In The Christmas Shoes, young Nathan Andrews was a child who lost his mother to cancer. Now his deepest wish is to become a doctor.

When a stranger named Robert gave him money to buy his mother a pair of shoes for her last Christmas, both Robert and Nathan learned the deepest lessons of love and giving.

Now a medical student in his third year, Nathan realizes there are still things to be learned about faith, blessings and sacrifice. Lessons he will learn from Meghan Sullivan, a young woman born with a hole in her heart that nevertheless hasn't prevented her from becoming a champion runner, and from a young boy named Charlie, who teaches Nathan how to live a life of true courage.

Together, they will help Nathan through the most difficult period in his life.

Van Liere's warm prose transforms what would otherwise be a cliched tearjerker of a Christmas miracle into a cozy, inspirational holiday tale.