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The Golden Ring: A Touching Christmas Story About Giving, Faith, Love, And Loss (1999)

by John Snyder(Favorite Author)

3.96 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0967512808 (ISBN13: 9780967512808)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Mountain Breeze Publishing

review 1: I found The Golden Ring a wonderful book to read at Christmas. It reminded me of the true meaning of Christmas – not the parties, not the gifts or consumerism but the celebration of the birth of Jesus and the love and sharing of ourselves and what we have to offer with our family members, friends and neighbours. People of faith and people of human kindness and also holiday grinches should all enjoy this book and its important messages.The heart warming story takes place at Christmas but its message would resonate at any time of year. It is based on the true story of the author’s grandmother Anna; that happened during Christmas in 1918, when she was a very young girl. She didn’t tell anyone her story until years later when she told her grandson during her last Chr... moreistmas before she passed away. John Snyder first chose to put the story in writing as a short story for his daughters so that his grandmother’s story would live on. Later he expanded the non-fiction and into a much larger work of fiction. It is still a small sized book, a novella of only 181 pages and printed on small sized pages. Its messages and impact however are very powerful and support the adage that “big things often come in small packages.”One message is to ask your parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents about their favourite Christmas memories (although any special memories would be equally important) while they are still living, so that you can capture their memories for posterity, rather than lose them forever when they pass away.Another important message is about the power of giving unselfishly and loving and helping those less fortunate. By giving without attachment or expectation, the giver truly receives as much if not more than the recipient.This book is the first book and I think the only book written by John Snyder. I thought it flowed well and found it easy to read. Others have been more critical of the author’s writing style but I thought the language was appropriate for the period. I also felt by expanding the book he was basically writing a tribute to his grandmother so I fully understood the highly positive way he portrayed Anna, both as a young girl and older woman. For those who think she may be too good to be true – just ask yourself how highly do most grandchildren think of their nonas, nannas, grammas and grandmeres?The Golden Ring tells a wonderful story about a loving family, rooted in neighbourly values and a strong belief and faith in a higher power. It is a joy to read about this family and to experience their loving interactions. Their pleasures are simple ones and the love they share is very moving and inspirational. The relationship between the father (the author’s great grandfather) and his daughter Anna was very special. Anna’s grasp of the value and true reason for giving and her unwavering faith and determination in doing the right thing was amazing. At a very young age, she set an excellent example and set a very high standard that many adults would have a tough time achieving. I don’t doubt that this could become an annual holiday classic in many families. I know I plan to read it again during the holiday season.
review 2: What an absolutely heartwarming tale, all the more so because this story is true. In the winter of 1918, little Anna Beal had such marvelous dreams about Christmas with her parents and five brothers and sisters. They might not have much money. Her father’s job on the B & O Railroad didn’t allow them many frivolous things, but this was a very special holiday, a Christmas filled with love and giving, memories to last a lifetime. Beautifully told. What a treasure. less

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