James Keir, is a ruthless businessman. His obituary appears in the newspaper, only they have mixed-up the James Keir's. As James reads the negative comments on "his" obituary on the Internet, he begins to think about his life and how he would like to be remembered. He decides he must change his ways and make amends to those he has hurt. He asks his secretary to make a list of those he has wronged and goes to visit each person with mixed results. ( )

Another good Richard Paul Evans book but not his best. The gist of the book is a modern day Scrooge reads his obituary (it was a mistaken identity) and then sees what an awful person he had been. He tries to make amends, ends up getting his nose broken and other things happen. His wife, Sara is dying and he had abandoned her when she needed him the most. Can he make amends with his family in time? ( )

Author’s inspiration came from a seventh grade assignment of writing their own obituaries. The most intriguing thing about the assignment was the opportunity to confront our own legacies – How do we want to be remembered? Thus the premise of this story that takes on the spirit of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol.

SUMMARY: James Kier reads his obituary in the newspaper and had no idea the impact that story would have on his life. Thinking Kier is dead his family, friends, and acquaintances begin expressing their true feelings about this ruthless business man that has ruined many lives for money and power. Only his wife (soon to be ex-wife) still believes there is something good about him, hidden deep down, the man he knew and feel in love with.

Kier comes to realize what havoc his decisions have made and with the help of his secretary tries to apologize The story shows how our personal choices affect not only us, but the people around us.

End of the book is very realistic. It doesn’t paint a picture that everything is fine and all past injustices are made right. There are somethings in life that can’t be fixed, the damage is undoable.
The book is written in short chapters that make it an easy read. Most of the book deals with the apologies. The final chapters seem to rush the after effects of his efforts and seems a little choppy. But overall an excellent book.

QUOTE –
“What a fool I am. When I started all this I actually though I was being some kind of saint…but, I’m just a hypocrite. I didn’t do it for them, I did it for me and my legacy. And I’ve failed. I’ve failed everyone. I couldn’t make restitution. Not even with myself.” ( )

Kind of a redo of The Christmas Carol. Nice story and good message. ( )

Christmas 2019 - Book 2 - NICE!

So far I'm on a roll with my 2019 Christmas reading. I really enjoyed this story, which was a modern retelling of A Christmas Carol without the supernatural overtones.

Jim Kier is a wealthy, ruthless businessman despised by everyone he knows, including his son. He has done truly terrible things and ruined lives. After he is declared dead in a case of mistaken identity, he gets a rare chance to find out what people really think of him (via on-line comments on his obituary. (This convenience was not available to Ebenezer Scrooge, who needed the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future to provide this service.)

Determined to repent and become a better man, Jim compiles a list of people he has hurt the worst and sets about to make amends. It was definitely unrealistic but I found it to be a touching read that really put me in the Christmas spirit. ( )