Synopses & Reviews
When Michael Walker was a child, he'd wished that every day could be Christmas. But that was thirty years ago, before a tragic accident changed his life one Christmas morning.
He still can't muster any spirit for the holidays--and he doesn't want to. For him, it will always be a time of pain, a memory of that day. He scowls at his neighbors' fervent holiday traditions and even at his own children's joyful anticipation of the season's celebrations.
But when his young son faces a sadness as profound as his own, Michael is the only one who can save him. It takes nothing short of a miracle to give Michael the courage to make peace with his past and find the hope, joy, and spirit that he lost.
A testament to the depth of a parent's love, When Angels Sing is a life-affirming story you won't soon forget.
Review
"Though this Christmas story lacks the art of Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol,' it does get you to shed a tear or two. In 128 pages, a young boy-watches his brother drown on Christmas day and carries the grief well into adulthood. Years later, when his own son is in peril, he prays for a miracle. It comes in the form of Old Saint Nick—or a man who bears an uncanny resemblance. If that plot sounds predictable, it is, but it's also forgivable in this kind of story. With settings as diverse as San Antonio, the mountains of New Mexico, and present-day Los Angeles, Pipkin manages to build a contemporary fable that only gets unpleasantly saccharine toward the very end. By that time, the season's sentimentality is upon us, and we close the book with a merry nod, ready to believe, however briefly, in all good things." Reviewed by Andrew Witmer, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)
Synopsis
This classic Christmas story of rekindled spirit is the inspiration behind the 2013 holiday film Angels Sing, starring Harry Connick Jr., Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Lyle Lovett.
This is the tale of Michael, who was eight years old on the Christmas Day he lost his brother David. The day had started out well--Michael and David opened their presents, and much to their delight, they had both received ice skates from Santa. With great excitement they set out to the pond behind their grandparents' house in New Mexico to try them out. But the pond wasn't safe, and David didn't make it out of its icy cold depths. For Michael, the meaning of Christmas changed forever that day.
Thirty years later Michael is the neighborhood Grinch. "To me the only wonder of Christmas is not why that tragedy marked me so," Michael says, "but how the rest of my family can seem so completely unscathed." He scowls at his neighbors' fervent holiday traditions and at his own children, who want nothing more than to string Christmas lights through their front yard. But when another holiday disaster strikes and his own cherished young son loses his spirit to live, Michael searches deep within himself to root out the anger, the fear, and the pain of the past. Can he bear to remember exactly what happened that Christmas Day? And will he make peace with this past for the sake of his own children?
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Synopsis
When Michael Walker was a child, he'd wished that every day could be Christmas. But that was thirty years ago, before a tragic accident changed his life one Christmas morning.
He still can't muster any spirit for the holidays--and he doesn't want to. For him, it will always be a time of pain, a memory of that day. He scowls at his neighbors' fervent holiday traditions and even at his own children's joyful anticipation of the season's celebrations.
But when his young son faces a sadness as profound as his own, Michael is the only one who can save him. It takes nothing short of a miracle to give Michael the courage to make peace with his past and find the hope, joy, and spirit that he lost.
A testament to the depth of a parent's love, When Angels Sing is a life-affirming story you won't soon forget.
Synopsis
This classic Christmas story of rekindled spirit is the inspiration behind the 2013 holiday film Angels Sing, starring
Synopsis
This classic Christmas story of rekindled spirit is the inspiration behind the 2013 holiday film Angels Sing, starring
About the Author
Turk Pipkin lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and children. He is author of seven books, including the novel Fast Greens, and is a contributing editor for Texas Monthly. He has written for magazines, television, and film.