A Simple Gift

I loved A Simple Gift. There is a special bond between mothers and daughters and this book illustrates this so well. Ms. Witmer's words capture all the emotion and challenges that women face everyday. It is a story about loving someone so much and having them disappoint you. Your heart aches for the family and the hope that they will find their way back to each other. This is a book that every mother(and daughter or son) should read. I loved the tradition of the Christmas cactus and the story behind each gift. Ms. Witmer also writes wonderful historical romances under Elizabeth Grayson.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques If you want a heart wrenching story full of poignant emotion, then A Simple Gift by Karyn Witmer is for you. Avery Montgomery's life seemed perfect, until the fateful day her daughter, Fiona, took off with her boyfriend and band mates to get famous in California. Her life hadn't been the same since. So when, a year later, Fiona suddenly reappears at the local grocery store, Avery's life once again turns upside down. Fiona has been through a lot since she left and has made many mistakes she's afraid to admit to her mother. When Avery tries to re-establish a relationship, Fiona resists, more afraid of what her father, Mike, would do than her mother. Tensions grow even higher, until Avery is forced to a decision - her marriage to Mike, or her relationship with Fiona. Nonetheless, Avery hopes and prays for a reunion of her small family in time for Christmas. Can A Simple Gift be the holiday miracle they all need? Be prepared, you will need plenty of Kleenex on-hand before you begin A Simple Gift. Emotions are high throughout the entire novel, especially in the last 150 pages or so, which will keep you up all night wanting to finish. I love a novel that can make me feel the whole spectrum of emotions. However, I admit, I usually steer clear of the genre of (non-romance) women's fiction because sometimes it makes me feel too much. But hearing several people talk about how heart-warming - and heart-breaking - A Simple Gift is, I just had to read it for myself. I wasn't disappointed, not by a long shot. I finished the book in three days and with my hectic schedule, that's almost a miracle in itself. A Simple Gift is a relationship novel, plain and, well... simple. But don't let that fool you. The story is very evolved, with so much depth it's amazing Witmer squeezed it all into one book. Between the covers we are engrossed in Avery's life, and those of her family. We will stand beside Avery as her marriage self-destructs, her relationship with Fiona is gradually rebuilt, and as she faces her mother... and all those past hurts Avery has lived through. But it doesn't end there. We live through Mike's eyes as he struggles with the knowledge his beloved daughter Fiona abandoned them and his subsequent inability to forgive her. He is only able to find solace in the stars and sky, a hobby he cultivated because it was such a passion of Fiona's. We also follow with him as his brother slowly destroys himself with alcohol, struggling with his own failures. All Mike wants to do is love and protect his family, but Fiona's leaving stole away the greater part of his heart. We also see how Mike handles his marriage falling apart, all because he and Avery forgot how to love each other in the midst of all their personal and family crises. What? There is still more? You bet! We will also journey with Fiona on her path to self-discovery. As she lives with the results of her actions and decisions, she becomes a much stronger young

Reviewed by Lynda Burch of Missouri Romance Writers of America A SIMPLE GIFT is a warm and moving story about a family broken apart and finding a way to heal the rift with their traditional Christmas gift. It is a story of a mother's love, a husband's betrayal, too many secrets and a daughter's independence. Avery and Mike Montgomery's only child, Fiona, dropped out of college to be a rock band groupie, but after eighteen months of silence she secretly returns to her hometown. Avery's shock at finally finding her daughter safe and sound just miles from home leads the entire family into a crisis of reunion that threatens to tear them apart forever. Cleverly interwoven into this story is a simple, traditional gift that has been passed down through the generations. Witmer has written an intricate tale with characters you feel like you've known forever. I was drawn in by the complexity of relationships of mother, father and daughter and even the supportive town members. The town Witmer paints seems like the town next door. My grandmother once said about a book, "Why that's just like a real town." And that's just what this book is-- real. The conflict and drama are poignant, the cast of characters is authentic and the plot is engaging and fresh. This book makes me want to start a family tradition of a simple gift at Christmas. A SIMPLE GIFT is a keeper and will be pulled off the shelf to be read time and time again.

Do you keep secrets from your spouse/significant other? From your family? When is just a little secret too much to keep? A Simple Gift will force you to ask yourself those questions. True to form, Witmer/Grayson has written an emotionally rich story of old and new family traditions and family problems. I loved the family history aspect of the story, and of course, Avery & Mike's journey. This book and a Christmas cactus will make a great gift this holiday season. As always, I look forward to the next book by this fabulous writer! (If you're new to this author, you owe it to yourself to check out her backlist!!)

I just finished reading Karyn Witmer's novel "A Simple Gift. I laughed (daughter drops a dollop of sweet potato casserole on mom's fancy shoes), and I cried at the many touching, heart-rending moments in this fine novel. The world needs more books like this!