Or maybe you just need to catch up on what you’ve missed, you can check out the complete list of the 12 Days of Christmas here.The most recent Christmas season is in the past, but I decided to choose this book from Blogging for Books because the story sounded interesting to me. If you’d like to see what’s coming up for the rest of the days. She is the mother of three and grandmother of two. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Wright State University and worked as a reporter for the Dayton Daily News. Joanne Huist Smith is a native of Dayton, OH. Selfless acts of kindness rarely go unnoticed and unappreciated. I absolutely loved this book! I highly recommend The 13th Gift to get you in the Christmas mood whether you are grieving someone or not. And, they learned how to make it through their first Christmas while missing someone they love!

They learned how to face their grief together as a unit instead of individually. The mystery of who sent the gifts, why the gifts were being sent, and what would come next, these things kept the family moving forward. But, they were magical in the sense that they started conversations and brought the family together. The gifts weren’t anything special particularly. It starts with a simple, over wet poinsettia.

She escapes to her job so she doesn’t have to think about any of it.īut then the gifts start arriving. Her children need her, but she can’t even take care of herself, much less them. Grief, especially new grief, is so incredibly hard and you feel that from the author. But, I can tell you, I am so glad I did! This was such a raw and real story, it just warmed my heart. When the summary starts out with a family spiraling deep in grief right before Christmas, I really wasn’t sure I wanted to read it. When I picked up The 13th Gift to read, I didn’t realize it was a true story. If you are a fan of Richard Paul Evans or Greg Kinkaid, you will probably love this story! This true story about the power of random acts of kindness will warm the heart, a beautiful reminder of the miracles of Christmas and the gift of family during the holiday season.

The First Day of Christmas Books Title: The 13th Gift: A True Story of a Christmas Miracle Author: Joanne Huist Smith SummaryĪfter the unexpected death of her husband, Joanne Huist Smith had no idea how she would keep herself together and be strong for her three children–especially with the holiday season approaching.īut 12 days before Christmas, presents begin appearing on her doorstep with notes from their “True Friends.” As the Smiths came together to solve the mystery of who the gifts were from, they began to thaw out from their grief and come together again as a family. First up is my book review for The 13th Gift by Joanne Huist Smith. For the next several days I will be hosting a 12 Days of Christmas books! Each day I will review a different Christmas book that I think you might enjoy this holiday season.

The 13th gift by joanne huist smith