It is December of 1945 and Jimmy Reed is facing another year without his father home for Christmas. Jimmy’s dad Robert Reed died early on while fighting in World War II and Jimmy and his mother were presented with the Medal of Honor that his father earned at the time of his death while putting himself on the front lines to save others.
Now every year at Christmas Jimmy’s mom hangs the medal on the tree in place of the star but it only represents loss, pain and suffering for Jimmy. How can he go through another Christmas without his dad? How can he keep living his same life without his dad?
This Christmas Jimmy is given the chance to deal with his emotions and feelings of anger as he spends time with his school bus driver Calvin and truly learns what kind of man he is and how he can be so happy with so little. Then add in a long ago letter he found in the family Bible that his dad had written to him before he left and the visit from an old military friend that knew his dad. Jimmy starts to think that maybe life can be happy again. But not until he can find a way out of the big mess he has made with his life.
ISBN: 978-1-42671-468-9 216 p. Mature readers (14 & up)
Recommended by: Joleen Waltman, Librarian, Idaho USA
