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Search - Andrew's Quest For The Perfect Christmas Gift

Andrew's Quest For The Perfect Christmas Gift
Author: G, Scott Sparrow, Kathleen Sparrow

The book, Andrew’s Quest for the Perfect Christmas Gift is a moving story about young Andrew MacClean, who has a life-changing experience a few days before Christmas. In the days leading up to this experience, Andrew faces significant stresses and worries. For one thing, his father tells Andrew -- who is focused entirely on getting what he wa... more »nts for Christmas -- that he must make or buy presents for his loved ones with his own money. Meanwhile, Andrew continues to grieve his parents’ divorce and the death of his grandfather. In the context of this private struggle, Andrew has an experience that sets the stage for the rest of the story -- and for the rest of his life. Andrew seems to awaken to a sound in the house. When he goes to investigate, he discovers that a boy about his own age is downstairs near the Christmas tree. At first Andrew is suspicious when the boy introduces himself as a friend. But Andrew quickly comes to trust the boy, who seems to know Andrew. After a while, the boy announces that he must leave. When Andrew pleads for him not to go, the boy tells Andrew that may return -- but only if Andrew does what he needs to do to make the boy’s return possible. As the stranger blends into the Christmas tree lights, he promises that he will return when Andrew has given the perfect gift. Andrew sees the boy disappear into a mysterious blue Christmas tree ornament that was not on the tree before. The next morning Andrew discovers that the blue ornament of his vision is hanging from the Christmas tree. He asks his stepmother Mary where it came from and learns that there is family story -- one that only she knows about -- that provides important clues to the meaning of his vision. She proceeds to tell Andrew the story of her father’s remarkable experience in France following the invasion of Normandy, in which he was given the blue ornament by the Catholic monk who made it. Keeping his nighttime experience a secret -- even from Mary -- Andrew then sets about to discover what a perfect gift is. With his father’s help, he formulates a question that he asks each person on his list. In response to Andrew’s unexplained request, each family member delves into his or her own sense of loss and yearning in order to find an answer that feels right. Each person, young or old, provides Andrew with touching answers that seem to go beyond the little boy’s capacity to understand them. Furthermore, Andrew’s evocative question sparks an emotional reaction in his stepbrother Tommy. This reaction quickly escalates into a family crisis that is resolved only once he and Andrew reach out to each other and become brothers for the first time. Andrew remains true to the seemingly impossible task of finding the perfect gift, until, finally, he comes up with simple ideas that reflect each person’s deepest needs. He feels confident that the task is complete until he remembers that he has neglected to find a present for his misbehaved cat Diggory. In order to overcome his resistance to giving Diggory a Christmas present, Andrew must resolve the profound question of how Diggory can receive the perfect gift when he -- and each of us by implication -- remains deeply faulted by his “nature.” In the end, Andrew comes to accept his cat’s -- and his own -- imperfections. This breakthrough sets the stage for the stranger’s return. On Christmas Eve, the stranger returns to tell Andrew that he has succeeded, and the boy reveals the true meaning of the perfect gift. As Andrew understands this mystery, he experiences the healing of his grief and comes to understand how love can sustain us through our deepest losses. On the surface, Andrew’s Quest for the Perfect Christmas Gift is a delightful story about a precocious child to whom everyone, big and small, can relate. However, it also succeeds in providing heartfelt solutions to some of the greatest mysteries in life. As such, it will appeal to general readers of all ages who are looking for an inspiring story during the holiday season. By avoiding specific religious doctrine, and by evoking -- through the agency of family relationships -- the spiritual “common ground” that unites all people, it will appeal to Christian and non-Christian readers alike. Because Andrew’s Quest is short enough and comprehensible enough to be read out loud to family members of all ages, it is likely to become part of the “oral” tradition of Christmas reading, along with such books as The Christmas Box and A Christmas Carol. It can be used, as well, by parents and teachers who wish to engage children in a dialogue about the deeper meaning of Christmas and the importance of giving from the heart.

ISBN-13: 9781929841431
ISBN-10: 1929841434
Publication Date: 11/1/2005
Pages: 104
Reading Level: All Ages
Rating:

0 stars, based on 0 rating

Publisher: We Publish Books
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

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