Unfinished Dreams

by Mary Miller

When Abigail Addison invites the whole family down to spend her sixtieth birthday in the house that Fred, her husband of thirty-five years, built on an island off the coast of Georgia, she finds the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1585005606
• ISBN13: 9781585005604
• Release Date: December 1999
• Publisher: 1st Book Library
• Length: 124 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.1" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Dreams fulfilled

Unfinished Dreams by Mary Miller is the perfect book for anyone with sisters, no matter what age they are. This book made me laugh out loud and cry from joy. It is a family that is familiar to a fault. The ultimate acceptance and the ties of family love brighten the spirit. I also enjoyed the quiet strength of a couple married and in love over thirty years. A nice reminder of the couples who do go to the top of the world's toughest profession, and how they succeed.

Originally a play called: "The Christmas House."

When Abigail Addison sells her home, she has no idea how challenging Christmas will be in her newly constructed beach home on St. Simons Island, GA. Not only is this Christmas her 60th birthday, she has invited her children to stay for the holidays. After retiring from real estate, she leaves her responsibilities behind her and heads for the island home of her dreams. These dreams soon turn into a series of nightmares as Abigail finds out that her husband Fred was a bit vague about how finished the house really was. Her disapproving sister had said he was a dreamer and now Abigail wished she was only dreaming. To explain why she stayed with Fred she had said: "Because when he dreams Celeste, he dreams about me." Throughout the novel, you can see the story played out on the stage of your imagination. As each "actor" enters the stage, Mary skillfully creates their personalities. You become emotionally involved in the story as they become real people in a real world. You see their faults and strengths and laugh at how human they all are. With beach towels covering up the bare walls, the family decorates for Christmas. There are a few surprises for everyone who loves Christmas. "Unfinished Dreams" was originally a play called "The Christmas House." It is based on a true story and Mary Miller's father realized the dream of building his own beach house at the age of 65. "Most people have a dream as a kid and never realize it." --Mary Miller Mary Miller was born and raised in Atlanta, GA and this comes through beautifully in her writing. She has also spent time acting and writing plays. She has decided to pursue her dream as a novelist and actually prefers writing to acting. Her work has been produced in the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia. Her next project is a novel titled: "A Matter of Grace." Although she did live on St. Simon Island in 1993, she now resides in Atlanta, GA. The picture on the front cover of this book is a picture of the unfinished house on the island. For me, it is hauntingly reminiscent of the house my father just finished building. He just turned 70, and is still working on the downstairs kitchen, etc. I could relate to the bucket of nails being dumped over, the dusty house and the smell of concrete, etc. Mary has the ability to describe things in a way that makes you feel they are real. ~The Rebecca Review

What a Wonderful Find

Books like this are hard to find. Stories about real family relationships that make you laugh and cry. I could see it all and I could identify with everyone. I actually found myself laughing out loud, which I haven't done in years. But it also evoked tears as the story went far deeper than I ever imagined. A funny, heartwarming 'love' story of one man's family and the house he built off the coast of Georgia.

An Endearing Read

I loved this book, because the characters were so real. I cared for not only Abigail & Fred, but also for each of their three grown children. It reminded me of my own family! It would be a great gift, but read it yourself first. It is very funny and sweet.