of the author's perspective on the world, the little folksy tales were not for me especially in a hot as hell summer.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. When I finished it I had not realized 95% of it took place a 25 hour time period. Mr. Coffey creates interesting characters and gives you such details you can put yourself in the middle of the small town he is writing about.

[Gregory Andis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debut novel of this author. I did not love it but found a great deal of wisdom in its simple story. I would read this guy again.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It would make this world a better place if we all took a "snow day" once in awhile.