Gideon's Gift (The Red Gloves Collection #1) [Paperback]

Karen Kingsbury (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2009

One long-ago Christmas, Earl Gibson lost the two things most precious to him: his wife and daughter. Angry and heartbroken, he took to the streets and abandoned any belief he once had in God.
Ten years later, Big Earl meets Gideon, a seven-year-old leukemia patient who believes with all her heart that "Christmas means never having to ask God how much he loves us." Gideon is determined to reach this lonely and hurting man who hates Christmas--and he is just as determined to rebuff her. It will take a miracle for Earl to understand the true meaning of Christmas. But if he can accept what Gideon wants to give him, he might find that he can return the favor with a precious gift of his own.
In GIDEON'S GIFT, Karen Kingsbury reminds us that Christmas is still a time of miraculous possibilities, if only we reach out to those around us.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kingsbury, a beloved novelist in the CBA market, is known for weepy tales replete with hospital bedside scenes, emotional reunions and miracles. This eager if predictable novella will please her established fans, and may win a few new ones as well, provided they are armed with enough Kleenex. In the story, the Scrooge-like Earl Badgett-a grumpy and aggressive version of the typical widower of CBA fiction-has his Christian faith revived through the efforts of an eight-year-old girl. Pious, mature children who lead adults back to faith were a staple of 19th-century domestic fiction, and remain so in the CBA today; sweet little Gideon Mercer is no exception. And if the novel's emotional quotient weren't high enough, she's even suffering from leukemia. Despite the overwrought stereotypes, Kingsbury writes quite well; her skill with pacing goes a long way toward redeeming this tired and contrived plot.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Gideon Mercer, an eight-year-old leukemia patient, is hoping for a huge Christmas miracle. She does not wish that her parents will scrape together $50,000 for a life-saving bone marrow transplant for her. Nor does she want her dream Christmas with a light-filled tree and a truck for her little brother. Instead, Gideon hopes that the belligerent homeless man she met while her family worked in a food kitchen will believe in God. Five years prior, Earl Badgett lost his faith when his wife and daughter were killed in a car accident. Unable to go on, he took to the streets, hoping to die. An unexpected Christmas gift from Gideon brings God back into Earl's life with repercussions for both of them. This pleasantly conventional story will appeal to sentimental readers. Purchase to augment holiday collections.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords (March 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446179477
• ISBN-13: 978-0446179478
• Shipping Weight: 0.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,963,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is America's #1 inspirational novelist. There are nearly 20 million copies of her award-winning books in print, including several million copies sold in the past year. Karen has written more than 50 novels, ten of which have hit #1 on national lists.

Karen's newest novel, Unlocked, released Oct. 12 and has stayed in Amazon's top fifty for the past few weeks. Unlocked debuted at No. 3 on the New York Times Bestsellers list. Another recent and popular title of Karen's is Shades of Blue - the story of a 28-year-old ad executive who is six weeks away from marrying the girl he loves. But as he prepares for his wedding, something brings up his past girlfriend - a girl he dated in high school. He realizes he can't go forward and say, "I do," until he goes back to Holden Beach, finds the girl he loved back then, and tell her he's sorry.

Karen's novel Like Dandelion Dust is the subject of a major motion picture currently in theaters. Like Dandelion Dust stars Academy Award winning Mira Sorvino and Barry Pepper, along with Cole Hauser and Maxwell Perry Cotton. The film has received more than 30 awards in the Film Festival Circuit including numerous Best Picture awards. Several of Karen's books are currently under theatrical development.

Karen's most recent series - the Above the Line Series, which began with Take One, in March, 2009 and wrapped up in June, 2010 with Take Four. The series is about two producers looking to change the world with the power of film. The Above the Line series also includes Karen's popular characters from the fictitious Baxter Family. The Baxters were first introduced to readers through the five-book Redemption series, and then the five-book Firstborn series, and finally the four-book Sunrise series.

Dubbed by Time Magazine as the Queen of Christian Fiction, Karen has also been a featured guest on the Today Show, Fox News, USA Today, and numerous other television programs and magazines. Her fiction has made her one of the country's favorite storytellers. Others of her emotionally gripping titles include the 9-11 Series, Even Now, Ever After, and Between Sundays.

Karen is also a public speaker, reaching more than 100,000 women annually through various national events. Karen and her husband, Don, live in the Pacific Northwest with their six children, three of whom are adopted from Haiti.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A touching book, December 12, 2002

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gideon's Gift (The Red Gloves Collection #1) (Hardcover)

Gideon's Gift is not one story, but two. It is the story of Earl Badgett, a man who lost his wife and daughter, and, consequently, his reason for living. And, it is the story of Gideon Mercer, an eight-year-old girl with Leukemia, who wants a special gift for this Christmas - a miracle, but not a miracle for herself, a miracle for someone else. Christmas is a time for miracles, and when Earl and Gideon meet at a homeless shelter, Gideon may just get her wish.

I must say that this is one of the most touching books that I have read in a long time. Indeed, I doubt that it is possible to read it without becoming choked up. This is a very heartwarming tale that will touch your heart and your soul. I highly recommend this book!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read Christmas treasure!, November 22, 2002

By 

Soozie4Him (Chicago suburbs) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Gideon's Gift (The Red Gloves Collection #1) (Hardcover)

I just loved this book! I am not a fiction-reader, and if you check out my other reviews, you'll see that I'm very picky about my fiction! Most of my reading is Christian non-fiction.

Having said that, you MUST READ THIS BOOK! The author does an excellent job of decribing Gideon's sweet spirit, her parents' love and concern for their sick daughter, and the homeless man Earl's toughness and depression and his giving up on life.

Before buying a book (or checking one out at the library), I look at how it's laid out. This book beckons you with its blue typeface and the motif of the gloves at the beginning of each chapter.

Most of all, you have to read this book for the amazing story. This book WILL become a Christmas classic. It is poignant, gentle, and touching without being saccharin. If you're looking to read a good story that will stick with you for a long time to come, without investing hours of reading time, this is a must-read for you!

I would highly recommend giving this book as a gift - perhaps before Christmas? The message is one of God's miracles and hope and what happens when you BELIEVE.

Please check out my other reviews of Christian books!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great reading!, January 8, 2003

By 

Huntress Reviews (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gideon's Gift (The Red Gloves Collection #1) (Hardcover)

Gideon is an angelic little girl who is dying with cancer. However, just at Christmas, in the season of miracles, she gets one, remission from her disease. Determined to spread the joy, she uses all she has saved to buy a cynical, homeless man a pair of red mittens, hopefully replicating the ones he lost, and with their loss, lost hope and faith. Somehow, the used mittens she is able to buy are the very ones that he lost. Then, life turns for the worse, and Gideon needs another miracle. Her cancer is back, and worse than ever. Will there be another miracle, or will she join the angels for whom she is named?

**** As always, Ms. Kingsbury delivers a story that warms your heart through the tears pouring down your face. Closing one of her books never fails to leave the reader untouched and with a new lease on life. I also encourage readers to take time to read the author's message at the end and support the projects mentioned so as to help bring miracles to more people. ****

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.