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    Emory's Gift
    Emory's Gift
    Emory's Gift
    Audiobook10 hours

    Emory's Gift

    Written by W. Bruce Cameron

    Narrated by W. Bruce Cameron

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    After thirteen-year-old Charlie Hall’s mother dies and his father retreats into the silence of grief, Charlie finds himself drifting lost and alone through the brutal halls of junior high school.

    But Charlie Hall is not entirely friendless. In the woods behind his house, Charlie is saved from a mountain lion by a grizzly bear, a species thought to be extinct in northern Idaho. And this very unusual bear will change Charlie’s life forever.

    Deeply moving, and interwoven with hope and joy, Emory’s Gift is not only a heartwarming and charming coming-of-age story, but also a page-turning, insightful look at how faith, trust, and unconditional love can heal a broken family and can bridge the gaps that divide us.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateAug 30, 2011
    ISBN9781455816774
    Emory's Gift
    Author

    W. Bruce Cameron

    W. Bruce Cameron is the New York Times bestselling author of 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, which has turned into the hit television series. He is the bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose (now a major motion picture), A Dog’s Journey, The Dog Master, The Dogs of Christmas, and The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man. He has twice been voted the number one best humour columnist by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, and his nationally syndicated column in the US is read by more than three million readers every week. He lives in California.

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    Reviews for Emory's Gift

    4/5

    80 ratings23 reviews

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    • 5/5
      W. Bruce Cameron has fast become one of my favorite authors. Emory’s Gift is yet another reason why. as a writer myself, I have a seep appreciation for a great story, written so well that you feel as if you are there yourself. As an animal lover, I am a sucker for a good story featuring a unique animal and it’s connection to humans. As the story goes here...”God loves all” and Cameron shares a deep respect and love for animals that touches the hearts of fellow animal lovers. Emory’s Gift is just that...a gift.
    • 4/5
      What a heart felt story about a little boy, Charlie, who loses his mom and befriends a bear which brings him and his dad closer together. Great story!
    • 3/5
      Emory’s Gift by W. Bruce Cameron
      359 pages

      ★★ ½

      I was really disappointed by this book. Taking place in the 1970s, Charlie talks about his time as a 13 year old boy who befriends a grizzly bear, which may be a reincarnation of a Civil War soldier – and the bear has come with a message. Will the message get delivered before it’s too late? I know, sounds a little weird, right? But a few years ago I read the author’s book A Dog’s Purpose and fell in love with it so when I saw this one, I had to give it a try. I would have been better off not.

      Besides the story line being a bit weird, I had a lot of trouble getting into this book. The characters were pretty flat. There was so much potential for these characters but it’s like the author just wanted to rush through this one, forgetting that characters can be very important to a book. The main character, Charlie, was somewhat annoying and I had trouble picturing him as a 13 year old – the narrative just didn’t seem to fit. The end of each chapter ended with a melodramatic “And then it all went downhill” or “It was all going great until is all blew up….” – I could just imagine some dramatic music in the background at the end of each chapter. Lastly, the ending was just too convenient and unbelievable. It left me rolling my eyes and wondering what I just spent the last week wasting my time on.

