The Christmas Sweater [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Kevin Balfe (Author), Jason Wright (Author), Glenn Beck (Author, Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 11, 2008

Based on a deeply personal true story, Glenn Beck’s bittersweet tale of boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the giving season has touched the hearts of readers everywhere.If you could change your life by reversing your biggest regrets, sorrows, and mistakes . . . would you?When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. He knew money had been tight since his father died, but Eddie dreamed that somehow his mother would find a way to afford that dream bike.What he got from her instead was a sweater. “A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater” that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.Scarred deeply by the fateful events that transpired that day, Eddie begins a dark and painful journey toward manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family—and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell—to help Eddie find his life’s path and finally understand the significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted with love.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Beck channels his softer side to offer a Christmas parable featuring 12-year old Eddie, whose hopes for a shiny new bicycle for Christmas are dashed when he finds an ugly, handmade sweater waiting for him under the tree. Eddie pitches a fit, dismaying his hardworking single mother—but will he regret his ingratitude when older? Naturally. There are no surprises in this contrived story, which is further doomed by Beck's ham-handed and histrionic reading. The maudlin material would have been better served by a seasoned narrator capable of conveying believability and evoking genuine feeling. A Threshold hardcover. (Oct.)
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About the Author

GLENN BECK is a nationally syndicated radio host, founder of GBTV, and the author of nine national bestselling books, seven of which reached the #1 position on the New York Times list: The Original Argument; Arguing with Idiots; Glenn Beck’s Common Sense; An Inconvenient Book; the novels The Overton Window and The Christmas Sweater; and the children’s book, The Christmas Sweater: A Picture Book. His new holiday novel, The Snow Angel, is available in hardcover from Threshold Editions. Visit www.glennbeck.com.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio; Unabridged edition (November 11, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743578155
• ISBN-13: 978-0743578158
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #671,138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A story of Christmas magic and second chances, December 30, 2010

By 

Lee Lukaszewicz (New England) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Christmas Sweater (Mass Market Paperback)

In this heartwarming little novel, Glenn Beck gives us the story of Eddie, a boy like any other, looking forward to Christmas morning. All he dreams of is a new bike for Christmas. When disappointment arrives on Christmas morning, it sets in motion the events that will change Eddie's heart and soul forever.

Over the course of the next year, Eddie stubbornly pushes away the love offered to him, and instead wishes for the life of another. Eddie does not see his own selfishness, or the selflessness of those closest to him as they try unfailingly to gain entrance through his wall of anger. Finally, with the help of a mysterious neighbor, Eddie learns that the simple things in life are where we find our greatest joys. Eddie is given the chance to learn appreciation for what - and who - he already has in his life.

Eddie gains the courage to face fears and regrets which opens a new world of forgiveness, acceptance and understanding, a chance to begin to discover who he was truly meant be. Not the "what," but the "who." Then, unexpectedly, Eddie is given the opportunity for a second chance. Could it be that simple? Could there really be a chance for Eddie to turn back the hands of time? Given the chance, would you set aside resentment and seize the opportunity for healing?

There are lessons here for all of us. We can all learn to fully experience both the joy and sorrow of life, and to embrace the learning that life offers. As Eddie's story teaches us, it is impossible to avoid misfortune, but what dictates our happiness in life is how we react to it. All we really need is already right under our noses. Is it possible for all of us to right past wrongs, to undo hurt, to come to accept misfortune before it envelops us and hardens our hearts? Perhaps, like Eddie, we can, with a little help from the magic of Christmas.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Genuine, January 9, 2011

By 

Avid Reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Christmas Sweater (Mass Market Paperback)

This book shows genuine relational development. Things do not happen smoothly, and tough times do not always smooth out in a timely or convenient manner. It was a gift to me, and I will always treasure it. The story is based on truth, although Mr. Beck needed to change some details in order to make this a story that could fit into one book. It strikes at the heart of all adolescent rebellion, as well as any perpetual ruts that we find ourselves in, both the emotional downslides and the hurt it causes those whom we love. The book has a warmth that soothes the soul, most especially if you have unresolved issues from your past, or the inability to stop feeding those bad storms in life. I don't want to spoil the ending, so I will say that it has a good ending. Stick in there, Eddie will be okay. It leaves you with the impression that you will be okay, too. I did not agree with the theology surrounding the atonement, but that is really beside the point. We all don't have to be exactly alike to understand the human experience, and share in this story. I actually felt a kinship with Eddie by the end of the novel. I will be reading this book more than once.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Christmas Sweater, January 16, 2011

By 

Dar - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Christmas Sweater (Mass Market Paperback)

The book was so interesting it was difficult to close it rather than continue reading. It was easy to read and kept one in suspense until the end.