Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Galen Ocker is nineteen, a music student, and his enthusiasm for life can be quite overwhelming. When he meets Clifford Jeffrey, a twenty-seven year old mathematician, their external differences are obvious but so is their romantic connection. Since Galen believes in romance he wants to make Christmas special for both of them despite Clifford's atheism.

With his usual enthusiasm, Galen researches alternatives to Christmas and comes up with the ideal solution. With his best friend's approval, Galen sets out to make this the perfect holiday for Clifford. But Clifford has his own surprise for Galen…

 

Book Review

The definition of irony, as stated in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is: “A situation that is strange or funny because things happen in a way that seems to be the opposite of what you expected.” In 'The Ten Days of Newton', Galen Ocker and Clifford Jeffrey are enamored with each other and are spending their first Christmastime together. Eager to impress the other, they end up accomplishing far more than intended.

Galen is thrilled to have found someone like Clifford and, as in all new relationships, is determined to find a way to please his new beau. He's not known Clifford very long and, because he wants to give him the perfect present for Christmas, listens intently trying to judge his likes and dislikes. He's a bit dismayed to find out that Clifford has a general distain for Christmas, which throws a wrench in his plans. Not to be deterred, Galen searches, and finds, an alternative way of celebrating the holiday, specifically designed to show Clifford how important he is to Galen.

Clifford is equally enamored with Galen and also wants to impress him with something out of the ordinary for the holiday season and also searches for a way to celebrate their time together. He listens to Galen's enthusiasm about Christmas and gives the situation a lot of thought. Clifford also comes up with something that he hopes will make Galen feel special and happy. As in O.Henry's story 'The Gift of the Magi', Clifford and Galen's gifts to each other end up being more extraordinary than either of them could have known.

At first glance, this whimsical holiday story seems light-hearted and funny, and it is; but underneath is a universally profound message that we need to be reminded of: the thought behind the gift is infinitely more important than the actual gift itself. I recommend this to everyone who likes to read stories that not only entertain us, but remind us where our emphasis should be during this time of year. Thanks, Serena, for the endearing holiday story.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 54 pages/15100 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	18-December-2013
Price
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