Product Description

She was my first kiss. My first love. She was a little match girl who could see the future in the flame of a candle. She was a runaway who taught me more about life than anyone has before or since. And when she was gone my innocence left with her.

As I begin to write, a part of me feels as if I am awakening something best left dead and buried, or at least buried. We can bury the past, but it never really dies. The experience of that winter has grown on my soul like ivy climbing the outside of a home, growing until it begins to tear and tug at the brick and mortar.

I pray I can still get the story right. My memory, like my eyesight, has waned with age. Still, there are things that become clearer to me as I grow older. This much I know: too many things were kept secret in those days. Things that never should have been hidden. And things that should have.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17151 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-07
• Format: Deckle Edge
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781416550037
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
A ninth grader's world is forever changed in Evan's holiday present to his fans. Eric is still adjusting to his family's move from California to Utah when he discovers runaway classmate Grace dumpster diving behind the burger joint where he works. A concerned Eric and his younger brother, Joel, hide Grace in their backyard clubhouse. Meanwhile, the Cuban Missile Crisis looms, and the boys' father is recovering from Guillain-Barré and their mother is overworked, so there are plenty of distractions to keep the grown-ups ignorant of the goings-on. Evans portrays Grace's heartbreaking predicament with sensitivity and also touches on how the political situation affected the era's youth ("The possibility of a nuclear holocaust was just something we always carried around in the back of our minds, like an overdue library book"). Evans knows how to pull on the heartstrings, and the conclusion to this one will have readers reaching for a hankie.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
RICHARD PAUL EVANS is the #1 best-selling author of The Christmas Box. His thirteen novels have each appeared on the New York Times bestseller list; there are more than thirteen million copies of his books in print. His books have been translated into more than 22 languages and several have been international best sellers. He is the winner of the 1998 American Mothers Book Award, two first place Storytelling World Awards for his children's books, and the 2005 Romantic Times Best Women Novel of the Year Award.  Evans received the Washington Times Humanitarian of the Century Award and the Volunteers of America National Empathy Award for his work helping abused children.  He is the founder and CEO of BookWise, an international direct sales business. Evans lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife, Keri, and their five children.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

DECEMBER 25, 2006

It's Christmas day. There is Christmas music playing from the radio in the other room. Mitch Miller's "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." It's a little late, I think; Santa's come and gone, as have our children and grandchildren. They've left an impressive mess in their wake, but I don't care. As I get older I've come to treasure any evidence of family. Snow is falling outside and all is peaceful and still. In such moments it is possible to believe that the world could still be good.

Something profound happened to me today. It started innocently enough -- as most life-changing experiences do -- with a request from my grandchildren to read them a Christ-mas story, "The Little Match Girl." I've never been a fan of the tale, but, like most grandparents, I'm not one to deny my grandchildren. As I read to them, something happened to me; by the end of the story I was crying. Four-year-old Ebony Brooke tried to console me. "It's okay, Grandpa," she said. "It's just a story."

It's not just a story, there really was a little match girl and she changed my life in ways I'm still trying to understand. Even the grandchildren sitting before me wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her. As important as she is to me, I've never shared her story. It's finally time that I did.

My memory, like my eyesight, has waned with age and I pray I can get the story right. Still, there are things that become clearer to me as I grow older. This much I know: too many things were kept secret in those days. Things that never should have been hidden. And things that should have.

Who was she? She was my first love. My first kiss. She was a little match girl who could see the future in the flame of a candle. She was a runaway who taught me more about life than anyone has before or since. And when she was gone my innocence left with her.

There is pain in bringing out these memories. I suppose I don't really know why I feel compelled to write at this time, only that I am. Maybe I want those closest to me to finally know what has driven me for all these years. Why, every Christmas, I occasionally slip away into my thoughts to someplace else. Or maybe it's just that I still love her and wonder, after all this time, if I can still find grace.

Copyright © 2008 by Richard Paul Evans

Customer Reviews

A genuine good read!
This is a wonderful story told by a wise narrator, who looks back over the years to his first love, the tragedy that followed, and the purpose that he discovered for his life. I had not read any of Evans' novels before, and after reading a short summary, I was afraid that this would be overly sentimental and saccharine. My fears were groundless. The story is believable, realistic, and well told. There is nothing pretentious or preachy here, just a heartfelt expression of the author's faith. The sadness and tragedy are not nuanced or downplayed. I cried several times in this book. It is a sad story, and the ending is very uplifting, but it does not bring a relief of sadness. I found it to be very realistic.

The writer brings the worldview of a 14 year old boy clearly into focus. He shows Eric's worries, awkwardness, his lack of control over his own life, and the beginnings of his independence from the adults around him. Reading about Eric's struggles, I remembered once again those intense feelings of adolescence.

The story is told in a colloquial style, which lends verisimilitude to the teenager's voice. He doesn't use proper grammar throughout, but that fits with this novel. The characters in the story are basically good, but with many flaws. The author describes how the boys torture insects during the long summer. The three main characters fight, hurt, and love each other just like the teens I knew and know.

In summary, this is a story that I can recommend to everybody. It deals with mature subjects, but in a respectful and realistic manner. I read it practically in one sitting. Then I gave it to my teenage son to read. I would not do that with many books.

I discovered Grace
AMAZING! I devoured this book. This is one of Richard's best books! This incredible tale touched my soul! These characters share their hearts and opened mine! I immediately donated to the Christmas Box Lifestart Initiative! It made me remember those relationships in my past that have left an impression or shaped my life. For those I am truly grateful.

Most Enjoyable Book
"Grace" touched my heart and has left me a better person. Not only is this book beautifully written, it also brings awareness to critical issues facing society. The characters are charming and witty. I felt like I was reading about my brothers and childhood friends. Their concerns and experiences display courage and deep love, lessons we all need constant reminders of. It is my favorite of Richard's writing - hands down. I love it! I treasure this story and am excited to share it with my family and friends. It is one I will read and cherish over and over again. One read is not enough.