Winter's gift by Jane Monroe Donovan

from goodreads

4 stars

This as been a long and cold winter. And, just as you think it is warming up, another cold snap happens. Winter just won't let up. Oh well! At least the sun is out today and the sky is blue. I can laze on my couch in the sun this afternoon drinking a warm herbal tea and reading. I definitely don't mind that part of winter.

Synopsis

The events in this book take place on Christmas eve. There are two story lines. The first is of a recently widowed old man going about his life and reminiscing of his wife. The second is of a wild mare who has lost her way from her herd and is stuck in the snow. When the two story lines meet the horse is saved and is and the man has a new found hope for his future and perhaps in a small way, misses his wife a little bit less keenly.

My Thoughts

I loved the illustrations in this book. They were very realistic. I sort of want them in a calendar they are  so beautiful. When you look at them you feel the cold air of winter, but you also feel the warmth of inside. They were simply wonderful.

As for the story, it wasn't too bad either. Once again the story was real. There were now flowery words or dumbing down of events. You got to understand how much this man pined for the love of his life. How much she meant to him and how sad he was that she was gone. It is kind of nice for kids to see. That those kind of deep connections still exist in this world where a lot of times marital relationships are taken for granted and dissolved so often. It was nice to see that once the man helped the horse and saw the foal that he felt hope again for his life of tomorrows. It is nice to show kids that even when we are sad, or things aren't exactly how we would like them, there is always a hope for a brighter tomorrow. That things will look up and there is always something to keep us going.

I found the ending kind of abrupt. One minute it is winter time in a barn, you turn the page and suddenly it is spring, with no other explanation. Perhaps none is needed but I just found the change a bit sudden and felt a bit hanging. The book did feel as complete as it could of been. But that could just be me.