      I give credit that the premise was interesting and it was interesting enough to keep me reading but there were times I questioned why I kept reading. I guess I expected I would find the magic I found in the first book I read by the author, too bad it never happened. It had some good parts but not particularly a book I would recommend.
    • 5/5
      God loves all that is all I have to say
    • 3/5
      Last year I read most of W. Bruce Cameron's books (A Dog's Purpose etc.) I enjoyed them so much that I bought them in English and in Spanish. I bought this one without knowing anything about it.I tried to like this book but just couldn't. Much of the book was about the 13-year-old Charlie and his love life which I could not bring myself to care about. The rest was mostly about he bear and I just did not buy the reincarnation theme (strange since I had no trouble accepting that with the dog books).Lastly, I hated the Christian message at the end of the book. I wish I had known, I would have given this a miss.
    • 3/5
      Hmm! I have mixed emotions having just finished this book. I loved the front cover and Emory, the grizzly bear. I liked thirteen-year-old Charlie and his budding romance with Beth. I even thought the book moved fairly well.However, I did NOT like the implied reincarnation idea, and I thought the secrets Emory held and the messages he was supposed to impart on mankind, totally far-fetched! Had the book just focused on the friendship between a lonely boy and a beautiful, wild animal, "Emory's Gift" would have been a far more appealing read. "A Dog's Purpose" by the same author was so much better.
    • 5/5
      Bruce Cameron read his own book in this audio and what a delight---he knew just how to sound like a 13 year old boy finding his way through some major turning points in his life. This books has everything---great story, great characters, humor, sadness---and all tied up in a bow.
    • 4/5
      Charlie's mom died of cancer, and his dad has retreated into silence to cope with his grief. Lonely and friendless, and looking for an escape from junior high bullies, Charlie wanders into the woods one day and meets a grizzly bear. But this is no ordinary grizzly bear, as Charlie soon discovers. The grizzly bear, Emory, soon becomes a friend to Charlie. But keeping a grizzly bear as a secret friend is no easy task. Charlie must decide whom to trust with his secret, and how he can protect Emory from the community.I loved that this book wasn't just an animal story. Charlie has to deal with all sorts of realistic issues: bullies at school, after school fights, pretty girls, first dances, first kisses, arguing with his dad, missing his mom, and watching his dad enter the dating world. While this is an adult novel, and not juvenile fiction, it reminded me a lot of The Nine Lives of Travis Keating. The subject matter might be a bit much for most middle school students, but high school students as well as adults will enjoy this heart-warming, realistic and slightly fantastical story about a boy and a bear who rescue each other.
    • 4/5
      I loved A Dog's Purpose so I was excited to get the chance to read this book. I was not disappointed. Cameron so far has used animals in his stories in a way that emotionally draws the reader in. This book is about a boy named Charlie who has a terrible time after the death of his mother and becomes distant with his father. The bear in this tale is more than just a bear, be prepared as always for "Cameron's Gift" of using an animal to touch our human heart.
    • 4/5
      I expected Emory's Gift to be a coming-of-age story, where a bear plays a key role in a young man's life. But I did not expect the spiritual/supernatural aspect, where the bear does decidedly un-bearlike things and we see he's not just a bear. I was very disappointed when the story changed in that direction; I was expecting a kind of modern Gentle Ben and felt cheated. Emory's Gift is obviously loved by many readers. I think I might have liked it, too, if I'd had a heads-up about the nature of the bear. Instead I was mourning the loss of the bearlike bear.But the writing is outstanding! I loved the characters, and W. Bruce Cameron's storytelling was completely engaging. It was on the strength of this writing that I read A Dog's Purpose by the same author, and it was one of my favorite books of the year.
    • 5/5
      Emory's Gift is the heartwarming, coming-of-age story of 13 year old Charlie Hall who cannot forgive himself over his imagined slights to his dying mother. His emotionally distant father is so engulfed in his own grief that he cannot comfort his young son. Charlie's chance encounter with a grizzly bear changes his perspective on life, and the ensuing relationship with the bear helps him to deal with the traumatizing aspect of discovering his place in the adolescent world. Emory the bear is much more than he seems, and the need to protect him forces Charlie to confide in his father. A strong bond is forged in their ultimate goal to save the bear. The emerging gift of love, trust and forgiveness brings father and son back together and helps their healing to begin. What an uplifting story of a young boy coming into his own.
    • 5/5
      What a wonderful sweet story. Oh how I wanted this to be a non fiction book, the story was so well written it just felt like it should be true. This is a story about a child whose mother dies and he and his father are dealing with their grief when a bear comes into their lives. Emery's gift is what brings the two individuals back together. I cannot encourage you enough to read this book. I am glad I did.
    • 3/5
      What can I say about this book, amazing , really enjoyed it. It was a giveaway from LB, first time with this author. It’s not a story about a bear that’s for sure. Its about a motherless boy named Charlie Hall , his relationship with his Dad that has gone silent over the grief of losing his wife, then one day Charlie befriends this bear he happened to come upon in the woods, this bear changes the relationship with Charlie and his Dad.
    • 5/5
      Yes! Yes! Yes! I loved Emory's Gift! When I got it, I wasn't sure if I would like a book about a bear, but I LOVED it! It has so many layers to it. Makes you think about coming of age! Makes you think about those that you love that have passed! Makes you think about relationships in general! Makes you think about reincarnation! Just makes you think and more importantly makes you FEEL! Thank you such a great read! I would recommend this to EVERYONE! I thought it would only be for animal lovers, but I think that ANYONE would enjoy this tale!
    • 5/5
      This book was such a sweet story although I found myself crying a few times in the book. Charlie, the main character, loses his mother and then happens to befriend a grizzly bear, Emory. Emory is thought to be a soldier reincarnated and therefore seems tame. Emory helps Charlie through the stress of life as a teenager and I think everyone needs an "Emory" in their life. I will admit I had to go the end of the book to find out if Emory dies because I was not going to finish the book if he did. I am happy to say he doesn't die and I can't wait to read "A Dog's Purpose," also by this author. A great book for kids and adults, especially animal lovers.
