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When Catherine Dornan's husband, Tom, is diagnosed with leukemia, she and their two young sons travel with him to New York during the holiday season for a lifesaving operation. On Christmas Eve, hoping to lift the boys' spirits, Catherine takes them to see Rockefeller Center's famous Christmas tree; while there, seven-year-old Brian notices a woman taking his mother's wallet. A St. Christopher medal tucked inside the wallet saved his grandfather's life in World War II, and Brian believes with all his heart that it will protect his father now. Impulsively, Brian follows the thief into the subway, and the most dangerous adventure of his young life begins...
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
March 5, 2012 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781442350090
- File size: 98099 KB
- Duration: 03:24:22
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 840
- Text Difficulty: 4-5
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Reviews
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October 2, 1995
Clark's favored theme of endangered kids (Where Are the Children?, etc.) meshes here with a parable of faith; but, despite swift pacing, the predictability of the story line undercuts the suspense. Catherine Dornan is in Manhattan with her two sons because her husband, Tom, an Omaha pediatrician, is hospitalized there for leukemia and has just had his spleen removed. When a troubled stranger, Cally Hunter, makes off with Catherine's wallet, seven-year-old Brian Dornan doggedly pursues her because the wallet contains a St. Christopher medal that saved the life of his grandfather in WWII, by deflecting a bullet. Brian believes that the medal will save his dad's life, too, as his grandmother has predicted, and he is determined to get it back. Enter Jimmy Siddons, Cally's brother, a cop killer escaped from Riker's Island prison, who abducts Brian, holding him hostage at gunpoint as he heads for Canada in a stolen car. In the finale, as Catherine prays during Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, the cops and Siddons, Brian at his side, engage in a high-speed chase, in which the St. Christopher medal becomes vital to the boy's safety. Clark blatantly, if cleverly, pulls all the sentimental strings here, but most readers will find this a heartwarming, affirmative tale of the power of faith. 750,000 first printing; Literary Guild main selection; simultaneous S&S audiotape. -
Callie, Jimmy's na•ve sister, learns that he has escaped from prison. At Callie's apartment he meets Brian, a little boy who's keeping a St. Christopher's medal for his sick father, takes him hostage, and threatens to kill Callie if she calls the police. When news of the kidnapping is unintentionally released, the medal plays a role in saving Brian's' life. Narrator Jennifer Beals depicts Bronx accents with reality. She captures Jimmy's menace, while portraying Callie's fear and NYPD Detective Mort Levy's understanding and warmth. Thanks to excellent sound and vocal qualities, this riveting suspense grips the listener. G.D.W. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine -
On Christmas Eve in New York City, Catherine Dorman and her two sons are viewing the decorations when 7-year old Brian sees a woman lifting his mother's wallet, which contains a St. Christopher medal tucked away as a gift for their seriously ill father. Brian takes off after the woman and is kidnapped by the woman's brother, an escaped convict accused of murder. William Dufris takes the listener through every emotion that Christmas Eve and kidnapping entail. As Higgins weaves this short but intense mystery, Dufris unravels its themes and brings them all to a tear-jerking conclusion. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
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November 4, 1996
Clark's suspenseful Christmas tale spent 13 weeks on PW's bestseller list.
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