    • 5/5
      Charlie is 13 and his mother just died after an extended fight with cancer. His dad is too wrapped up in his own grief to notice Charlie's problems. Then Charlie meets a grizzly bear. But, wait. This isn't a retelling of Gentle Ben. Cameron has written a beautiful tale about love and acceptance. Told in the first person by the grown-up Charlie, Cameron gets the tone of all the characters just right. And the story has a happy ending. I loved this one!
    • 4/5
      Charlie Hall is in junior high school. His family recently moved to Idaho, his mother recently died and he's a late bloomer. He's struggling to relate to his dad who took his wife's death hard. Then a grizzly bear wanders into his life, and no ordinary grizzly at that. This one seems tame, seems to be able to scratch his name (Emory) in the sand, and later gives indication that he might be a reincarnated soul from the Civil War, with a message.The book relates the hubbub all this would cause, c. 1974, involving media, local law enforcement, Fish and Game, local hunters, as Charlie tries to save his bear and find out the message, and others of course feel the bear must be euthanized for the good of the community. There are subplots concerning Charlie's budding love-life.Overall the book held my interest, but I did not enjoy the parts concerning the possibility of a reincarnated spirit; i'm too grounded in the here and now. Others might find that intriguing. The author has Charlie telling the story from the viewpoint of a grown adult, now a bear biologist, and leaves just enough doubt that the young Charlie may have made up the whole thing.For the message you'll have to read the book. Of course it's a universally uplifting one.Worth reading if enjoy book with animals. Told with touches of gently humor, as to be expected from this author. Suitable for young adults.
    • 4/5
      Charlie is an outsider in junior high. Not only is he small for his age, bust some of the other kids treat him as if he had the plague because his mother has died. His father is in his own world of grief and unable to communicate with his son. Things begin to look up, however, when Charlie is befriended by a grizzly bear, Emory, who changes his world. While the premise of a wild but friendly grizzly bear is hard to believe, this is a a heartwarming story with generally well-developed characters. Cameron has done a good job with depicting the pitfalls of early adolescence; it is only Emory who is unbelievable. Recommended for teens and adults looking for an easy to read, fun story.
    • 5/5
      Charlie, a 14 yr old boy, whose mother has recently died, is the main character. He is a ty;ical 14 yr old, with hormones raging and unsure of his place in the hierarchy of middle shcool life. He is also confused about his relationship to his father since his mother's passing. Charlies perception of his and Emory's (the bear) relationship help him to see the world in a more mature light. Emory's Gift is a very good book, an easy read for young adults and older.
    • 4/5
      13-year-old Charlie, still grieving the loss of his mother, is having a hard time dealing with his uncommunicative father and the trials of being an 8th grade outcast. While out in the woods, he is befriended by a tame Grizzly Bear who claims to be a reincarnated civil war soldier with a message. When Charlie shelters the bear in his barn, things spiral out of control. There was a lot I liked about the book--I liked Charlie and his budding romance with 7th grader Beth; the book moved well and I was kept in suspense waiting to find out what would happen with the bear and what the message would be . . . but what downgraded my rating from a 4 to a 3 was the message itself. The other things that bothered me was that I had no idea this was a religious book--and would have liked to know that upfront. I'm also still not clear who the intended audience of the book is. From the description, I thought the book would be a good one for my elementary school library, but after reading it, it seems written more for adults . . . especially the prologue. I may run it by one of my advanced reader sixth graders to get a reaction.
    • 5/5
      Much like A Dog's Purpose, Emory's Gift explores reincarnation. Shortly after 13-year-old Charlie's mom dies from cancer, he is walking in the woods near his home in Idaho and comes face to face with a cougar. Just when the cougar is ready to pounce, it backs off and Charlie finds himself staring down a grizzly bear. Instead of being attacked, Charlie finds himself making a connection with the bear, which follows him home. The bear sticks around and starts to communicate with Charlie. The story unfolds around their relationship and what happens is nothing short of a leap of faith. The bear has a simple message of faith to deliver which of course causes a commotion in the small town.The message of this story, while a bit religious, is something that will fill you with hope. It left me feeling very happy and hopeful. There is a lot of quiet humor in the book as well and the portrayal of Charlie as a teen is just perfect. The page turning moment hit me around page 200. The story just clicked and I became so caught up, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. This is a good clean read and is probably suitable for older teens.
    • 4/5
      Emory’s Gift is a story about Charlie, a junior high school boy, whose mother has died and whose father is so lost in his own grief that he can’t reach out to comfort Charlie. They barely talk to each other, and can’t seem to bridge the pain. Late in summer, before school starts, Charlie is exploring the creek behind his house in Idaho, when he has a miraculous encounter with a huge Grizzly Bear named Emory. This life changing meeting of boy and bear affects more than just Charlie; it touches everyone around him.W. Bruce Cameron brought back all that junior high school angst in hysterical clarity, I laughed until the tears fell remembering the things we go through at thirteen. A mystical adventure, sweet, funny and oh so emotionally touching. I loved Emory—bear hugs all around for this entertaining book. This would be a great book for teens and their families to read together. I reviewed this book through the Amazon Vine Program.
    • 5/5
      I’ve never been a 13 year old boy, but I did raise one, and I can attest to the true character of Charlie Hall—his feelings, his speech, his overall being. To say nothing of the trials and tribulations of being in junior high school—that’s what it was called when I was there. None of this namby-pamby middle school stuff. Add to that the fact that Charlie Hall has lost his mother less than a year ago and his father has sort of disappeared into his own grief. Entering that picture is Emory—a grizzly bear.Bruce Cameron has created a really loveable character in Charlie Hall. I was smitten with him in the first chapter. There were lines that had me laughing out loud and lines that had my heart aching for Charlie. I’m an animal lover from way back and Emory’s Gift was a joy to read. Can I believe all the things that happened with Charlie and Emory? When the writing is this good and the story this enjoyable, you bet I can!!I received an advance reader copy from the author.